week 1 lecture - the sacred beginnings

Welcome To Week one of Foodshed

sustainability

With Jennifer Santry

Who is Jen Santry?

Who is Jen Santry?

IntroductionsWhy are you taking

This class?

What Do You Know Already?

What do you want to learn about in this class?

How Does this Class

Work? Syllabus & Canvas

Sustainability

Activity

Find a partner.

Brainstorm at least FIVE successes and problems associated with agriculture and food today. Write separately on sticky notes.

Stick each success or problem in appropriate category – economic, environment, and social.

Abundant food supply in the developed world Fresh fruits and vegetables available year-round Cheap food Luxury foods such as coffee, tea, chocolate, and

spices easily available around the world Effective food preservation technologies

(refrigeration, freezing, canning, packaging) Convenience foods Mechanization produces high labor efficiency Improvements in soil conservation Availability of agricultural inputs for quick solutions

to productions problems

Successes in Today’s Agriculture:

Continuing soil loss Food safety (e. coli, antibiotic resistance, toxins and

pesticides) Water pollution Habitat loss Continuing hunger Air pollution; odors Failing farms Declining communities Water depletion Energy use Obesity Climate changeChronic diseases linked to agricultural chemicals Farmland loss to development

Problems in Today’s Agriculture:

food•shed [\'food,shed\] -noun: a region or area from which a population draws its food

How Do We Define a Foodshed?

How do you Define your

Local foodshed?

“Foodshed” – used 80 years ago in “How Great Cities are Fed” by W.P. Hedden

Describes the flow of food from producer to consumer

Geographic area where vegetables, fruits, nuts, oils, meat, and grains feed citizens within the region

Answers the question: “Where does my food come from?”

Can include:Farmer’s MarketsCommunity supported agricultureSales to local restaurants and institutionsFarm-t0-table programs

What is a Foodshed?

Historically – eating within a LOCAL foodshed was the ONLY way families gained access to food!

17th and 18th centuries – food was grown in an area of less than 50 miles

Connection to foodshed and landAte seasonallyAte what was availableGrew, cooked, preserved, canned…

Foodsheds in American History:

US’s Foodshed is global – international grocery chains

Lost connection to the food and the landSomeone else is growing it, harvesting it…Increase in food wasteIncrease in food miles – distance 1,500 or more…Food available anytime of the year, almost

anywhereSoil degradation, pollution… - environmental costsInhumane treatment of workers No local dollars to support local economies –

disappearing small farms…

Global & Industrial Foodshed:

More sustainable ways of producing, distributing, and consuming food

Global to regional – decrease in milesIndustrialized to small farms –

decrease in scaleEmphasis on:

Fresher foodsLocal economyConnection with farmer (or grow your own)Reduction in resources (packaging and fuel)Direct to consumer (cut out the middle man)Reduction in pollutionMore environmentally sustainable methods

The Local Foodshed Movement!

Foodshed Resource Cycles:

FarmProductionProcessingPackagingDistributionMarketingRetailingTable

The Journey of our Foodshed:

A Food Map of Your Community…

CSA’sFarmsFood BanksHome GardensCommunity GardensFarm StandsFarmer’s MarketsMeat DairyHoneyCo-Ops

A Story of Your Community…

A Value Chain Diagram…

FarmProductionProcessingPackagingDistributionMarketingRetailingTable

The Journey of our Foodshed:

FarmProductionProcessingPackagingDistributionMarketingRetailingTable

Journey of a Carrot: Green Giant Baby Carrot VS. Farmer’s Market Carrot

EVENTSWhat happens?

What is generallyUNSEEN PATTERNS & TRENDS

What’s been happening?What are the trends?

What changes have occurred?

UNDERLYING STRUCTURES, ORGANIZATIONS

What influences the above patterns?

MENTAL MODELS:Assumptions, values...

What assumptions do people have about the above?

LEARNING

Iceberg Model – What’s below the surface?

EVENT:Purchased bag of

baby carrots

PATTERNS & TRENDS:· Normal· Any time of year· Convenient· Industrial· Low prices

UNDERLYING STRUCTURES:· Cost doesn’t reflect environment or human health· Cheap labor is necessary· Human rights and immigration issues· What subsidies make this possible?

MENTAL MODELS:· Cheap and convenient are better no matter what· Predictable and uniformity is safer· It doesn’t matter who grows my food or how they are treated

How does a community-based food system shift the conventional paradigm?

Questions?