Hands in soil, heart in community

Sustainable Food Students Stories

Hands in soil, heart in community

ASU Farm is not just about pulling weeds or attending lectures—it's about contributing to a vision that ties sustainability, education, and community together.

30 years of Rural Development

Over their thirty-year difference between holding office in Rural Development, Under Secretary Basil Gooden and former Under Secretary Bob Nash have become an inspiration for advocacy in the food and agriculture sector.

Reporting on the Hagstrom Report

"On the first evening of our Food Policy Immersion in Washington, DC, our graduate student cohort piles into the backyard of Jerry Hagstrom’s house in Woodley Park for an informal talk with the prize-winning agricultural journalist."

Policy and politics at the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee

"The visit to the Senate Agriculture Committee was a defining moment for our cohort, providing us with a rare glimpse directly into the legislative process during a critical time for agricultural policy."

Advancing food policy: How NGO leaders are moving the needle

"Each panelist highlighted how policy moves forward in many different ways. It is up to us, the incoming food systems professionals, to find our way and understand that we can make an impact in many roles and positions, be it political or from the outside in."

The next generation is ready for a seat at the table

"The USDA NextGen program has made pursuing a graduate degree possible and has created a pathway for diverse voices to have a seat at the table. We are the next generation of leaders in the food systems space and we are ready to make our mark."

Presenting the 2024 ASU graduate cohort transforming food systems

We are thrilled to introduce Arizona State University’s 2024 cohort in the Food Policy & Sustainability Leadership graduate certificate program and Sustainable Food Systems MS program.

Decentralizing service: How DC Central Kitchen centers justice, not charity

"As a young person in today’s world, what often keeps me going is my unrelenting belief that a better world is possible. As we left the Klein Center, I was reminded that a better world is not only possible, it is already happening."

EPA’s fight for a resilient food system

"Solving food systems issues requires many innovative minds and dedicated partnerships who are equally passionate and motivated to create solutions. An active and crucial participant in the fight for agriculture and food system solutions is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)."

Not Your grandfather’s USDA: Secretary Vilsack looks to the future

"The ASU Sustainable Food Systems graduate student cohort kicked off the 2024 Washington DC immersive with a bang, meeting first with none other than the Secretary of Agriculture himself, Tom Vilsack."

Everybody needs food: A trip to Desert Premium Farms

On the second morning of our Food and Farm Immersive, our graduate student cohort drove to Desert Premium Farms in Yuma, Arizona.

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.