ASHS 2024 Conference

Exploring Markets for Horticultural Food Crops in Midwestern United States - Linda Prokopy
An expanded scope of ethnic crops research and outreach in the United States: implications on immigration and urban food - Fernanda Krupek
Youth Sustainable Agriculture Urban Farming Entrepreneurship Program: An Overview and Pilot Results from Urban Farming - Kathryn Orvis
Connecting the Dots: Creating School Garden and Produce Taste Testing Programs in Kentucky - Cindy Finneseth
Garden to Pantry: An Interactive and Interdisciplinary Approach to Growing and Preserving Produce - Rebecca Catalena
Fermented Hot Pepper Sauce as a Model for New Value-Added Opportunities for Local Food Production - Matthew Behrends
The Missouri Produce Growers Video Newsletter – Digestible, Accessible and Impactful Extension Education - Justin Keay
The Center for Sustainability of Farms and Families: Impacts of The Small Scale Farm Grant on Local Foods in Kentucky - Joni Nelson
The Waimānalo Learning Center: Land-Grant Experiment Stations as a Space to Heighten Community Engagement and Advancement - Ilima Ho-Lastimosa

Agricultural communities in the Midwest face ongoing economic, environmental, and social challenges. A variety of research shows that increasing diversity in an agricultural system can help overcome these challenges. The Diverse Corn Belt (DCB) is a USDA-NIFA funded project focuses on developing an evidence-based framework and vision of how to enable a more diverse agricultural landscape across the Corn Belt (Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana). This interdisciplinary project is exploring and promoting diversity at the farm, landscape, and market levels through Research, Extension, and Education. We have completed 18 focus groups across Indiana, Illinois and Iowa with conventional and diversified farmers, interviews with horticultural growers, and surveys of retailers, processors, and consumers. Last year we presented results from focus groups and interviews. This year, we add results from survey findings to highlight gaps between different stakeholders in the horticultural value chain, as well as the most valuable food labels among consumers, retailers, and processors.

The participation of immigrant, refugee and communities of conflict-displaced former agricultural professionals in urban agriculture and local food systems has steadily increased in the United States over the past decades. Even though production and access of culturally appropriate crops has the potential to nourish the health and social fabric of communities and contribute to the local economy, less is known about the extant literature related to research and outreach on ethnic crops. This presentation will cover preliminary results of an ongoing systematic review collating peer-reviewed and gray literature published from 2000 to the present to identify, map, and describe existing research and outreach efforts on culturally relevant crops in the United States. Our findings will have the potential to offer a greater understanding of the current state of knowledge to inform the focus of future research on innovative models for more sustainable and local urban production.

Urban agriculture initiatives developed for youth have the capacity to motivate learning, include minority groups, and allow participation in activities that foster self-growth, community engagement, and entrepreneurship. This pilot study builds on a partnership between a midwestern university and the Felege Hiywot Center’s (FHC) successful youth urban farming program, now focusing on how that programing could contribute to developing life skills, sustainable agriculture knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills. A mixed methods approach was utilized, including pre/post surveys, student presentations, and observations. Participants were twenty-eight high school aged youth, of which 91% self-identified as African American. Main foci of the project were participants’ life skills, entrepreneurial skills and mindset, sustainable agriculture content, and community collaborations. Key findings from the summer pilot post survey (n=23) indicate that 70% of participants responded that they could develop their own business plan, 83% believe that external changes create opportunities for an urban ag business; and 65% believed they could build connections with people they had not before. Knowledge around sustainable agriculture shows room for improvement where only 30% could identify what percentage of food grown globally is wasted annually, and 43% believed that technology development, adoption and utilization is not a part of sustainable agriculture; however, sixty five percent of participants could identify the three sustainability pillars: economics, environment, and social. The program's influence on participants' future plans was of interest, with 52% self-reporting a change in their outlook. This impact can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of volunteers, professionals, sponsors, and the structured nature of the FHC program, which also emphasizes the importance of individual backgrounds. The potential to impact and enhance life skills, foster self-awareness, improving family communication, and open avenues for future education and career opportunities will allow for a broader development and expansion of this project. This pilot contributes to the broader discourse on youth programs in urban agriculture by highlighting the integrative approach of experiential learning, farm-based education, and student-centered learning within a youth development framework. While early in the project, this pilot shows promise in underlining the critical role of urban agriculture programs in shaping the lives and future prospects of minority youth.

More than one-third of adolescents are overweight or obese in Kentucky. Access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables is important to maintain a healthy weight and reduce disease risk; however, in Kentucky adolescents, 44.6% reported consuming fruit less than once daily and 42.7% reported consuming vegetables less than once daily. Research has shown that farm to school (F2S) activities lead to improvements in student health behaviors, including: an increase in the consumption of and preference for fruits and vegetables, and improved knowledge and attitudes to nutrition. F2S activities have been shown to have strong benefits relative to economic development, public health, education, environment, and equity and community engagement and include 3 core elements – procurement of local food by schools, agriculture, food, health, and nutrition education, and school gardens. The University of Kentucky (UK), the Kentucky Horticulture Council (KHC), Feeding KY, Community Farm Alliance (CFA), and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) partnered to develop a Kentucky F2S Network and awarded 40 schools mini-grants to implement taste testing activities and awarded 5 schools mini-grants to establish school gardens and implement nutrition and food education in the classroom. More than 35 applications for the school garden mini-grants were submitted and 5 schools received $5,000 to install school gardens and conduct related nutrition and cooking education. UK student interns assisted schools and conducted garden/nutrition lessons, reaching over 2,000 students. Garden grantees grew and harvested 35 fruits and vegetables. During the final project reporting period, grantees engaged over 2,000 people in gardens for a total of 3,000 hours collectively spent in the garden with 1,300 of those hours coming from parent and community member involvement. Interns presented 3 school garden educator workshops and developed resources about best practices for school gardens. Over 100 applications were received for $1,000 taste test mini-grants and 40 grants were awarded directly to KY schools to conduct taste test activities of locally-grown fruits and vegetables. The taste testing grantees: purchased $24,369 in produce from 90 Kentucky farms; served 70 different types of fruits and vegetables; and served locally-grown produce to 11,000 students in 55 different schools. The presentation will focus on strategies used to recruit and screen program participants by assessing needs, setting realistic expectations, and increasing production knowledge and skills, with the goal of influencing student food choices and increasing use of locally-grown produce in classroom education and school feeding programs.

Garden to Pantry: An Interactive and Interdisciplinary Approach to Growing and Preserving Produce Rebecca C. Lee1 and Carmen Flammini2, 1 Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, Jon Archer Agricultural Center, 1070 N. Schillinger Rd., Mobile, AL 36608, 2Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, 302A Byrne St., Bay Minette, AL 36507 Recent research conducted post-COVID-19 indicates that households experiencing food insecurity have escalated their home food procurement activities, including gardening, fishing, canning, and food preservation. These studies propose that transitioning procurement activities into sustainable lifestyles and enhancing fruit and vegetable consumption among food-insecure populations will necessitate technical support and outreach initiatives like Garden to Pantry (G2P). Home gardening and food preservation programs can play a vital role in educating communities about fruit and vegetable cultivation and preservation. The objectives of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service (ACES) program entitled ‘Garden to Pantry: An Interactive and Interdisciplinary Approach to Growing and Preserving Produce’ aimed to deliver a complete and immersive program from planting to preserving of seasonal fruit and vegetables in a one-day program by offering research-based recommendations for methods of home food preservation. Additionally, the program aimed to provide the community with cross-discipline knowledge and experience from varying disciplines. The pilot program of the ‘Garden to Pantry: An Interactive and Interdisciplinary Approach to Growing and Preserving Produce’ program was presented in five counties in Alabama in 2023 and 2024. Data obtained during the 2023 run of the program revealed the program was positively received by the target community and further interest was expressed in participating in other programs focusing on food safety as a whole concept by integrating all aspects of food preservation. Future challenges of this program include seeking involvement with younger stakeholder demographics as well as individuals interested in the increasing popular homesteading movement.

Development of value-added products by local growers can lead to additional economic opportunities for small farmers by utilization of unsold crops for production of products. Kentucky State University (KSU) received a USDA Capacity Building grant to create a Fermentation and Distillation Sciences Program to train students in this area, but also help local farmers develop new value-added fermented products. There are many job opportunities either supporting or directly involved in the fermentation and distillation sciences in Kentucky and the surrounding region. The goal of the program is to develop new recipes for value-added products for small-scale producers, including pawpaw, hemp, and sorghum beer and kombucha, spirits, and fermented fruit and vegetable products through research supported by new equipment. Hot pepper sauce is of great interest to small producers since it is fairly easy to make and there are many variations in recipes. The objective of this current study was to develop new recipes for fermented hot pepper sauce as new value-added products for small-scale producers. Pepper plantings were established at the Kentucky State University Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm for a range of pepper cultivars including: Shishimai (Shishito Pepper), Sargento (Poblano Pepper), Bottle Rocket (Cayenne Pepper), Mad Hatter (Bishop's Crown Pepper), Roulette (Habanero Pepper), Helios (Habanero Pepper), Carmen (Corno di Toro Pepper), and a number of other peppers over a three year period. Initially, a number of recipes for fermented hot pepper sauce were evaluated and subject to taste trails. These recipes varied in preparation, pepper type, and vinegar addition. Finally, a potential unique fermented hot pepper sauce was developed that would be of interest to local farmer to produce as a value added product. A tasting trail was conducted with 23 individuals on the KSU campus comparing this new recipe to three commercially available hot sauces. There were 14 males and 8 female participants, with 1 participant preferring not to answer. The average age range was between 26 and 45. Hot sauce samples were served on saltines and evaluated from 1 to 5 for color, smell, flavor, heat, and willingness to pay. The individuals were also asked to rank their favorite sauce. Additional data was collected concerning the participants liking of spicy foods. The fermented hot pepper sauce recipe that was developed was well received and should be of interest for production by local farmers.

The Missouri Produce Growers Video Newsletter (MPGVN) was established in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented in-person programming. The MPGVN is a bi-weekly video-based email newsletter targeting specialty crop farmers and is an offshoot of a project consisting of weekly live-streamed remote educational town halls, which lacked sufficient attendance to justify continuation. Maintaining impactful, ongoing digital engagement with extension audiences is challenging due to grower’s time constraints and competition with low time-investment and high reward non-extension educational media, such as video hosting and social media platforms. The 3–5-minute narrated PowerPoint™ presentations and live shot videos comprising the educational content in the MPGVN, are easily consumed, introducing key points on a timely cropping systems or farm management topic, with further topic resource links embedded. The MPVGN also features links to workshops, grants, and partner agency and non-profit resources. The core team of content contributors, 5 University of Missouri Extension Field Specialists in Horticulture, meets bi-weekly to plan content. Additional extension collaborators from various disciplines including agricultural business, natural resources, climatology, plant pathology, entomology, and food safety contribute content. The newsletter is created and distributed using the Dotdigital™ platform. The format and content have driven engagement amongst the 950 subscribers. The MPGVN engagement metrics relative to industry benchmarks for educational email newsletters are higher by 188% for unique opens, 345% for unique clickers, and 177% for click-to-open rate. To measure the impact of the MPGVN, a survey was sent to 948 subscribers in 2023, with a 14% response rate. Survey observations showed that 55% identified as growers “currently growing and selling produce or planning to grow and sell produce”, 45% as extension educators, and 5% as home gardeners. The survey showed that of the growers; 85% indicated knowledge gains; 78% reported adoption or change of farming practices ; 63% attended an extension class ; 56% connected with a partner agency ; 23% applied to grants ; and 10% received grant awards, thanks to information delivered in the newsletter. The MPGVN is a valuable educational tool, driving engagement with extension programming and resources.

The Center for Sustainability of Farms and Families: Impacts of The Small Scale Farm Grant on Local Foods in Kentucky. JONI NELSON*, MATTHEW BEHRENDS, ALLISON NOEL, and KIRK W. POMPER. College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension Program, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, KY 40601 Kentucky State University’s Small Farm Grant Program managed through the Center for Sustainability of Farms and Families supports new economic opportunities for limited resource farmers with funding from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board and the USDA-NIFA capacity building grant “Extension Approaches to Support Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Producers”. The Small Farm Grant Program, which began in 2012, has awarded more than $8.5 million through 1,976 applications to farmers from 114 Kentucky counties. This funding has been distributed through mini-grants for categories including Value-Added, Organic, Aquaculture, Food Insecure, and Agroforestry projects. New categories added in 2024 including Food Systems Resiliency and Emerging Agricultural Technologies have been added in addition to a beginning beekeeper program in our ongoing efforts to address the diverse needs of Kentucky producers. These new categories support the efforts of producers to implement innovative practices or technologies that enhance sustainability and resource efficiency on the farm. Program funding supports a wide range of needs such as mobile freezer units, pond aerators, canning equipment for fruits and vegetables, tractor implements to support organic crop integrity, goat cheese and soap making equipment, root cellars, equipment for food banks and farmers markets, agroforestry practices, and numerous others. This program has also assisted many new farmers with entering local markets and education toward production methods as well as aiding their efforts to support local economies and cooperative networks.

The Waimānalo Learning Center (WLC) is a University of Hawai’i (UH) project established in 2012 through seed funding from the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation. Located at CTAHR's Waimānalo Research Station, the WLC aims to transform the station into a community learning center that promotes food security, self-sufficiency, and healthy eating, particularly for indigenous and underserved populations. The UH physical facilities supporting WLC include an aquaponics facility and outdoor classroom adjacent to certified organic research plots. A Community Coordinator was added in 2014, and since then the WLC has rapidly expanded its programming through close partnerships with local schools and community organizations. In 2017 the WLC has partnered with a local non-profit, Ke Kula Nui O Waimānalo to run food sovereignty programs including aquaponics (MALAMA), agroforestry (Ulupono Mahi ‘Āina), and backyard egg production (Hui Hua Moa). In a survey of key partners, the vast majority of 75 respondents strongly agreed that: 1) The WLC has been a valuable partner for their organization (98.6%); 2) The WLC plays an important role in serving the Waimanalo community (95.9%); 3) The WLC has helped them elevate their group’s mission and vision (94.5%). Echoing the comments of others, one respondent stated “The Waimānalo Learning Center has served as important ʻāina (land) for our haumana (students) to build pilina (relationship), hana (work), and take on greater kuleana (responsibility) with. The staff and facilities have allowed us to grow and deepen our curriculum of place-based, ʻāina work within our community.” The results from 12 years of activity suggests that the WLC is an effective model for using Land Grant Research Stations to address community needs around food, health and cultural preservation, and increase community engagement and advancement.

A forum for discussion of potential collaborations with regards to fruit, vegetable, and edible crops – i.e. citrus, breeding, production systems, postharvest, pomology, crop management, viticulture, etc.

Traditional disciplines in food and agriculture education are insufficient to fulfill the gaps of knowledge and innovation to solve future challenges. How agriculture and farming have been perceived is very different from what reality needs to be. We will share examples and current jobs available in an integrated farming/food system program in North Carolina to provide skill training, career development, and workforce development opportunities within a private/public collaboration. The integrated approach including production, marketing, finance, risk management, renewable energy, Workload, expectations, and types of tasks will be explained including compensation and other support.

Sustainable Small Plot Farming and Entrepreneurship Training Program - Alexis Howard
Edible Weeds for Sustainable Food Systems: Pilot studies with emphasis on purslane - Roland Ebel
Louisiana Harvest of the Month – Promoting Local Food and Food Literacy - Carl Motsenbocker
Enhancing Food Security and Sovereignty: A Case Study of the University of Connecticut Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program - Shuresh Ghimire
Response of Leafy Edibles Grown on an Extensive Greenroof Compared to Conventional Field Production - Kaitlyn M Lamaster
Diverse Internships as an Opportunity to Engage Underrepresented Students Into Local Food Systems - Angel Cruz
Food Policy and Food Security - Sophia Darrow
An Urban Agriculture Green Roof Study: Cultivating Sustainable Local Food Sources - Julieta Sherk

An interdisciplinary team at Montana State University (MSU) has initiated a project to evaluate the cultivation, commercialization, processing, and food use of the associated plant agrobiodiversity, or “edible weeds.” The project involves different food system stakeholders and targets underutilized/neglected edible plant species on local farms. In four pilot studies in Montana, conducted in 2023, we emphasized common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) as a model edible weed due to its abundance in local horticultural systems, its relatively limited competition with crops, and rich data on nutritional properties. Annual common purslane exhibits a versatile habitat range, including gardens, crop fields, and orchards. The hermaphroditic plant is self-fertile, flowers from June to September, thrives in well-drained soils, and requires direct sunlight. While considered a weed across the US, purslane is cultivated in diverse countries due to its culinary and medicinal attributes. Stems and leaves are consumed raw and cooked, in salads, sauces, or soups. Purslane also serves as a thickening agent due to mucilaginous properties. The succulent leaves are abundant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. In our first study, we monitored edible weeds on 3 farms in Bozeman, Montana. Purslane exhibited its highest occurrence in emerging carrot crops and on freshly tilled beds. In our second study, we sampled 35 weed species on 7 vegetable farms across Montana. Purslane had a relative abundance of 6.52% and was found in kale, onions, carrots, and bean plots. In our third study, we conducted a sensory test among attendees of the MSU Presidential Luncheon. We presented 3 purslane products: compound herb butter, cornbread muffin, and blueberry compote. 42 attendees responded to an online survey on their overall quality, flavor, and texture. All products were perceived positively with a rate of 7.5 to 7.7 on a Likert-scale from 1 (dislike extremely) to 9 (like extremely). 52% of participants had never thought about eating edible weeds. Finally, for 2 days, a Mexican restaurant in Bozeman, offered 2 traditional dishes, purslane with pork in green salsa and chicken in red salsa. Participants responded to an online and paper survey with a questionnaire similar to the one for the luncheon. Out of 53 validated responses, dishes were assessed with an average of 8.17 (chicken) and 8.53 (pork) on a 1-9 Likert-scale. Over 90% of respondents considered purslane an appropriate vegetable for these dishes. Our findings indicate potential of selectively weeding purslane from vegetable production systems and consumer interest in the vegetable.

The Louisiana Harvest of the Month (HOM) is program that is intended to introduce locally grown food such as fruit and vegetables one time per month to schools. The program started as a pilot program in 2015 in three schools in Louisiana and expanded statewide in 2017. The HOM program is currently in 720 schools around the state and is also used by other programs such as Louisiana 4H. The HOM program highlights a local food item designated by schools with monthly materials such as HOM posters, activity sheets, coloring pages, recipes, sample newsletters, taste test guide and “I tried it stickers,” classroom activities and lessons linked to state standards, all available free of charge. There are 21 HOM items currently available to participants with a majority of the HOM items locally available fruits and vegetables, along with rice, and several proteins (crawfish, catfish, shrimp). The newest additions to the HOM portfolio of resources are short (12 to 14 minute) videos produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting that are targeted to elementary school children. The videos highlight farmers and fishers on location for each HOM and also provide a section in the use of the local product in the kitchen and demonstrate recipes. There are currently 18 HOM videos and their popularity is demonstrated by some having been accessed over ten thousand times on YouTube and Facebook. Data from the HOM program will be presented including data on the use of the program and program analytics.

The development of the University of Connecticut (UConn) Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) was a response to the need to enhance food security and sovereignty within the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN), while also reducing rates of obesity and Type II diabetes as the Tribal community faced food insecurity, alongside alarming rates of health disparities compared to their white counterparts. The program aimed to bolster agricultural capacity on Tribal lands, provide workforce development for Tribal members, and deliver health and nutrition education. Through extensive consultations with Tribal leaders and members, UConn FRTEP tailored programs in agriculture, workforce development, youth engagement, and health education. Since the initiation of the program in 2017 to 2023, Extension educators provided comprehensive training on vegetable and fruit production, integrated pest management, and business planning. Additionally, nutrition workshops, fitness classes, and virtual cooking sessions were conducted, fostering community engagement. Tribal youths engaged in educational activities and field trips designed to enhance agricultural literacy and healthy eating behaviors. To ensure sustainability, youths also participated in “train the trainer” opportunities. Project evaluations included resource inventories, focus groups, and pre/post-program surveys to measure immediate outcomes as well as broader impacts and community perceptions. The establishment of a farm that included hydroponic greenhouses, shipping-container farming, in addition to growing an array of vegetables and fruits on 5 acres by 2023 improved food security and sovereignty within MPTN. The farm produced tomatoes, lettuce, summer squash, winter squash, cucumbers, watermelon, chard, broccoli, potatoes, beans, herbs, and strawberries, supporting food distribution programs reaching 15% (180 members) of the Tribal population in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, in the same period, 30 diabetic patients received prescribed fresh produce from the farm. After completing nutritional education lessons (seven 1-hour long) in 2022, survey results indicated notable improvements among youth participants (n = 17): 60% showed enhanced ability in identifying active children, 50% improved recognition of fruits and dairy foods, and 44% exhibited better proficiency in identifying healthy snacks. Overall, the health of the tribal members improved through the consumption of fresh nutritious food, an increase in the number of tribal members practicing healthy eating habits, and exercise learned through training. The success of the project led to the creation of the MPTN Department of Agriculture. UConn FRTEP significantly strengthened university-tribal relations, exemplifying fruitful collaboration, boosting food security, economics, and health. This model partnership promotes sustainable development, empowering Indigenous communities, fostering resilience, and self-reliance.

Urban green roof (GR) agriculture provides an alternative growing space to supply fresh produce and herbs to local markets or restaurants, which can also help to address food security concerns in cities, by providing nutritional produce in urban and often underserved locations. Although many vegetables can be grown on extensive GRs, few studies have evaluated the performance of edibles grown on green roof environments to those grown under typical field conditions. Unlike traditional agriculture, plants on extensive GRs are grown in a shallow engineered soil to reduce the weight load on the roof. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in 2023 on the Southern Illinois University – Carbondale Agriculture building extensive green roof and at the Horticulture Research Center. This experiment evaluated ‘Dazzling Blue’ and ‘Red Russian' Kale [Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group)], and ‘Green Wave’ Mustard (Brassica juncea) productivity in both an extensive green roof environment and open field conditions. Similar cultural practices were followed regarding plant spacing, fertilizer and water management in both systems. The experiment was setup as a CRD with two treatment locations evaluating three edible green varieties with four replications. Results indicated a significant yield cost for these leafy edibles when gown on the greenroof compared to the conventional field environment. Fresh weight of ‘Dazzling Blue’ and ‘Red Russian Kale were reduced by 85% and 80% when grown in the GR environment, respectively, while that for ‘Green Wave’ Mustard was decreased by 70%. Data for other growth variables, such as plant height and vigor, leaf count, and dry weight were also generally reduced in an extensive GR environment and will be presented and discussed further. Although our research indicates that extensive GRs do not provide similar yields for leafy green edibles as conventional field production, this alternative urban space used to grow fresh food for an urban community may more than make up for the loss in yield due to the various significant positive impacts that GRs can provide.

Climate change, food insecurity, and environmental degradation are complex food system challenges that require innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to agricultural research and education. In addition to attracting and training more students to food system and agricultural careers, there is a critical need for targeted recruitment of under-represented groups. To meet the demand for skilled professionals and increase minority participation in the agricultural workforce, the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) has been developing new internship programs that reflect the changing career paths, as well as diverse interests and needs of students. Over the past five years, CEFS has strategically redesigned and expanded our student internship opportunities. In 2023, CEFS hosted 5 different student internship programs with 37 students with opportunities that ranged from summer research intensives to remote year round opportunities where students worked with food based community nonprofits. Key aspects of all of our internship programs include paid work opportunities, experiential learning, mentorship, professional development opportunities and cohort based learning. All student participants participated in pre- and post tests designed to collect program evaluation, participant knowledge and skills gains, as well as participants' intended career choices. Over the past three years, more than 50% of all program participants were from underrepresented minority groups. Additionally, 54% of interns reported that program participation led to a career pursuit in agriculture or food systems. Short term follow up studies to date show the majority of participants are either working in agriculture or food systems or completing additional studies in a related field. By engaging these diverse undergraduate students in hands-on, agriculture and food system research and extension opportunities while providing structured professional development training, we have increased underrepresented student interest and capacity to pursue careers in agriculture and food systems.

Food policy and food security are two areas crucial to the success and health of many around the world. They take the commitment, hard work, and perseverance of many stakeholders from producer to consumer to legislation. Furthermore, as the population of the world continues to expand, an increase in production does not necessarily correlate to increased accessibility to healthy quality produce, building or support of local food systems or communities. Although methods can be implemented on a small community level, there are many opportunities to create more hospitable environments for horticultural production in Oklahoma. This leads to the current project to evaluate the state of the state’s food policy and plans for food security in hopes of providing strategies to best advise legislation and to ease barriers local producers experience through their advocacy. Additionally, as extenuating factors play into food security, it is important to factor in other areas of concern in policy and available resources, such as economics and regional factors. This presentation follows the research and analysis of the master’s project. Food policy is essential in supporting local producers, whether through resources, addressing barriers, or creating a pro-agricultural environment. Food policy also lead into many additional factors such as accessibility, especially for underserved populations, and the creation of healthier, more aware, and sustainable communities.

Numerous cities have extensive roof space, a significant portion of which is comprised of unused flat rooftops. Green roofs are used to introduce green space to cities by growing plants on otherwise barren surfaces, especially in dense urban areas. Potential benefits of green roofs include social, economic, and environmental impacts. In addition, fruits and vegetables can be grown on roofs for consumption. Using a survey, practices such as design methods, community engagement, irrigation methods, plant selection, and growing substrate types were examined on 15 green roofs. The survey responses revealed several anticipated trends, including the provisioning of additional irrigation and a minimum of six hours of sunlight daily required on nearly all rooftops. There was also a large variety of plants that were reported to do well, suggesting that rooftop farms and gardens can successfully grow several different crops. One unexpected discovery was the common use of rooftop farms and gardens for restaurants and the unique culinary production associated. Overall, the studied roofs generally followed very similar designs, with a few distinct aspects that made them unique. In the future, more of these food-producing green roofs could further promote locally sourced healthy food within communities. The evidence obtained from this study defines the strategies and feasibility of urban agricultural practices on green roofs. These practices can increase locally sourced food production and provide a template for designing rooftop edible gardens for community-wide benefits.

In response to growing concerns of food insecurity within our communities in the big bend region of Florida, Tallahassee State College in partnership with the City of Tallahassee established a training program to empower emerging farmers. This innovative program equips participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to efficiently and sustainably cultivate fruits and vegetables using organic and permaculture practices. The primary aim is to enable individuals to utilize small plots of land effectively, thereby fostering self-sufficiency and contributing to the local food community. The program was conceived as a direct countermeasure to the challenges of food scarcity and the underutilization of available land for food production. By focusing on small-scale, sustainable farming, the initiative seeks to transform even limited spaces into productive market gardens. This approach not only addresses immediate food production needs but also promotes long-term environmental stewardship through sustainable agricultural practices. A distinctive feature of the program is its partnership with local farms, which provides a practical, hands-on learning environment for participants. These collaborations are vital for the integration of theoretical knowledge with real-world farming experiences, enhancing the learning process. Historically, the program supported learners through paid apprenticeships, allowing them to earn while they learn. Since its launch, various sponsors have funded the program, offering scholarships that eliminate cost barriers. Presently, it’s supported by a USDA AFRI Agricultural Workforce Training grant, which includes equipment stipends and industry-recognized certifications. These additions aim to further support and broaden the participants' success in the agricultural sector. The certifications serve as a formal acknowledgment of their technical proficiency and a steppingstone towards further career opportunities in agriculture. Through its comprehensive curriculum, this program not only teaches participants how to grow food but also instills entrepreneurial skills necessary for starting and managing a market garden. This dual focus ensures that graduates are well-prepared to either enter the agriculture industry or start their own farming ventures. Ultimately, this program strives to create a network of skilled, knowledgeable farmers who are capable of contributing to their communities by increasing local food production and enhancing food security. By doing so, it supports not only the participants and their families but also enriches the broader local food ecosystem. The ongoing success of the program underscores its significance as a vital educational resource in the fight against food insecurity through sustainable agriculture.