Balancing Urban Development and Sustainable Agriculture: A Fresh Take with Hannah Wooten

In this episode we chat with Hannah Wooten, a UF IFAS extension agent from Orange County, Florida, about how urban development and sustainable agriculture intersect in local food systems. Hannah's journey from Valencia Community College to her work in horticulture and ethnobotany shows us the deep connection between plants and people.

We learn about innovative farmers who are blending self-sustaining ecosystems with urban waste management. Collaboration between urban planners, chefs, restaurateurs, and entrepreneurs is key to supporting local farmers.

Challenges like zoning and land use planning are discussed, highlighting the need to update codes to strengthen local food connections in Central Florida. Hannah and other extension agents provide essential tools and info to local food leaders, driving community growth.

We also talk about collaborative efforts to help farmers and food entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of education, self-determination, and community support. Tune in to find out how to tap into resources from UF IFAS and connect with local extension agents to promote sustainable agriculture in your area.

Find your local Extension Agent at: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/find-your-local-office/ 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to Fresh Take, where we at Florida Organic Growers speak to food systems experts about topics related to organic and sustainable agriculture, healthy lifestyles and the environment. To help us continue our programs at FOG, including our podcast, consider becoming a sponsor. For more information on sponsorship, check out our Get Involved page on our website, wwwfoginfoorg out our Get Involved page on our website wwwfoginfoorg.

Speaker 2: 0:27

Hello avid listeners and welcome to our latest episode of Fresh Take. I am your host, lana Shahabedin, and with me today is Hannah Wooten, a UF, ifas, extension agent of commercial horticulture in Orange County, Florida, here to really break down the topic of extension services to the University of Florida and its critical role in solving food system challenges. Hannah, welcome, welcome, welcome. Thank you so much for having me today. You know of the people that I've met in this field. You're definitely someone that I think truly shares my level of enthusiasm for this work and food systems, so please tell us more about how you landed upon this field and what it is that made you realize this was your passion.

Speaker 3: 1:16

Definitely, I agree. I'm very passionate about plants. It's always wonderful to connect to other folks who share that level of enthusiasm. I didn't realize until I was at Valencia Community College that I had this love of plants that could translate into a career. So I grew up in a family that loved plants and gardening. My grandfather had an orchid collection and I thought that was normal. But when I got to college I realized that in fact plant people were a rare breed and I could in fact turn that into a career once I started tackling the different classes and coursework to make that a reality.

Speaker 2: 2:05

Wow, that's really great. And how did you get your start working in horticulture? What was that? That door that opened up for you?

Speaker 3: 2:18

My first paid job working in horticulture was managing the Valencia College East Campus Greenhouse with Professor Steve Myers back in 2011. And that greenhouse was focused on ethnobotanically significant species and unique plant adaptations so that we could tell the story of plants, people and culture to the local college students, who sometimes didn't realize the connections that they had with plants from family connections and, most commonly, through their culinary and food connections.

Speaker 2: 2:54

That's incredible. So people, plants and culture what a what a combination of topics that I don't think I've ever heard put together. That's really cool. I know that you have a you know your degree is in landscape and nursery horticulture, but you also have a master's in agroecology. So how does your you know background with plants? How did that lend a hand into the world of agriculture?

Speaker 3: 3:23

Well, starting with my experiences at Valencia College and having opportunities to study abroad, I was really able to see how other cultures embrace plants beyond just what's on their plate, and that is the study of ethnobotany, the study of plants, people and culture, and that really expanded my mind to all that was possible.

Speaker 3: 3:49

Being able to see communities in India and tribes in the rainforest of Guyana, where the plants are the foundation of the culture, where plants are the building materials, the medicine, the meals, even the aero poisons to go hunting with, that was really powerful to me. And we here in the US have a huge reliance on plants for our medicine. In fact, 25% of modern medicine is based on plant chemistry and we have hardly scratched the surface, even currently, with exploring the potential pharmacology through our plants. And as a young student, that was really fascinating to me and I felt very quickly that it was my role to help reconnect people with their plants and whatever way is possible. And luckily that eventually led me to this role working for the University of Florida, ifas as an extension agent, incredible, I mean.

Speaker 2: 4:58

I definitely feel that connection as well. Coming from a background in nutrition understanding you know the chemistry of our food and plants. So that's, all you know, really fascinating to me and I definitely want to dig deeper into the extension of the University of Florida. But before we get into that I want to let everyone know that you know this might be something that folks listening are not aware of, but the University of Florida is a land grant university that have been designated by state legislature or Congress to receive benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, or the Equity in Educational Land Grant Status Act of 1994. So this you know, there's a really long history of agriculture in the United States and you know various reasons for wanting to assign different places across the states to have the, you know, mission of teaching agriculture and passing on that specific knowledge due to increasing demand. So could you tell us more about, you know, the history of the extension with the University of Florida and really how that came about? Yes, absolutely.

Speaker 3: 6:33

Extension is literally an extension of the land grant university in your state into your local communities across the state. It has been around since the mid-1800s and it was a President Lincoln priority to invest in universities to keep America on the cutting edge, with a focus on agriculture and engineering. But the problem was noticed that only privileged folks, generally privileged white men, had access to leave their homes, go to the university and learn stuff. And there was an entire population across this country of hardworking Americans that needed this new information that was in these discoveries that were occurring at the university and at our research centers. So in 1914 is when the cooperative extension system actually became a reality, truly extending the science happening in these land-grant universities and research stations across the country and extending that information into the local communities. And it was largely motivated by Black agriculturists Booker T Washington, george Washington Carver and Thomas Monroe Campbell, all out of the Tuskegee Institute, alongside efforts by WC Stallings in Texas.

Speaker 3: 8:08

Wc Stallings in Texas. These were some early extension innovators that were very passionate about the role of education and connecting that research to the people. They would load up their horse and buggies and wagons with new seed and fertilizer technology to bring out to the farm. They would explain ideas of crop rotation and tomology and insect identification to the farmers, to really make sure that education was the foundation of decision-making and that that decision-making is really empowered by those individual values that exist and make this country such a wonderful, free place to thrive.

Speaker 2: 8:53

Whatever those values may be, Absolutely, and I feel, you know, in doing the research for this episode, I came across so much valuable information, just you know, looking into the history of all this, and one thing that you know I want to plug in as a resource is the College Partners Directory by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This directory and map is a really nice tool to pretty much access all of the different institutions that are a key partner in the land-grant university system, which does include the 1862 public universities, the 1890 historically Black colleges and universities and the 1994 tribal colleges and universities. So definitely, you know, check out that resource in the about text. And I want to. You know, something that I find really, really funny in the world of food systems, especially in the state of Florida, is we throw around a lot of acronyms, right? There's just so many different, there's so many different groups and acronyms that exist right now, and UF, IFAS is definitely one that we hear, I think, almost constantly. Right, but what is UF IFAS stand for?

Speaker 3: 10:20

Yes, great question. Uf IFAS is the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and that is the official designation for teaching, research and extension all related to food, agriculture, nutrition and natural resources across the state of Florida.

Speaker 2: 10:48

And was there a specific year that this was established in the state of Florida?

Speaker 3: 10:52

No, I know that extension is 110 years old we just celebrated that anniversary and it did start in 1914, where you start seeing different extension offices pop up in every county across the state of Florida time.

Speaker 2: 11:23

So there's, you know, been over a century's worth of dedication into the world of agriculture. And you know, uf IFAS fulfills the university's land grant mission really trying to enhance and sustain the quality of human life through research facilities, extension services and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. So the extension itself, I know, is comprised of around 375 extension agents. Is that right that sounds about?

Speaker 3: 11:51

accurate. Yes.

Speaker 2: 11:53

So we have about 67 counties, you know, all across Florida and a ton of you know agents working to really try to address different areas across the state. So one thing that we want to highlight in today's episode are the local food system problems that we face in the state of Florida. So, as an extension agent, what are some of those problems that constantly arise for you and you know how are? How are you addressing that?

Speaker 3: 12:28

Yes. So extension does have a stronghold in traditional rural communities rooted in agriculture. That was the initial purpose and that hasn't changed and will not change as long as we continue to eat food. But times have changed and our food system has changed. We are urbanizing as a society where, because of our advanced understanding of farming, we have folks that are able to leave the farm and move into the city and we can still maintain a productive, stable and safe food supply.

Speaker 3: 13:14

But now we recognize the system has leakages and it takes time to generate new science-based solutions, including policy adjustments that might need to shift as our problems and opportunities as a society shift.

Speaker 3: 13:35

And that's really where I think urban extension, like folks like myself working in the Orange County, florida area, we have a unique clientele group of urban farmers that are engaged in supporting the local food system and that means that we in urban extension counties have some different approaches with how we elevate those urban farmers that might be doing things a little bit differently than what we have traditionally demonstrated through 100 years of research, and we might need to shift our approaches to make sure that those folks in our urban communities are just connected to food and plants in general, because we've almost done such a good job of producing food to the point where people have kind of forgotten about this entire process of production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste a huge opportunity for us to improve upon Absolutely, and I think that something you know, you just hit the nail on the head of, is that this is a chain.

Speaker 2: 14:53

You know there's so many different steps to the process of food, from growing to all the way to the waste and even food recovery. So there's really a ton of different key players along those pivot points and I think the extension agents have a really unique role in working with various key actors across the supply chain. So what are some examples of folks that you've seen in your line of work that typically come to you as an extension agent? What are the needs and the barriers that they typically face?

Speaker 3: 16:02

Well, we have folks that are arriving at the community-supported agriculture or even working with local restaurants. So we have folks that are already interested in tapping into agricultural opportunities to find solutions that also fill our bellies and provide a lot of social and environmental benefits. But then we also have trailblazing entrepreneurs, as I like to refer to them, that are just taking the lead because that is what they believe in. We have farmers like those at Ever Oak Farm that are engaged in highly diverse mixed systems, that they have questions about what the nutrient cycling and recycling is happening on their farm. They know they don't want to have to import outside inputs to their farm. They know they don't want to have to import outside inputs to their farm. They want to generate them through their connections of livestock and composting and production systems.

Speaker 3: 17:11

But these are questions that are phenomenal, questions that sometimes aren't well researched yet. So I see my role as an extension agent as elevating those questions and increasing the awareness to what some of these trailblazing urban farmers engaged in the local food system are doing. We have folks like O-Town Compost that are working with individual homeowners and restaurants alike to capture that compost, provide it to local farms and return some of it back to homeowners' gardens and they are figuring out how to connect these dots and we have estimates that demonstrate maybe we have so much waste to justify more space for local farms to do something productive with that waste, because we're kind of running out of space at the landfill. So local food systems can be a very big part of the solution and right now it might be as simple as building awareness about the trailblazing entrepreneurs that are figuring out how to do it and asking good questions to push that needle forward.

Speaker 2: 18:39

I love that.

Speaker 2: 18:40

I love the you know the concept of circularity and asking those questions and connecting those dots, because I I feel that you know working in this field.

Speaker 2: 18:52

It's interesting because in the food industry as a whole you see a ton of competition, right, like that's what capitalism is. We're constantly working against other people. But what's really unique about local food systems is that oftentimes you actually see this level of collaboration, this level of open mindedness and willingness to learn from others, to enhance practices. You know connect, like you said, to the local composting service, to your local you know worm farm, and try to really make all of the pieces of the puzzle as sustainable as possible. So that to me, is a really unique, you know, puzzle. I guess you could say that we're trying to solve in different places across the state and even abroad, but there's, you know, something to be said about the power and that circularity in the local food systems. So how are you trying to encourage folks to utilize that as much as possible and are there challenges that you see that are kind of, you know, standing in the way of this?

Speaker 3: 20:23

answered, because those are the bottlenecks that need to be tackled in order for us to create truly sustainable food systems, and I'm talking economically, environmentally and socially. So I am not afraid of elevating these tough questions in the areas that we're still figuring out. And, to be honest with everyone, we know that we can grow plants in a lot of different situations. Whether it is socially acceptable or legally acceptable I'm talking from a planning and zoning and land use perspective that is actually a very different story. So we know that we can grow an incredible amount of food utilizing a variety of different techniques, how we can connect that food in a way that fits the local land use models and bridging the more traditional way that our cities have been designed, which is really nice that we live in these, these well-planned communities. They were planned when agriculture was over there, like out in the rural areas.

Speaker 3: 21:46

But, now we're realizing we have this opportunity to increase circularity and we really have this need, and we know that local growers, from backyard gardeners to local farm businesses, are figuring it out.

Speaker 3: 22:03

Some of these challenges really come down to a planning and land use planning and land use solutions in addition to elevating entrepreneurs that are tackling different parts of that food system.

Speaker 3: 22:19

So I've got to give a shout out to the planners that are aware of these challenges and opportunities. We've got planners at the City of Orlando and at the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council that are looking at the codes that might prevent or support local food connections. Then we have businesses, we have places like Four Roots that are kind of taking a whole new approach to what local food systems can be capable of doing. And then we have local food hubs that have been integral in elevating entrepreneurs to getting them opportunities to increase local food connections in brick and mortar spaces, and that would be the innovation behind East End Market that really catalyzed more opportunities for chefs to create a place for local ingredients to move through the system and end up on people's plates in a way that they're more than willing to pay for a delicious meal with unique flavors, which has really started to create a culinary community here in Central Florida that we are really, really excited about and is certainly helping even more so to elevate our urban farmers.

Speaker 2: 23:51

Yeah, and I'm really excited about this too.

Speaker 2: 23:53

Even someone that's not living in Central Florida I've seen, you know.

Speaker 2: 23:59

First of all, you know the power of hospitality and tourism in that region and what it does in terms of driving people towards that area, but also kind of what you said about elevating the culinary and entrepreneurial experts that are trailblazers right now in terms of connecting to their local farmers and finding new pathways, so to speak, to make this work. Sometimes I feel a lot of the conversation about local is talking about consumers getting to know their farmer, but we often forget the chefs, the restaurateurs, the entrepreneurs, the people that are also working in this field every single day and are working with food and can have the opportunity of developing really strong relationships with their farmers and ranchers and having, you know, an opportunity to drive in more locally grown, fresh, nutritious food. That really touches on what you mentioned before enhancing our environment, economy and you know so many different aspects of our social life. So how is the extension helping to connect these different key players? How do you see yourself playing a role in this puzzle and moving that needle forward?

Speaker 3: 25:37

Definitely Orlando is a tourism hub, so we have to acknowledge a touch of uniqueness in that and that opportunity that is lended to a culinary scene and to visitors that are willing to support those restaurants and locals alike. So we are taking advantage of these local opportunities that are rooted in the tourism economy, but it is also rooted in our Central Florida soil, which allows us to grow an incredible diversity from tropical fruits like mangoes to more temperate crops that you would find north of Florida. So we have an incredible culinary diversity that we are capable of growing here. And then we have the businesses and outlets, both locally targeted businesses and tourism targeted businesses, that can support that. So we do have businesses that are more interested in bok choy flowers than the bok choy itself, and that is certainly unique to an area that has that high level of hospitality industry hospitality industry. So how extension services collaborates with those farmers and with these chefs to promote local food production? I think it starts with awareness and listening to the values and motivations of these urban farmers and of the entrepreneurs that are engaged in providing solutions in our local food system and things that add value for the locals that do go to these restaurants and use these services. So first it's elevating through awareness and listening to the values and motivations of people, to the values and motivations of people. Then it's connecting that awareness to folks like our researchers. We have an incredible brilliant scientists at the university that might not be aware of that folks are growing bok choy for flowers instead of bok choy, and that it is something unique to different type of an approach to the food system.

Speaker 3: 28:06

The bok choy still gets consumed, but it's interesting that we have folks that are looking at food differently here and we need to make sure that our decision makers are aware of that and that our researchers are aware of that, so we can continue to push the envelope now and into the future, because we know that farmers are doing it. It is happening. Next, it's the what, why and how are these farmers actually growing food differently and how do we make sure that is known and then improved upon so that we are making sure that we are being as environmentally sustainable as possible while we're doing things differently and that we want to make sure that we do have the right access points and even food hubs to be able to make those processing connections, those value-added products and the distribution outlets so that we can get the food that we know is growing here to the large population of Floridians that we know is eager to consume it population of Floridians that we know is eager to consume it. Finally, I think maintaining open and honest communication to meet farmers when and where they are ready is critical, because folks are often new to farming if they're doing it in urban areas and if they're not new to farming they're new to urban farming.

Speaker 3: 29:42

And making sure that we are being respectful of the motivations and not going too fast or too slow when it comes to that educational process and kind of existing in the no judgment zone, so that we can build open communication and relationships. That's how we can move things forward. Get more researchers involved with on farm experiments, which we do have a project going on with Dr Xin Zhao, a USDA urban ag project, where she does incredible research, organic research on our research farms with the university, and she's working with me to get some on-farm demonstration sites for a project we're working on with some strawberries, because she really wants the feedback from the local producers, because no matter how much we explore some of these ideas in a research setting, we need to know how a real farmer might or might not fit that into their system, day in and day out. So I think that open, honest communication from the farm level to the research level helps us to find solutions that fit when and where individuals are ready to make those adoptions.

Speaker 2: 31:11

Yeah, these are really critical steps that you just mentioned of listening to values and having the awareness is really critical in having the, I think, the growers and the entrepreneurs and everyone in the system be heard so that us, as educators, as weavers, as connectors, can really do what we're best at and making those channels, you know, appear. So there's a lot of really great things that you just mentioned and I also want to mention that you know we're obviously super excited about the development in Central Florida and the connectability with the Florida Local Food Project, given that Orlando is a key economic region with that project and having the opportunities of in-person events in that region that really bring together some of those key actors. And you know, looking ahead, how do you see your you know future priorities and opportunities to extend the support in connecting food systems?

Speaker 3: 32:50

Well, I think that connecting with partners like Florida Organic Growers is critical to the success of food and farming in Florida, especially with that focus on local food systems, with that focus on local food systems. And there are other organizations that offer similar opportunities to connect. So, I think, finding those connections and realizing that even though you're probably working mostly solo, sweating most days, while you're farming day in and day out, there are a lot of other people that share the same values and motivations, so finding those opportunities to connect through organizations like Florida Organic Growers and other great farming organizations in the state, I really encourage those connections and I guess I would like to reflect on some words of wisdom that hold true. I want to encourage listeners to connect with their extension agents and I want extension agents to remember how to work with innovative farmers and how to meet them when and where they are ready.

Speaker 3: 33:58

So this is an excerpt of the Extension Professionals Creed and it is why I take pleasure in waking up every day to go to work for the University of Florida IFAS Extension. This little excerpt goes, I believe in people and their hopes, their aspirations and their faith and their right to make their own plans and arrive at their own decisions and their ability and power to enlarge their lives and plan for the happiness of those they love. I believe that education, of which extension is an essential part, is basic in stimulating individual initiative, self-determination and leadership, that these are the keys to democracy and that people, when given facts they understand, will not only act in their self-interest but also in the interest of society.

Speaker 2: 34:59

That's really powerful. I mean I think I've actually heard an extension agent say that creed out loud at the Florida Organic Growers Summit that we actually just had and I it really resonates that there's a lot of really critical pieces of that statement that I think ring true for a lot of us in the food system working to really develop important channels for people to to continue to do their work and enhance, you know, their impact. So I, you know, really love that you share that with us and I really want to have you share an opportunity of you know places people can also access more resources. Is there a specific you know website or place that our listeners can go to to find more tools that can benefit them in this, on this pathway to local food?

Speaker 3: 35:57

Absolutely so. Uf-ifas extension does have a lot of different resources and they are a lot of different places, so the system is vast. I guess the simple way to search for farming resources that are based on research here in Florida is to Google UF, followed by whatever it is that you are curious about UF avocados and you will get a lot of responses to your Google search that have information that is likely based on University of Florida research and extension. We are different down here. We Floridians know that we're a little different in our hot, humid, tropical, buggy Florida, so it's good to know what crops, what cultivars and what time of year will thrive. Another great system is the EDIS system. It's the Electronic Data Information Source and those are peer-reviewed publications written by Floridians for Floridians. We also have a vegetable production handbook. It is very informative and it is largely geared towards more conventional agricultural production, but it also has an entire chapter committed to alternative and biopesticides for organic production. So those are some great resources. There are tons more. Make a plan to meet your county extension agent or to get connected, however you feel is right for you and your values. We also have a UF IFAS bookstore, uf IFAS blogs and social media accounts and then a shameless plug.

Speaker 3: 37:56

I don't only work with farmers. A lot of my time is actually spent working on ornamental landscape issues, which provides huge opportunities for sustainability in Florida, and I just published a book available in the UF IFAS bookstore teaching the basics of landscaping in Florida in English and in Spanish. And for those folks that might be hydroponics curious, I have an infamous YouTube video with over 600,000 views called Hannah Wooten Hydroponic Lettuce. So if you are curious about taking a deeper dive into either your landscaping or just getting your feet wet with some alternative production systems, check those out and please feel free to reach out. I encourage curiosity whenever and wherever it happens. Have that spark, connect with others on that spark and I will leave you with a quote from the one and only George Washington Carver education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. Thank you so much for your time with me today.

Speaker 2: 39:14

Thank you so so much, hannah. Your work honestly is very, very critical. I think it's really clear from this episode that you know you're currently equipping the current and future local food leaders with the right tools and information they need to blossom pun. Very much intended there and I'm really fortunate to have met you and other extension agents across the state and you know continue to push forward the work that you all do. So thank you so much again for sharing insight on today's episode. Thank you, it's been wonderful and for everyone listening. Please make sure to catch all the useful resources we've mentioned in today's show in our about texts and connect with your local extension agent to learn so much more. I hope today's episode inspired you to utilize more of our local resources that are free and completely available to everyone. Make sure to rate and review this episode and share with your friends, family and colleagues Until next time.

Speaker 1: 40:21

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