Team of ASU Faculty form partnership with local farms, seek student engagement

Six core virtues: Environmental stewardship, care, strong work ethic, cooperation, environmental humility and adaptation. These virtues are just part of the motivation behind one of the latest partnerships at Arizona State University, ASU Farm.

As the cost of living continues to rise in the state of Arizona, more students find themselves faced with food insecurity. These findings inspired a team of faculty at ASU to form a project to promote sustainable, local food growth in the valley while also tackling what U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy refers to as the loneliness epidemic.

ASU Farm denotes a partnership between ASU and local farms, and is focused on cultivating character through sustainable practices, striving to reconnect people with the land and strengthen our relationship with the environment and each other.

“We believe that investing in local food growth and farming is essential for fostering food security, economic resilience, and environmental sustainability,” states Tyler DesRoches, Founding Director of ASU Farm.

He writes: “Local food systems enhance food security by providing fresh produce that reduces dependence on distant supply chains, making communities more adaptable to local needs. Economically, supporting local farmers stimulates the local economy, creating jobs and fostering business growth as money circulates within the community. Environmentally, local farming often employs sustainable practices, lowering the carbon footprint associated with transportation and promoting biodiversity.”

“Overall, local food systems play a crucial role in building vibrant, sustainable communities.”

At the heart of the project, ASU Farm aims to fulfill ASU’s newest design aspiration: Principled Innovation. Principled Innovation (PI) places character and values at the center of decision-making and expresses ASU’s deep commitment to promote human flourishing within the communities we serve. DesRoches and project partner Becky Tsang are College Catalysts for PI.

The project launched this Fall with sponsorship as a Principled Innovation demonstration project, funded by the Kern Family Foundation, and includes faculty from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Global Futures and the College of Health Solutions.

The first partner of the project, Maya’s Farm, is a locally-owned and sustainable farm located in South Phoenix. Over the course of the project, ASU Farm seeks to partner with more local farms throughout the valley to promote character and community development through food cultivation.

“This project grows out of the belief that working on a farm with others can cultivate important virtues; for example, the virtues of stewardship and ecological humility,” states Joan McGregor, a member of the core faculty team and Director of the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, where the project is housed. “Students will gain knowledge about where their food comes from and the appropriate care for the earth. Additionally, students will experience what cooperation and hard work can attain. We believe that this project will serve the whole student and our community as well.”

The faculty behind ASU Farm are collaborating with the Humanities Lab to offer courses to students beginning in the Fall 2025 semester.

This semester, ASU Farm is seeking to hire two student leaders to assist their efforts at Maya’s Farm and cast a broader net to the ASU community. Students can learn more and apply through Student Employment.

Students can also become a part of the project by joining Volunteer Days at Maya’s Farm, where they will learn more about the project and support local food initiatives. The first Volunteer Days kick off on October 26 and 27.