Behind the scenes with the Office of Management and Budget

During our Sustainable Food Systems graduate program food policy immersion experience in the spring of 2023, we had the opportunity to learn more about the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). We were joined by Ruth Saunders, Agriculture Branch Chief, and Nora Stein, Program Examiner, to learn of the critical role OMB plays in the United States government.

Recently, the Sustainable Food Systems graduate cohort from Arizona State University spent a week in Washington, DC, meeting with policy leaders and influencers in our nation’s capital. As part of this immersive experience, we had the opportunity to meet with leaders from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area.

His passion for solving social-economic issues has driven Chad Maisel’s career through positions at the USDA, Senator Cory Booker’s office, and two positions at the White House. He is currently the Special Assistant to the President for Housing and Urban Policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council. My graduate cohort had the opportunity to meet with Chad on May 8th, 2023, the first day of our Applied Food Policy immersive class in Washington, DC.

The food policy immersion week in Washington, D.C. affords students in ASU’s Sustainable Food Systems graduate programs an unparalleled experience. This year, the 2022 cohort had the distinct and fortuitous opportunity to meet with the Under Secretary of Rural Development, Xochitl Torres Small.

At the end of an intense week of learning, networking, and immersing ourselves in food policy work in Washington, D.C., my graduate cohort had the opportunity to hear from a panel of non-governmental organization (NGO) leaders who shared their valuable experiences in advocating for farm and food policy change.

Our cohort was extremely fortunate to spend a week in Washington D.C. to learn more about the intricacies and complexities of policy making. We met with many varied stakeholders working within the policy sphere to learn about the impacts one can have and the many paths that can lead you there. One such individual that I was especially ecstatic to meet was Kumar Chandran.

This blog captures the reflections and main takeaways of the Food and Farm Immersion course from a handful of students within this year's graduate cohort. The immersive is a key component of the curriculum for the Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership graduate certificate and the Sustainable Food Systems master's degree.

The close of fall semester is busy with final exams and papers along with holiday travel plans for most students at Arizona State University. For sustainable food systems graduate students, the end of the semester kicks off Professor Merrigan’s favorite course: the Food and Farm Immersion.

In December of 2022, Arizona State University Sustainable Food Systems Graduate Students had the opportunity to explore integral parts in food systems through a weeklong immersive experience across the state. Of these places, Garfield’s Garden on the Corner at Garfield Elementary School was a truly inspiring stop.

A week-long immersive tour around diverse Arizona agricultural areas brought my classmates and I to Gila River Farms in Sacaton and Casa Blanca, Arizona. Covering almost 11,000 acres, Gila River Farms provides for the Gila River Indian Community by offering a wide range of food products and employment opportunities.

This past fall, the ASU Sustainable Food Systems cohort visited the APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine facility in Yuma, Arizona.  APHIS is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture that oversees and initiates response pertaining to animal health, animal welfare and plant health.

Our ASU graduate cohort arrived at Hayden Flour Mills, our last stop of the second day on our Arizona food and farm immersion, as the sun was gently moving downwards towards the western horizon. It was peacefully quiet while we soaked in the ambiance and awaited our tour.