Horticultural Sciences

Dr. Danielle D. Treadwell

Associate Professor

Mailing Address:
Fifield Hall
2550 Hull Road
PO Box 110690
Gainesville, Florida 32611

Office: 1243 Fifield Hall
Phone: (352) 273-4775
E-mail: ddtreadw@ufl.edu

Areas of Expertise

Vegetable, fruit and cover crop management, conservation tillage, organic farming, small farms, farm to school, food systems

Extension Summary

Dr. Danielle Treadwell has been conducting research and Extension programs on vegetable and cover crop management in organic systems for over 25 years. She provides statewide Extension leadership for food systems, food safety, farm to school, small farms and alternative enterprises. She supports state and county faculty, farmers, and consumers by developing training, educational materials, and information networks. Dr. Treadwell’s Extension publications are located here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_a44334486.

Areas of Research

Dr. Treadwell’s research aims to conserve natural resources and focuses on cover crop, nutrient and soil management practices. Research is conducted to meet industry needs, and outcomes contribute to her Extension program and teaching and mentoring activities. She encourages her graduate students to conduct research according to their interests and professional goals. Graduate student work includes nutrient and pest management in greenhouse, field and reduced tillage vegetable production systems, as well as organic peach systems.

Teaching Responsibilities

Dr. Treadwell frequently serves a guest lecturer in a variety of courses throughout CALS for undergraduates and graduates. She enjoys mentoring students of all ages and serves as chair, co-chair and committee member for both M.S. and Ph.D. students.

Educational Background
- Ph.D., Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University (2005)
- M.S., Horticultural Science, Minor: Soil Science, North Carolina State University (2001)
- B.S., Fine Arts, Clemson University (1989)

Extension Program

Dr. Danielle Treadwell and Mary Beth Henry (UF/IFAS Extension, Polk County) provide statewide leadership for the Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises program. This extension program serves Florida’s diversified crop and livestock farm operators of all sizes, but particularly addresses the unique challenges faced by small farms owners and proprietors including business planning, marketing and market access, food safety, resource conservation, and nutrient, water, and pest management. Visit the team’s website for a wealth of information on these topics and more: https://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu and keep up with current events on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FL.SFAEC/.

Dr. Treadwell has provided leadership for Florida’s farm to school programs since 2012 and continues to serve as faculty advisor to Florida’s Farm to School and Community team now working in the UF/IFAS Family Nutrition Program with funding from Florida SNAP-Ed. The Farm to School and Community team consists of ten staff with experience and expertise in food and farming systems, plus additional staff at two farm to school food hubs (Alachua and Orange Counties). An interactive website describing the policy, systems, and environmental efforts of SNAP-Ed educators documented by our team is here: https://snapedpse.org/. Educational materials for school gardens includes our award-winning guide Grow to Learn: A Practical Guide for Successful School Gardens in Florida. 2014. (D. Treadwell, S. Park Brown, K. Brew and A. Prizzia, Eds.).

Organizations throughout the U.S. are supporting a national initiative to expand the adoption of cover crops in farming systems as a strategy to conserve natural resources. Dr. Treadwell’s Cover Crops for Resource Conservation Extension program supports this initiative by conducting cover crop demonstrations and hands-on trainings on farms and on research stations as well as serving as board member and Co-Chair of the Outreach and Communication Committee of the Southern Cover Crops Council. Check out my videos produced by the Southern Sustainable Agriculture and Education program (Southern SARE): https://tinyurl.com/RollerCrimper

Dr. Treadwell’s Organic Farming Systems Extension program is broad and includes programs on transitioning to organic, the certification process, crop rotations, and nutrient and pest management in organic fruit, vegetable, and cover crops. She frequently collaborates with Florida Organic Growers and Consumers to design and host programs, as well as faculty from UF/IFAS and beyond.

Work and International Experience
- 2011–present - Associate Professor. Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida. Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production.
- 2005-2011 - Assistant Professor. Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida. Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production.
- Organic Farming Systems Extension Programming Conducted in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Dominica
International Experience
- 2015 - Jamaica. Delivered formal education, workshops, field days, hands-on experiential training of organic and sustainable agriculture to farmers, service providers, university educators, government agency representatives, and allied industry representatives May 10-24. Travel was sponsored by FAVACA and work was designed to meet the objectives of the Jamaica Sustainable Farm Enterprise Program (a USAID sponsored program) designed to build program infrastructure, transfer technology and support information networks that will build a resilient food system in Jamaica.
- 2014 - US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Farmer “Discover the Cover” Training – 3 days of educational programming on cover crops and soil health in two locations including the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Croix, USVI, and the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, PR, one formal presentation on strategies to integrate cover crops into vegetable rotations and a half day of hands-on learning in the field. April 3-6. Funded by SR-SARE.
- 2012 - Dominica. Developed and delivered farmer training in Dominca “Integrated Organic Agriculture for the Tropics”. Training was in the classroom and the field in collaboration with Stuart Weiss, University of the Virgin Islands. Travel was sponsored by FAVACA, Dominica Organic Agriculture Movement Inc. and the Dominica Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
- 2008-2011 - Co-PI on a 4-year organic education project funded by USDA/CSREES ISE to initiate collaborative education and outreach programs between the University of Florida and the University of Madrid (Spain) and provide a foundation for future exchange of information and technology. Hosted visiting Spanish faculty co-PIs for a day-long tour of Organic research at PSREU in Citra, FL June 21, 2010.
- 2008 - Hosted Howard Conkey, Communications Manager, Product Integrity Animal and Plant Health Division, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Australia. This visit was arranged to introduce Mr. Conkey to the roles and responsibilities of Land Grant University Extension, and UF-IFAS in particular, regarding biosecurity issues specific to small farms. Activities included a Departmental Seminar, farm tours, and county agent interviews. April 21-22.

Awards and Honors
- UF/IFAS Extension. 2018. Meritorious Service for Leadership of the Food Systems Priority Working Group and the Extension Initiative One Leadership Team. Awarded May 2018.
- Florida Association of County Agriculture Agents (FACAA). 2017. FACCA Outstanding Specialist Award. Awarded September 2017.
- Southern Region American Society for Horticultural Science (SR-ASHS). 2015. SR-ASHS Blue Ribbon Extension Communication Award for Grow to Learn: A Practical Guide for Successful School Gardens in Florida. Danielle Treadwell, Sydney Park Brown, Kelli Brew, and Anna Prizzia (Eds.). Awarded February 2015.
- American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS). 2015. National ASHS Blue Ribbon Extension Communication Award for Grow to Learn: A Practical Guide for Successful School Gardens in Florida. Danielle Treadwell, Sydney Park Brown, Kelli Brew, and Anna Prizzia (Eds.). Awarded July 2015.
- Florida Association of County Agriculture Agents (FACAA) Search for Excellence Awards in Young, Beginning, or Small Farmers/Ranchers Winner. 2015. Celebrating the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference Robert Hochmuth (previous team co-Leader), Mary Beth Henry (nominee and current team co-Leader), Derek Barber, Roy Beckford, Jonael Bosques-Mendez, Jim Devalerio, Ashley Fluke, Aparna Gazula, Libby Johnson, Robert Kluson, Matt Lollar, Ed Skvarch, Jessica Sullivan, Blake Thaxton, Elena Toro, Danielle Treadwell (team co-Leader), Richard Tyson, and Joe Walter. Awarded April 2015.
- National Association of County Agriculture Agents (NACAA) Search for Excellence Awards in Young, Beginning, or Small Farmers/Ranchers Finalist. 2015. Celebrating the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference Robert Hochmuth (previous team co-Leader), Mary Beth Henry (nominee and current team co-Leader), Derek Barber, Roy Beckford, Jonael Bosques-Mendez, Jim Devalerio, Ashley Fluke, Aparna Gazula, Libby Johnson, Robert Kluson, Matt Lollar, Ed Skvarch, Jessica Sullivan, Blake Thaxton, Elena Toro, Danielle Treadwell (team co-Leader), Richard Tyson, and Joe Walter. Awarded July 2015.
- UF/IFAS Champions for Change Award. 2015. UF/IFAS Farm to School Team (Danielle Treadwell team co-leader). Sponsored by the UF Office of Sustainability and Healthy Gators, this award recognize individuals and groups that have made a significant contribution to the UF community in the areas of sustainability and health.
- UF/IFAS Superior Accomplishment Award. 2014. Division 4 Academic Personnel Winner. Awarded April 2014.
- Florida Society for Horticultural Sciences (FSHS) Natural Resources Best Paper Award. 2012. Tyson, R., M. Danyluk, E. Simonne and D. Treadwell. 2012. Aquaponics – Sustainable Vegetable and Fish Co-Production. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. Vol. 125: 381-385.
- Sustainable Florida – Collins Center Best Practice Award Finalist 2010. The University of Florida and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Extension Team. (One of three finalists in this category of over 100 applicants). Robert Hochmuth, Danielle Treadwell and Vonda Richardson, co-leaders.

Program Personnel
- Tabitha Petri, Biological Scientist II
  - Office: 352-294-1692
  - Email: tpetri@ufl.edu
  - Tabitha earned her MS in Interdisciplinary Ecology at the University of Florida and is a full-time biological scientist in the Treadwell lab. She provides leadership for specialty crop research, including field-grown specialty crops, data collection, and analysis. In addition, she contributes to educational materials for UF/IFAS Extension county faculty and clientele. She has experience in federal regulatory programs for farm food safety and USDA-organic certification and gardening and cover crop management.
  - Tabitha Petri’s publications are listed here: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0231-1983