Curiosity, Horticulture, and Education with Hannah Bundy

While an undergraduate student, Hannah Bundy ‘22 discovered a passion for food systems and horticulture through a work trade program at her university’s student farm. Within a few months, she had changed her major to horticulture and was interning at the farm formally. “It was a safe space to learn and grow, a place where I felt connected to the world around me, where I was able to nurture other beings from the start to the completion of their life cycles, and I was smitten”, says Bundy. 

In the years since, Bundy has pursued formal and informal educational and research opportunities in ornamental horticulture, floriculture, food production, food systems, and therapeutic horticulture. As a self-described curious natured person and lifelong learner, Bundy felt that the Agricultural and Extension Education (AEE) graduate program at NC State was the perfect way to continue her studies and build skills as an agricultural leader, a curriculum developer, and an educational programmer within the horticultural field, all while continuing to work full-time as commercial and consumer horticulture agent for Rutherford County Cooperative Extension. 

Bundy says that her time at NC State provided her with ample opportunities to engage her curiosity, to experiment, connect dots, and think critically about society through the lens of agricultural scholarship. “I am constantly in awe with the ways in which interdisciplinary learning connects the systems in my mind, the ways in which it allows me to engage with real-world projects and programs that are identifying, addressing and working to eradicate barriers and inequities within the food system and agricultural spheres,” notes Bundy. Having the opportunity to work as a county extension agent and pursue her master’s degree simultaneously, she says, has helped her apply scholarly resources to her professional experiences, and that the experience has been incredibly beneficial to both her personal and professional leadership development. 

Throughout her time at NC State, Bundy says that her advisor, Katherine McKee, was a “phenomenal support”, especially through the research project process and while navigating graduate school systems and requirements. “It is so important as a young woman in agriculture to have mentors who can relate to and help with some of the unique challenges that I face in my roles”, notes Bundy, “and she has been wonderfully supportive of my endeavors.”

Since graduating in May 2022, Bundy’s excitement for horticultural education with a focus on sustainable management practices has only increased, and she’s also excited to engage more with the field of therapeutic horticulture by becoming a practitioner in the coming months. She also plans to continue her education, including by pursuing a doctoral degree. Wherever her path leads, Bundy has a lot of inspiration to draw from. “I am inspired by all of the communities and coalitions that have worked together to better their communities, their lives, and the world, for future generations”, she says. “I am inspired by those who work in the fields of farms, who support those who work on farms, who continue to come together to create adaptive solutions to solve problems that no one person could solve alone. I am inspired by the younger generation and all of the climate justice activists, and by community gardeners and the networks that they create to feed their communities healthy and fresh foods.”