Arizona State University (ASU) has a vision of being an economic and thought-leader in urban sustainable agriculture. This exciting development follows the recent award of a nearly $400,000 grant to Professor Heather Bateman. Bateman, a senior sustainability scientist at ASU’s Polytechnic campus in Mesa, Arizona, is on a mission to change education. He hopes to use this funding to develop even more experiential learning opportunities for students of all disciplines.
The new Polytechnic campus, under construction in the city’s new downtown, will serve almost 10,000 students. Second, it is smartly situated within one of the planet’s fastest-growing, pace-setting ecosystems. Bateman’s grant application specifically targeted urban and exurban areas. It just underscored the growing need for more sustainable, breakthrough agricultural practices as the world’s population continues to rise.
“This program will leverage garden and greenhouse facilities and campus partnerships,” Bateman explained. Her vision crosses the boundaries between research and education. It creates continuity through a professionally-focused curriculum that immerses students from their first undergraduate year into their doctoral studies. Bateman hopes to acclimate biology, agriculture, natural resources, and social-ecological systems curricula to the bioeconomy. He wants to inspire a new generation of scientists who are prepared to address those challenges in an uncertain future.
The grant, however small, comes as a part of a larger exciting initiative, with 21 projects total awarded grants in 10 states. Much of this funding will go toward helping Bateman expand her program’s significant efforts to mentor students along the way. She enjoys seeing them grow as scientists all while working outside in beautiful open spaces.
“I watch them mature and develop as scientists as they work in open spaces outside,” Bateman said. “They ask questions about reducing water use and about how to grow native plants that are good for hummingbirds, bees, and for our food supply and well-being.”
The program fosters collaboration among students. Rae Stusen, one of the students involved in the initiative, remarked on the importance of teamwork in their agricultural efforts: “Our group meets to discuss watering schedules, maintenance, inventory, and characteristics of the plants.” Even beyond making tangible experiential learning a possibility, this community-focused outreach deepens the collaborative spirit that is central to the sustainable agriculture ethos.
The emphasis on experiential learning includes looking at the entire life cycle of plants. Ken Sweat, another participant in the program, highlighted the critical inquiry involved: “Looking at the full life cycle of a plant such as holy basil (kapoor tulsi), we’ll ask, ‘Can you actually grow it and harvest enough seeds so that you do not need to buy more to start the next crop?’”
Bateman underscores that creativity and innovation should be hallmarks of education in food and agricultural sciences. “Building sustainable agriculture systems to support these populations will require a workforce skilled in innovation and critical thinking to build equitable solutions,” she stated. This kind of thinking is urgently needed as food demand is expected to surge with a rapidly growing global population.
Irma Lawrence, a colleague of Bateman’s, echoed this sentiment by stating, “Creativity and innovation are essential in food and agricultural sciences education, and the grant program delivers that.” The impact of this program stretches well beyond the classroom. It teaches the public about sustainable agricultural practices that have been in use long before ASU opened its doors.
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