This is a guest post from KVCC Culinary Arts & Sustainable Food Systems student Katie Jacobs. Are you a student interested in writing for the BHLC blog? Contact rbair@kvcc.edu for details.
“A
journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step”
—Lao Tzu
In reflecting on the
first eight weeks of the semester, my stand-out class was one called Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems. Taught by Peggy Murnighan (who was amazing,
and if you ever have a chance to take a class with her, do it!), we learned all
about the food system in this country.
Starting with a history of agriculture as we know it today, we learned
about where our food comes from and how many of our current farm practices
cannot sustain us as we move forth. We
learned about the farmers that grow our food, the migrant workers who pick our
food and the supply chains that help get our food from the farm to our grocery
stores. We learned about the plight of
those who don’t have enough food, let alone whole, healthy foods and how that
impacts not only their health but the overall cost of healthcare in
America. We learned about the shameful
amount of food that is wasted in this country.
We learned that people are doing incredible things to make a difference,
from urban farms in forgotten warehouse buildings in inner city Detroit, to
community gardens to school programs geared towards teaching kids how to grow
their own food. It is a multi-faceted topic,
and in eight weeks I am sure that we only scratched the surface of what there
is to learn.
For our last paper, we
were asked what our vision for a sustainable food system was and how we might
go about getting there. As I sat down to
think about it, I realized what an overwhelming task it all is! We learned in class that our food system is
so complex, that there is not a single, magic solution to making it
sustainable. There are local and
national aspects, indeed worldwide aspects, and getting the entire planet to
cooperate is a daunting task. Sadly, I
believe that our current government is quite broken (don’t get me started!),
with all of the partisan in-fighting and inability to work together to actually
make policy and move on. So, while there
is hope that our population is starting to break out of their passivity around
food, this political climate will not be one in which such social change will
be easy. But that doesn’t mean we
shouldn’t try! We as consumers are a
powerful lobby.
I believe that each of
us can (and should!) take responsibility for our own choices, affecting change
for ourselves and hopefully influencing those around us. Throughout the semester, we were challenged
to consider the things we were learning about, and what we might do differently
as we gained awareness around each particular issue. I loved these thought exercises—it is one
thing to learn something, but quite another to take the next step to actually
apply it. I came away with a list of
things that I am attempting to change in my own life: finding a source for eggs from chickens that
will not be slaughtered when they are done laying; starting a vermicomposting
operation in my own backyard (stay tuned for a few blog posts on that journey…);
and exploring the concepts around permaculture as I plant my vegetable gardens
this year (check it out at
www.permacultureprinciples.com).
If everyone does their
part, change will be inevitable. SO, I
invite you to make three changes in your own life that contribute to a more
sustainable food system. Start a compost
pile to help our overburdened landfills and nourish your plants at the same
time (for free!). If you eat meat, only
buy from farms that treat their animals humanely. Visit the farmer’s market once a week to
support local farmers. Become a member
of the local food co-op. Volunteer at a
food pantry. Institute ‘meatless Monday’
into your weekly menu. Make a concerted
effort to waste less food. Together we can make a difference!
P.S. we’d love to hear what you are up to and what
changes you are making—perhaps others will take your lead!
