Presentation by Paul Brierley, Director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture

On the final evening of the Food and Farm Immersion, students, faculty, and staff gathered at ASU’s University Club to celebrate the week with the help of the Director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture, Paul Brierley.

Christopher Vito receives ARCS Award

Join us in applauding Christopher Vito for his remarkable achievement! Christopher has been honored with the prestigious ARCS Scholar Award by the ARCS® Foundation, Inc., Phoenix Chapter, recognizing his exceptional

Justice Brothers Ranch: Local food systems, co-ops and sustainable farming

Walking onto the Justice Brothers Ranch, I could feel the Arizona sun beaming down on me, paired with the ongoing noise of airplanes flying over the Waddell area. It had been a long day of farm visits for my Sustainable Food Systems cohort. We had visited all larger, conventional farms earlier in the day, and we were looking forward to learning about what this farmer had to say about his citrus farm.

Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown casually talking with researchers in her office.

Harnessing the power of microbes for human health

Director of the Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, shares insights into how the center partners with the human microbiome to improve people’s health.

An edible landscape at ASU

If you know a thing or two about plants and tree species, you could find a lovely meal on the Arizona State University campus. You walk outside, and foods like oranges, olives, mint, rosemary, and many more surround you. Walking the ASU campus, our tour guide, Deborah Thirkhill, took us on a campus food journey that could be the future for more college campuses.

Promising new research for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases

Director of the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, Jeffrey Kordower, reveals how his team of researchers is in a race against time to find effective treatments, if not a cure, for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

group photo outside of the Biodesign Institute with 20th anniversary graphic

Biodesign ‘alumni’ aid the fight against infectious diseases

This is the first in a series of profiles of former faculty and staff members of ASU’s Biodesign Institute in celebration of its 20th anniversary. Engineering microbes to fight deadly

Hayden Mills: preserving heritage and cultivating community

Over the course of the fall 2023 Food and Farm Immersion, Hayden Flour Mills was one of the sites I was looking forward to visiting the most. The essence of Hayden Flour Mills mission is to shift consumers away from processed grains towards the natural, flavorful, and nutrient-rich products, which they achieve through the art of stone milling and the revival of heritage grains.

Meet Swette Center staff member, Erica Martin

In this series, we’re meeting with Swette Center team members to explore their background in food systems, what they are currently working on, and their vision of food systems transformation. Read on for an interview with Erica Martin, Graduate Research Associate.

Beyond the factory: exploring sustainability and innovation at Paloma Dairy

Paloma Dairy host and farm owner Robert Van Hofwegen, Sr, begins our tour with a hint of fire and brimstone, “This is not a factory.”

Meet Swette Center staff member, Joe Dobrow

In this series, we’re meeting with Swette Center team members to explore their background in food systems, what they are currently working on, and their vision of food systems transformation. Read on for an interview with Joe Dobrow, Professor of Practice.

Green waste recycling: transforming waste into a soil amendment

“Green waste” refers to organic waste that is generated from plants and other organic materials. While green waste from some sources, such as kitchen scraps, is easy to compost; other materials, such as tree stumps, branches and other woody yard waste are sizable and take longer to decompose, making their disposal a challenge.