When Matthew Wagner walks the fields of the Catawba Sustainability Center, he’s thinking about more than daily farm work. Located about a half hour northeast of Blacksburg, the 377-acre Virginia Tech center supports faculty research, student learning, and partnerships with producers and community members across the region.
The center’s farm manager role sits at the intersection of land stewardship, research support, and community engagement. Matthew Wagner recently stepped into the position. In partnership with Roanoke County, the center serves as a living laboratory for sustainable agriculture, regenerative grazing, agroforestry, and applied research benefiting producers across Southwest Virginia and beyond.
“Catawba has incredible potential as a place where students, faculty, farmers, and other community members can learn from one another and work together,” Wagner said. “My goal is to provide the infrastructure, coordination, and day-to-day support they need to ask meaningful questions and test real-world solutions.”…