Leigh Whittinghill

Department of Environmental Science and Forestry
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street
New Haven, CT 06511
E-mail: Leigh.Whittinghill@ct.gov
Phone: (203) 974-8489

Expertise:
Dr. Leigh Whittinghill is a horticulturalist with expertise in vegetable production and green roofs. Her research focuses on urban agriculture, novel production systems that could help increase production area and reduce costs, and the potential environmental impacts of urban agricultural practices.

Education:
Ph.D. Michigan State University (Horticulture) 2012  
B.A. Middlebury College (Biology) 2006

Station Career:
Assistant Agricultural Scientist II, Department of Forestry and Horticulture, 2021-present

Past Research:
Dr. Whittinghill’s doctorate research at Michigan State University focused on the use of green roof systems for food production, examining both crop yields and the potential impact that crop production could have on the known benefits of green roofs. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at The Earth Institute at Columbia University, she helped to examine impact of a full-scale rooftop farm on green roof runoff water quality and quantity. At Kentucky State University, Dr. Whittinghill expanded this research to include the examination of runoff water quality from ground level container and raised beds systems as well. She also examined the production of several high value crops in these systems including several varieties of greens and saffron.  

Current Research:
Dr. Whittinghill’s current research at CAES will continue to examine urban food production practices to increase food production, decrease environmental impact, and find solutions to urban food production problems. 

 

Selected publications available from the author, Leigh.Whittinghill@ct.gov:

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles:

• Poudel, P., Whittinghill, L. J., Kobayashi, H., and Lucas, S. (2023). Evaluating the effects of Bacillus subtilis treatment and planting depth on saffron (Crocus sativus L.) production in a green roof system. HortScience, 58(10), 1267-1274. DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI17220-23
• Whittinghill, L. J., Ballard, M., Chaudhary, A., Kandel, S., Mullins, C., and Poudel, P. (2023). Runoff water quality from different urban agricultural systems using common nutrient management practices. HortScience, 58(8), 855-870. DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI17215-23
• Whittinghill, L. J. and Sarr, S. (2021). Sustainable Urban Agriculture: A Case Study of Louisville, Kentucky’s Largest City. Urban Science, 5(4), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci5040092
• Whittinghill, L. J. and Poudel, P. (2020). Yields of relay cropped greens grown in green roof production systems. Proceedings from the Urban Food Systems Symposium. Virtual Conference. https://newprairiepress.org/ufss/2020/ proceedings/15 
• Patel, S. V., Topè, A. M. and Whittinghill, L. (2020). Chemical Fingerprinting of Commercially Available Saffron: High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography. Advances in Food and Nutrition Science. DOI: 10.37722/ANAFS.20208 
• Whittinghill, L. J., Culligan, P., Plunz, R., and Hseuh, D. (2016). Stormwater performance of a full scale rooftop farm: Runoff water quality. Ecological Engineering, 91, 195-206. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.01.047
• Whittinghill, L. J., Rowe, D. B., Ngouajio, M., and Cregg, B. M. (2016). Evaluation of nutrient management and mulching strategies for vegetable production on an extensive green roof. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 40(4), 297-318.
• Whittinghill, L. J., Rowe, D. B., Andresen, J., and Cregg, B. M. (2015). A comparison of storm water runoff from two traditional and one vegetable producing extensive green roof. Urban Ecosystems, 8(1), 13-29.
• Ackerman, K., Conrad, M., Culligan, P., Plunz, R., Sutto, M.-P., and L. Whittinghill. (2014). Sustainable food systems for future cities: The potential of urban agriculture. The Economic and Social Review Journal, 45(2), 189-206.
• Whittinghill, L. J., Rowe, D. B., Schutzki, R., and Cregg, B. M. (2014). Carbon sequestration in landscapes at grade and on extensive green roofs. Landscape and Urban Planning, 123, 41-48.
• Whittinghill, L. J., Rowe, D. B. and Cregg, B. M. (2013). Evaluation of Vegetable Production on Extensive Green Roofs. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 37(4), 465-484.
• Whittinghill, L. J. and Rowe, D. B. (2012). The role of green roof technology in urban agriculture. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 27, 314-322.
• Whittinghill, L. J. and Rowe, D. B. (2011). Salt tolerance of common green roof and green wall plants. Urban Ecosystems, 14, 783-794.

Fact Sheets: