She is a long way from where she grew up, but Jessica Palo is putting down deep roots in Ohio.
In May, she will graduate from the Kent State Salem Campus with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and plans to develop a homestead on land she and her husband own in Lordstown, as well as a small market garden business.
Additionally, Palo wants to extend her undergraduate research on corn smut/huitlacoche and develop her own huitlacoche production business and sell it commercially. As a horticulture major, she spent two semesters of individual investigations looking for a process to grow huitlacoche for commercial sale and received a Kent State grant through the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) in 2024 to test her methods.
“The original corn plots failed on campus because of irrigation issues and poor soil, so I dug up a corn plot in my front yard,” she shared. “I removed the grass and installed drainage that extended to the backside of our back yard and into our pond. Then, I planted 18 corn plots with sunflower dividers, pumpkins around the border and under sown buckwheat.”
The corn was critical to conducting her research to help her grow huitlacoche.
“Huitlacoche is an Hispanic delicacy that can sell for up to $50 per pound. It's technically a fungal pathogen that grows on corn plants, but when it infects the corn kernels, it creates an editable (mushroom) gall. It's used in tacos, quesadillas and soups. It has a smokey flavor to it and is like a mushroom/corn combo.”
American farmers see the fungus as plant disease and take serious measures to prevent it, but Palo wants to change that mindset.
This determination is indicative of her drive and willingness to work hard to reach a destination, as well as her willingness to adapt to her environment. Those traits followed her when she moved from her hometown of Las Vegas in 2018.
“I’ve always been drawn to plants and nature, but growing up in the desert, I would fail miserably whenever I attempted to grow anything,” she related. “Moving to Ohio helped me a little, but it was clear that I do not have a natural green thumb.”
When the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, Palo was at home with a newborn and two preteen sons far from the place where she grew up. “It was hard, and I lost myself a bit in the chaos. As the pandemic was wrapping up, my husband insisted I go back to school.
“In the past, I went to school to teach theatre, social work and psychology,” she continued, “but I wanted to try something different. I came across the horticulture program at Kent State Salem and never looked back. This program ended up being the missing piece to myself that I didn’t know was missing in the first place.”
Palo credits Sheren Farag, Ph.D., (assistant professor of horticulture and program director) and Sarah Eichler, Ph.D., (assistant professor of biology) with encouraging her through this journey.
“It was hard going back to school in my late 30’s. I had to re-learn how to learn. I never studied anything like this before,” she said. “There were times when I thought I couldn’t do it. Without the support of Dr. Farag and Dr. Eichler, I probably would have left the program. Their confidence in me gave me the motivation to push through. I never thought I would work in a lab or earn a grant to pursue my own research, but I did. Working with them has been inspiring and I appreciate them more than I can express.”
Palo fits the definition of a nontraditional student, yet her campus involvement and energy levels often surpass her fellow classmates. Just recently, she was a finalist for the Kent State student employee awards through the Department of Career Exploration and Development in the Inspirational Leadership category.
As a student employee, Palo manages the greenhouse as it undergoes significant upgrades and is helping set up the new head house. She assists Farag by setting up labs for the propagation class and growing plants to be sold at the now-annual plant sale. She also welcomes new or potential horticulture students by giving them tours of the facilities and promoting the program.
Palo is a member of the Horticulture Club and initiated the first plant sale that has since become a yearly event. She also took the lead with maintaining and managing the market garden, leading to a steady presence on fall weekends at the Salem Farm Market where she and other students sell produce grown in the garden.
Palo often works alongside maintenance employees on landscaping projects and works with other students to set up their growing spaces for summer individual investigations (research). “I will be using the tractor to till the garden and move our compost piles to the garden for them,” she quipped.
A mainstay on the Dean’s List, Palo also participates in the annual Undergraduate Research Conference at Kent State Salem. Last fall, she placed first with her research about huitlacoche and in 2023, she placed third. She was named the Outstanding Student in Horticulture Research in 2024 and 2025.
Palo said she found her calling on the Salem Campus and is grateful for the experiences offered to her through the horticulture program.
“I love the small campus,” she said. “The Salem Campus feels welcoming and comfortable. Plus, the outdoor spaces are beautiful. Being a horticulture student is my fun activity. Outside of school, my family is my main focus.”
Palo’s family includes her husband, Chris, and their blended family of her son, Ryder (18); his son, Dorian (17); and their son Phineas (5).
“After graduation, I will switch my school focus to developing a homestead on our property. And my graduation gift to myself is a pet skunk. We’ll be picking her up in June. She’s not born yet, but I already love her. Her name is Mabel!”
Cutline A: Jessica Palo
Cutline B: Jessica Palo gathering produce from the campus garden.
Cutline C: At work in the greenhouse.
Cutline D: Selling produce at the Salem Farmers’ Market.
Cutline E: Presenting her research findings during the Undergraduate Research Conference at Kent State Salem, for which she received first place honors.
Cutline F: Jessica and her son, Phineas, running a bobcat to prepare a garden space at her home.