Christopher Von Achen
M.S. Candidate, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
Sustainability Science program page
Born and raised in central CT, I graduated from UMass with degrees in Food Science and Sustainable Food & Farming in 2017. Since graduating, I’ve spent my time working with the Food Science Extension Program here at UMass, focusing on food safety education for small and local food processors. I recently finished developing a food safety training course, focusing on scientific concepts of food safety and an overview of regulatory compliance, which is designed for entrepreneurs looking to start their own food business. We’ve been successfully piloting it this year, and are currently looking for ways to disseminate the course through the northeast, which is quite exciting. My undergraduate and professional experiences have fostered a passion for working with producers within our food system, and in the future, I hope to expand that focus to work with a community-based organization that focuses on food access across the different parts of the food system.