Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems

ʻAha Niu: Maui Nui Coconut Celebration Festival is just a few weeks away! Come down to Maui Nui Botanical Gardens on June 13th! Pre-registration is suggested, but there will also be a sign-up on the day of. https://bit.ly/ahaniu2026

Consider volunteering! Shifts are 1.5-3 hours, and there will be snacks and an ʻAha Niu t-shirt to wear and keep :)
https://swettehawaii.ivolunteer.com/ahaniu2026

We’re so proud of our current and former student workers — Audrey Bunnell, Natalia Nava Bravo, and Layla Mushtaq — for graduating last week from the ASU School of Sustainability!

They have been incredible assets to our team while completing their degrees. We’re grateful for all of the creativity, dedication, and enthusiasm they brought to every project. Congratulations, sustainability stars! 🌟

Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 13th, at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens for a day full of love and appreciation for niu (coconut)!

Free registration: https://bit.ly/ahaniu2026
Sign up for a volunteer shift: https://swettehawaii.ivolunteer.com/ahaniu2026

Our executive director, Kathleen Merrigan, joined Danielle Nierenberg on the Food Tank podcast last week to give her thoughts on the new farm bill recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The conversation covered her concerns with the bill, reflections from her time as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and her hope for the future of federal food and agriculture policy.

"We need to get back that alliance between SNAP and farm programs because without that, the future of farm bills is bleak."

🎙️Listen on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/food-talk-with-dani-nierenberg-by-food-tank/id1434128568?i=1000766623246) or watch the recording on YouTube (https://youtu.be/0R3tKC-LE2w)

Applications for our online graduate programs are still open for Fall 2026 with scholarships available!

Our 2-year Master of Science and 1-year Graduate Certificate are designed for professionals who want the knowledge, tools, and network to lead impactful change in food policy and sustainability.

Not sure if our programs are the right fit for you? Join our virtual information session on May 20th to learn more about:
- Program benefits and career pathways
- Online courses and in-person immersives
- Scholarship opportunities
- Admission processes and tips
- Insights from faculty and students

📚 Register here: https://asu.zoom.us/meeting/register/F-XxOe7VTyOq0nSucjRp8w #/registration

Join our partners and us for the ‘Aha Niu: Maui Nui Coconut Celebration Festival at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens on June 13, 2026!

We are looking for volunteers! Sign-up here: https://swettehawaii.ivolunteer.com/ahaniu2026

Join our partners and us for the ‘Aha Niu: Maui Nui Coconut Celebration Festival at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens on June 13th, 2026, from 9am-3pm.

This free community gathering at Maui Nui Botanical Gardens offers your ʻohana a day to reconnect with and celebrate niu. The festival features niu sprout giveaways, family-friendly and hands-on cultural workshops, presentations, talk story and moʻolelo, food processing workshops and cooking demonstrations, food and crafts for sale, and more!

How does our food system influence brain function and longevity?

Join the Biodesign Institute for “From the ground to the gut and beyond: Why where our food comes from matters,” a panel exploring the connection between heritage and organic foods and human health. Arizona experts across agriculture, food production, policy, and neuroscience will share what they’re seeing—and what it means for the future of how we grow, transport, and prepare food.

📅 Thursday, April 30, 2026
⏰ 3:30–4:30 p.m. MST
📍 Biodesign B105, Tempe
🎟️ Free

Speakers include Don Guerra (Barrio Bread), Matt Vanderhart (Desert Sonoran Natural Foods), Sara El-Sayed (Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems), and Ramon Velazquez (ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center).

Learn more: https://asuevents.asu.edu/event/ground-gut-and-beyond-why-where-our-food-comes-matters?id=0/?eventDate=2026-04-30

We had a great time journeying out to Curry Farms with MyLand Agriculture, A Soil Health Company last month!

This collaborative field day demonstrated how organic farming practices and MyLand's native microalgae service are helping Arizona growers significantly improve soil health and boost water efficiency.

Throughout the event, we heard from inspiring and informative leaders such as farmer Ed Curry, Dr. Ali Mohammed from the University of Arizona, and Dave Booher from MyLand.

We finished the field day with a delicious lunch of tamales, beans, and rice, complete with a side of hot sauce from Curry Chile and Co. 🌶️

Thank you to our partners and everyone who joined us to explore innovative solutions and opportunities to work together!