Urban Food Systems Initiative Spring 2026 Newsletter

(Late) Spring Updates from K-State

We are thrilled to have you here and are excited to share all that has been happening within our growing community of researchers, educators, and food systems advocates. Continue reading to learn more about our graduates, new faculty member and farm apprentices.

Late spring fruit: the beloved strawberry.

UFS Student Shubham Kumar is working on strawberry research — if you're a regional strawberry grower who orders plugs, we want to hear from you!

Celebrating Our Latest Urban Food Systems Graduates

The Urban Food Systems Initiative is proud to recognize six outstanding students who recently completed their Master of Science degrees in Horticulture with an emphasis in Urban Food Systems. Their work spans a remarkable breadth of topics shaping the future of sustainable urban agriculture.

Justin Gross explored the promising role of cannabis in urban food systems, examining clonal propagation as a pathway toward sustainable food, fiber, and material innovation. Kaleb Bell conducted a comprehensive literature review on the educational outcomes of agriculture education in U.S. urban schools, while Lola Heintz developed an accessible introduction to therapeutic horticulture designed specifically for lower elementary students. Andrea Dinkel's work, Lettuce Learn, investigated the growing use of hydroponic shipping container farms in school settings — an innovative approach to bringing hands-on food production directly into educational environments.

Rounding out this cohort, Kara Walker and Dustin Kohn each tackled the critical theme of community resilience through their thesis research. Walker analyzed how different urban agriculture site types contribute to broader food system resilience, and Kohn conducted community and agriculture resilience audits across two Kansas City communities, providing grounded insights into how urban food systems can better support the people who depend on them. Together, these six graduates reflect the Initiative's commitment to advancing research that is practical, community-centered, and forward-thinking. Congratulations to all — we can't wait to see the impact of your work!

Did you know all student theses/reports are available open-source through K-State Libraries?

New Faculty Spotlight

Better late than never but we’d love to give a big shout out and belated welcome to Dr. Bizhen Hu who joined us last fall. B leads research, extension, and teaching efforts focused on horticultural food crop production in small-scale and urban settings in addition to directing the Willow Lake Student Farm. We're so excited to have B on the team! Learn more about B.

Growing Growers Updates

The Growing Growers Farm Apprenticeship Program is having an exciting and busy year! We are proud to welcome 20 apprentices in this year's cohort, connecting aspiring farmers with experienced mentors for hands-on, practical training in sustainable agriculture.

Meet our 2026 Apprentices! This season we've got:

Mason at Beats per Minute Farm
Sydney, Kate, Ernesto, Nate and Michael at KC Farm School
Kiya and Stephanie at Dirt Beast Farm
Jenavie at Young Family Farm
Sara and Bri at Drumm Farm Center for Children
Nicole at Prairie Birthday Farm
Melissa at Morningside Blooms
Laura at Cultivate KC / Juniper Gardens
Vanessa at Wild Hollow Farm
Joshua at Pat and Rachel's Gardens
Jazelle and Abigail at Common Ground Producers and Growers
Andy at Legacy Garden Works
Aiela at Far Flung Flowers

Our network continues to expand, with new host farms joining the program and active recruitment and onboarding efforts underway in expansion regions across both Missouri and Kansas. To keep up with our growth, we've also given our website a fresh update — making it easier than ever to find information about the program, our host farms, and available resources. Whether you're a prospective apprentice, a farmer interested in hosting, or simply a supporter of the next generation of growers, there's never been a better time to get involved.

Visit the Growing Growers website to explore upcoming workshops and farm tours on our shared calendar, and stay connected with all the great things happening across the Growing Growers network!

Study with Us

Curious about our graduate programs in Urban Food Systems? We accept students on a rolling admission basis. We are also actively seeking a Graduate Research Assistant so support Controlled Environment Agriculture research, labs, and teaching. Send a brief paragraph about your background and interest to UFS@ksu.edu with the subject line "CEA Assistantship."