Sophia Darrow’s path into horticulture was anything but traditional. She began her academic career studying biochemistry and molecular biology, spending long hours working in a lab. The science interested her, but she realized she wanted a career that took her outdoors.

“I just did not like being inside all that much,” Darrow said. “I knew something else could fit better.”

Darrow is from the suburbs of Oklahoma City and is the first in her family to attend Oklahoma State University. Darrow found herself drawn to agriculture because of her interest in where her food came from and how it was grown.

Food is a shared language that connects people, and Darrow said she wants to work with crops to contribute to that. She admired the lifestyle associated with agriculture and knew she wanted to be outside more.

After several meetings across departments, Darrow said she finally found her place in horticulture, an area that aligned with the life she envisioned for herself.

“When I thought about my ideal life, it was growing vegetables,” she said.

When Darrow attended a horticulture program scholarship ceremony, she heard Justin Moss, professor and head of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, mention the OSU Student Farm. Darrow said she approached him afterward and asked for a job.

She soon became one of the first OSU Student Farm employees.

That experience at the Student Farm sparked her interest in food insecurity and local food systems, eventually shaping her graduate research, Darrow said.

She earned a Master of Science in horticulture in December 2025, and is now a doctoral student in crop science at OSU.

Moss served as her graduate committee chair and research advisor.

“I wanted to help people, but I knew I needed a deeper skill set to do so,” Darrow said. “I knew I wanted to work in higher education or Extension, and I would need those credentials to do so.”

For her master’s research, Darrow focused on small Oklahoma fruit and vegetable producers, examining what sustainability and long-term success look like for their operations.

Through a series of focus groups across the state, she explored a range of key challenges producers face, from finances and market access to labor, environmental pressures and infrastructure barriers, she said.

“A lot of what Sophia did was identify information gaps and challenges producers are facing,” said Jayson Lusk, OSU Agriculture vice president and dean, who served as a member of Darrow’s graduate committee.

“The results will help us develop future Extension programs across the state and move forward in efforts to help producers make money and connect with people,” Lusk said.

Darrow’s interest in food insecurity strongly aligned with the mission of the Ferguson College of Agriculture, Lusk said.

“One of our missions is to produce enough food that people can eat affordably,” Lusk said. “If we can’t satisfy the basic need for life, it’s hard for people to do other things they care about. It’s fundamental to human flourishing.”

Moss explained the project was rooted in Darrow’s passion for local food production and the structural barriers facing Oklahoma growers.

“Oklahoma and many other states receive most of their produce from places like California,” Moss said. “That’s not local, so the market itself becomes a barrier for our producers.”

Oklahoma producers cannot grow the same crops year-round like growers in states like California or Arizona, so large grocery chains often source their produce elsewhere.

As a result, many Oklahoma producers rely heavily on farmers' markets, roadside stands and direct-to-consumer sales to stay afloat, Moss said.

“These were the challenges Sophia wanted to address,” Moss said. “How do we help small producers be sustainable in that kind of system?”

Darrow said her findings revealed several recurring themes.

One was a shifting cultural mindset surrounding local food, through growing awareness and more consistent institutional support for local producers, Darrow said.

The producers also described the intense demands of farming, she said.

“Being a producer isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle,” Darrow said. Many growers balance additional employment while navigating financial stress, labor shortages and unpredictable weather, she added.

Darrow said a barrier for local producers was the lack of accessible, Oklahoma-specific research tailored to fruit and vegetable production.

Producers expressed frustration that applicable research and Extension materials were either unavailable or difficult to find, Darrow added.

OSU Extension has a variety of resources from fact sheets to videos, Moss said.

“There is a lot of information out there,” Moss said. “We need to package and present them in ways that are more visible and accessible to the community,” he said.

Producers also cited limited educational opportunities and networking connections, Darrow said.

Her research highlighted a desire for stronger community among growers, such as workshops, meetings and collaborative spaces where producers can learn from one another and from Extension specialists, she said.

“Through these results, we are asking, ‘What can we as Extension do?’” Moss said. “How can we break down these barriers? That includes applied research that directly tells producers how to handle the issues in which they are facing.”

Lusk emphasized that modern delivery of information for producers is a key part of Extension’s effort, highlighting the importance of applied, real-world research.

Business operations and finances surfaced as additional concerns, Darrow said. She said finding compatible financing, creating sustainable pricing models and accessing fair markets were common challenges.

Environmental pressures such as weather variability, pests and sourcing inputs complicate production in Oklahoma, Darrow added.

Darrow credited OSU’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture for helping her navigate the research process.

“Everywhere I turned, people asked if I needed help,” she said. “We have such a phenomenal department that really wanted me to succeed.”

Darrow will be interning with Hunger Free Oklahoma this year, strengthening the connection between agriculture and public health.

As a master’s student, she also worked with the initiative, assisting with the Oklahoma Food is Medicine Landscape Analysis Report, the Oklahoma Grocer’s Assessment and overall local produce access.

“A lot of times we do not see public health and agriculture bridged,” Darrow said. “I want to be that bridge, so the industry is well represented and communicated.”

Lusk said mentoring students like Darrow is especially meaningful.

“When you see a student who is deeply interested in what is happening in the world and wants to improve the lives of people in Oklahoma, that’s what this is all about,” Lusk said. “It is exciting to see students come to OSU not just to earn a degree, but to do work that truly serves the state.”

Looking ahead, Darrow said she hopes to remain in the Extension network, working within local food systems to ensure that research translates into real-world impact, Darrow said.

“The real-world applicability of this research is helping Extension serve producers better,” Moss said. “That’s the goal.”

For Darrow, the work is both professional and personal, she said.

“Oklahoma is at a crossroads,” Darrow said. “Good food and nutrition are medicine. We need more collaborative efforts, and we need to capitalize on the research and the people dedicated to this industry.”

Story by Mia Torigiani | Cowboy Journal