Walking between rows of greenery, vegetables and blossoms in the East Campus greenhouses and the Backyard Farmer Garden, high school students learn about greenhouse structure, function and design by completing an interactive scavenger hunt.
By encouraging exploration and inquisition, their tour guide, Christine Barta, hopes to “spark interest in plant science and controlled environment agriculture for students from urban and suburban settings.”
Barta began Aug. 11, 2025, as the plant systems learner and partnership engagement coordinator in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. Her position is a 100% teaching appointment.
In her position, Barta is responsible for recruiting prospective students and inspiring the next generation’s curiosity about careers in agronomy and horticulture. She also supports current students in their educational journeys, connecting them with resources and offering advice whenever possible.
“I am currently working on figuring out innovative ways to use agricultural education and programming to connect prospective and current students, alumni and industry and community partners,” Barta said. “This should help provide valuable career and educational experiences and pathways for current students, while demonstrating for prospective students the wide berth of options they have within the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture here at UNL.”
This fall, she spent a considerable amount of time visiting with high school student groups. Her tours, discussions and scavenger hunts with students are a part of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources’ larger recruitment strategy. Bringing students to campus so they can see how experiential learning opportunities are integrated into the curriculum and learn about all the areas of study they can pursue at Nebraska is a key part of recruitment, but it also broadens students’ career prospects.
“When I get to take students into the greenhouses or Backyard Farmer Garden and teach them about all the ways plants impact their daily lives, it sparks conversations about how they might be able to have a career working with plants,” Barta said. “Even if students aren’t especially interested in one of our majors, they usually leave with a greater appreciation for plants and agronomy and horticulture as a whole.”
Barta says her favorite part about meeting high school students who visit East Campus is answering their questions. She encourages any and all questions, because the more curiosity the students have, the easier it is for her to guide them towards majors and career paths within the department that suit their passions.
Barta graduated with a bachelor’s in horticulture with a specialization in specialty crop production from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln in 2020. She then earned her master’s in gastronomy from Boston University in 2025.
Before joining the university as a faculty member, Barta was a buyer for a cooperative grocery store in Madison, Wisconsin. In Waco, Texas, she was a distiller and brewer and a manager for a garden and retail store.
“I returned to Nebraska because I was beyond excited by the opportunity to work with the next generation of agronomists, horticulturists, landscape designers, turfgrass specialists and plant biologists,” Barta said.
Returning to her alma mater has been exciting for Barta, who loves Lincoln and missed being a part of the Husker community.
“I think it’s a bit underrated in terms of cities to live in,” Barta said. “It’s affordable, safe and packed with phenomenal restaurants; my favorite is Fattoush on North 27th Street.”
She grew up in Newton, Wisconsin, where her mother taught her what horticulture was and encouraged her to consider Nebraska’s horticulture program. The years Barta spent working in her mother’s gardens shaped the love for plants that motivates her work today.
In her spare time, Barta runs a newsletter called Grow Get ‘Em where she shares gardening tips and experiences, personal introspection and recipes. She also enjoys cooking, trying new teas, watching movies, reading, crocheting and spending time with her dog, Wally.
