Final Project Thoughts- Personal and Community Food Sustainability

At the beginning of the semester, I set out to learn more about the role of local food sustainability through the study of food distribution networks and supply chains. This led me to the IU Campus Garden, where I spent a few hours on most Tuesdays working and harvesting vegetables for the campus dorm cafeterias (and also for my own personal consumption). I had conversations with several players in the local food community, and learned about the difficulties  in getting a distribution center off the ground. I regret that I did not have more time to research this more closely, as I do think there are great opportunities for a city like Bloomington for such an initiative. In the future I would like to visit functioning local food distribution centers, and definitely plan to do this when I make the move to a larger city after graduation.

For me, even more important than learning about the organizational side of food sustainability was learning about the personal impact of working in a garden on a regular basis. Other than helping my Mom out with her tomatoes and cucumbers as a child, until this year I had basically zero experience with gardening. Working at the community garden this semester taught me about the discipline needed for basic tasks such as watering, trimming, weeding on a regular basis. But it also gave me an appreciation for truly fresh food, such as salads with spinach and arugula, sauteed chard, or the fried green tomatoes that often graced my plate.

The project led me to believe that if our food system is going to change, major organizational changes to the distribution network are of course necessary. But before that, it is crucial to give people the opportunity to experience gardening in their own lives, whether at home or in a community or school garden. This is not only a great source of food, but it is a great educational experience that gives awareness of how important (and delicious) local food is. I am not totally sold on the important of certified organic or other labels, but I do believe local food is important to both the social and economic sustainability of communities.

Thanks to my experience in the project, I  now will work to keep gardening in my own life, as well as working to make it a part of whatever community I end up in. This class has been a wonderful way to see how all the dots connect on the journey towards sustainable communities, and I am forever indebted.

Sincerely,

Errol Packard