Center for Urban Agriculture

The mission of the Mesa Community College Center for Urban Agriculture (CUA) is to promote education, beautification of the world around us, and public awareness of healthy eating and living through sustainable urban agriculture, aquaponics, and local food production.

About the Center

Fall veggiesMCC Greenhouse

The Center for Urban Agriculture located at MCC's Southern and Dobson campus includes organic teaching gardens, an organic urban farm, a state of the art teaching greenhouse and vertical farm which support students in the Associate of Applied Sciences degree and certificate programs in Sustainable Agriculture and Landscape Horticulture. Contact the program director for a tour of the CUA.
Learn More.

Sustainable Agriculture AAS Degree and Certificate of Completion Programs

https://www.mesacc.edu/programs/sustainable-agriculture

Landscape Horticulture AAS Degree and Certificate of Completion Programs

https://www.mesacc.edu/programs/landscape-horticulture

Meet Our Faculty

  • Michael Gaspar - Program Director, Sustainable Crop Production (AGS165aa,ab), Plant Growth and Development (AGS164), Integrated Pest Mgt (AGS287)
  • Dr. George - Brooks Jr Aquaponics (AGS166)
  • Karen Litts- Landlab Technician; Gardening Practices and Techniques (AGS182aa)
  • Ray Gless - Agricultural Marketing, Agribusiness Mgt (AGB132)
  • Rob Kater - Establishing and Running an Agribusiness (AGB130), Landscape Construction (AGL181)
  • Carla Brubaker - Plant Growth and Development (AGS164)
  • Jason Fowers - Landscape CAD (AGL269)
  • Caryn Logan Heaps - Landscape Design 1 (AGL189)
  • Gary Kudes - Plant Propagation (AGS285); Urban Plant Identification (AGS183), Lawn and Turf Care (AGS284)
  • Peter Conden - MCC Arboretum Director; Plant Growth and Development (AGS164); Greenhouse Design and Mgt (AGS186) Agricultural Computer Operations (AGB139

Events & Activities

We're updating our Calendar of Events for dates and times of upcoming CUA workshops and urban agriculture related events in Mesa, AZ. Stay tuned.

Partnerships & Media Coverage

Partnerships

We're proud to be members of the Arizona Nursery Association, Arizona Landscape Contractor's Association, Maricopa County Food Coalition, and the Sustainable Agriculture Educator's Association.

We give great thanks to the following organizations and individuals for their program assistance and generous donations to help our students achieve an excellent science-based, hands on education:

  • Evergreen Turf
  • Native Resources International
  • Sea of Green
  • Whitfill Nursery
  • Greenfield Citrus Nursery
  • Maya's Farm
  • Rhiba Farms
  • TLC Landscape Design
  • Steadfast Farm
  • J&E Nursery
  • Treeland
  • Mountain States Wholesale Growers
  • V&P Nursery
  • Agave Farms
  • University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center
  • Rosie on the House radio
  • John Eisenhower
  • Leroy Brady
  • Steve Sheard
  • Vern Swanson
  • Crooked Sky Farm
  • Botanicare Inc
  • Civano's Nursery
  • Mesa East Valley Rose Society

Media Coverage

We're in the spotlight. Local media is spreading the word about the Center for Urban Agriculture and our mission. Learn more.

Photo Gallery

We've been busy! New Greenhouse, Arboretum, School gardens, Urban Farms, and Aquaponics learning, oh my!
Check out our story in photos.