A visit with Dr. Kami Pothukuchi

Kalamazoo had an amazing guest on March 17 and 18: Dr. Kami Pothukuchi, Professor and Director of Wayne State University's Department of Urban Studies and Planning, spoke to an intimate and engaged gathering of fellow local food activists at Knauss Hall on Western Michigan University's campus on Thursday evening, then joined a group of community and university leaders on Friday morning for a breakfast conversation. KVCC's Sustainable Food Systems programs were invited to have an exhibit table at the event. Our Culinary students Don Ashbaugh and Eli represented us well, and reminded everyone who attended to join us at the BHLC Open House on April 24 from 2-5pm!

Dr. Pothukuchi's work in at WSU has focused on the challenges to food access in Detroit, a rapidly emptying city with high concentration of poverty and low access to healthy, affordable food options. In her talk on Thursday evening, she shared an inspiring message about the power of small actions to create huge change - projects like the Wayne State University Farmers Market, on campus, and community gardens and efforts to supply corner stores with fresh produce. The student organization she started, SEED Wayne, leads all these projects, carefully managing the transitions from year to year as students graduate and move on to new projects.

On Friday, Dr. Pothukuchi facilitated a dynamic conversation among community leaders as we tried to figure out what the "glue" is here in Kalamazoo - what holds our local food movement together and keeps us moving forward? The group agreed we needed more opportunities to get together and solve problems collaboratively (more on that to come). The gathering was hosted by WMU's Office of Sustainability.

After breakfast, Dr. Pothukuchi and the three WSU students who came with her joined a tour of Western Michigan University's Gibbs House Farm, where students are experimenting with composting, water management, four-season food production, and permaculture.

Finally, she made it to KVCC's Food Innovation Center - and she loved it.  We were so honored to have Dr. Pothukuchi and her students join us for the day, and can't wait to have her back when the farm and food hub at the FIC are fully operations.