A University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Extension team recently took community-gardening methods used in Arkansas to Kenya as part of an international effort focused on food security.
Karleah Harris, an assistant professor in UAPB’s Department of Human Sciences, led workshops, field demonstrations and hands-on training at Chuka University and the University of Embu near Mount Kenya. The institutions have partnered with UAPB’s School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences on food-security initiatives since 2021.
Participants built raised beds, planted seedlings and discussed crop selection, pest and disease management, emerging technology and sustainable small-scale production. UAPB said the effort was its first international Extension program specifically developed to provide practical instruction on establishing and using community gardens.
Harris drew on gardening projects developed with pre-K–12 schools and intergenerational families in Pine Bluff, Wabbaseka and other Arkansas communities. UAPB students Shyia Ellingburg, Jamya Knighten and Arielle Shelby also participated.
