Climate & Sustainability
UC Santa Cruz student Sheyna Burns awarded state grant to build pathways for equitable food systems
Burns and her nonprofit organization, Square One Foundation, Inc., have received a $240,000 Track 1 Panning Grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Farm to Fork Food Hub Program.
UC Santa Cruz undergraduate student Sheyna Burns (Oakes ‘26) and her nonprofit organization, Square One Foundation, Inc., have received a $240,000 Track 1 Panning Grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Farm to Fork Food Hub Program. Chosen from a pool of 165 applicants, the award will advance their project, Farm Fresh Markets, which aims to strengthen farm-to-market pathways for small and independent farmers across California.
Burns’ leadership has been supported by her experiences at UC Santa Cruz, a campus nationally recognized for its pioneering work in agroecology and food systems. The Square One Foundation, Inc., founded by Burns while she was a student, is a Santa Cruz-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with initiatives supporting Zero Hunger, Climate Action, and Sustainable Cities and Communities, and others.
Through the foundation, Farm Fresh Markets will serve as a resource hub that supports farmers and producers by coordinating efforts across existing technical assistance providers and filling gaps in services as needed. This project has the potential to strengthen California’s regional food economies by improving market access for small and independent producers and creating more reliable pathways for institutions to source sustainably grown foods.
“UCSC has been the soil that helped me grow this work from an idea into a statewide initiative,” Burns shared. “The support I’ve received, from the Center for Agroecology staff to my faculty advisors, has been instrumental in shaping both my academic journey and my professional commitment to building a more resilient food system for California. This project reflects the guidance, mentorship, and community that UCSC has poured into me.”
Burns’ track record at UCSC reflects the university’s emphasis on hands-on learning, community engagement, and research innovation. She founded Sankofa Sky Farm, a student-led research project focused on controlled environment agriculture and aquaponics, and is currently developing an aquaponic research and development facility at the UC Santa Cruz Farm in collaboration with her faculty advisor, Environmental Studies Professor and Coastal Science and Policy Program Director Anne Kapuscinski.
“Sheyna excels at envisioning new initiatives for equitable and resilient food systems—and she goes way beyond the talk to make them happen,” said Kapuscinski.
Burns also established the California Earthworkers Summit, a gathering designed to connect students, farmers, researchers, and community leaders working toward sustainable and equitable food systems.The inaugural summit took place at UC Santa Cruz earlier this fall and was co-sponsored by UC Procurement.
In addition to her research and nonprofit work, Burns serves as a student employee with the Center for Agroecology, helping to expand access to hands-on learning in sustainable agriculture and food systems. She also serves as a Commissioner on the Santa Cruz County Commission on the Environment, advising the County Board of Supervisors on environmental protection and sustainability issues.
By bridging her academic studies with community-based action, Burns exemplifies UC Santa Cruz’s commitment to research, innovation, and social impact. Her accomplishments of translating campus learning into statewide action reflects UCSC’s emphasis on cultivating student leaders who tackle global challenges.
With the new CDFA award, the Square One Foundation, in collaboration with Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), California Farmlink, and UC Procurement, will develop a comprehensive feasibility study and strategic plan for a producer-led food hub, shaped directly by farmers to ensure equity, access, and environmental sustainability.
The project’s pilot phase will launch the California Food System Resilience Network (Cal-FREN), a statewide network designed to connect producers with institutional buyers and technical assistance providers. When fully developed, Cal-FREN aims to support producers across 10 regions by connecting, aligning, and addressing gaps through unified, cross-sector coordination. Cal-FREN will also serve as the California Earthworkers Summit’s mechanism for ongoing collaboration and resource sharing, ensuring that relationships built at the Summit translate into coordinated, year-round action.
Burns is working to secure seed funding to support the project’s launch and maintain momentum over the two year grant period. Her work supports California’s broader efforts to build a climate-smart, equitable, and resilient food system, while demonstrating the transformative impact of UC Santa Cruz students on their communities and beyond.