Kentucky State Students Grow Food and Skills in Communities

By Blake Jackson

Students and agricultural researchers from Kentucky State University are bringing hands-on expertise to community gardens in Lexington, helping residents learn about sustainable food production while expanding access to fresh, locally grown produce.

The initiative focuses on gardens in the Winburn neighborhood near Newtown Pike and Russell Cave Road, as well as Whitney Young Park on St. Martins Avenue.

Participants plant vegetables and herbs, maintain growing spaces, collect soil samples, label crops, and teach children how food is grown from the ground up.

Kentucky State University is partnering with the Applied STEM and Community Lab and the Community Action Council to support the project.

For Emmanuelle Tudzi, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in environmental science, the gardens provide an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge while inspiring young people to better understand soil and agriculture.

During garden visits, Tudzi explains the role healthy soil plays in plant growth and encourages children to see it as more than ordinary dirt.

“It is life,” Tudzi tells them. “It is giving life to all these things that we consume as food.”

Originally from Ghana, Tudzi said farming is a universal practice that connects communities worldwide.

“Agriculture is not just the thing about where you are from,” she said. “It’s a general, and it’s a global thing.”

The project teaches participants practical gardening skills while demonstrating how urban agriculture can improve food access and create economic opportunities.

Dr. Sait Sarr, senior research scientist and adjunct faculty member in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, said the initiative benefits both communities and future agricultural professionals.

“This not only addresses food insecurity,” Dr. Sarr said, “but it can also generate income.”

The effort is part of a larger statewide program involving schools, community gardens, and nonprofit organizations across several Kentucky counties.

Through research and public outreach, Kentucky State continues advancing urban agriculture, sustainable food production, and hands-on learning while preparing students to apply scientific knowledge in real-world community settings.

Photo Credit: kentucky-state-university