Seed to Table

Local food seems to be the hype in the realm of sustainability lately. Less fuel used in transportation, fresher quality food, and local business stimulation are just a few of the benefits of locally grown food. I don’t know about you, but I have no idea where our cafeteria at Moscow High School gets its food from. This is the uncertainty I hope to address. Not only do I want students to know where their food is coming from, but I also want them to see and experience the process from seed to plate.

According to a study of 16 to 23 year olds performed by Linking Environment and Food, an ethical food charity, 40% of these young people do not know where milk comes from. Lately I have heard from many people that most young people, especially in urban areas, think that the food they buy at a grocery store originates there. As in it just shows up at the store for humans to consume. Living in rural Moscow, Idaho, agriculture is a large part of our town’s livelihood, so most students have seen wheat harvests and actually know that the food at a grocery store does not just magically appear there. We are lucky to live in a community where there are local farms and a large farmer’s market that sell food grown in the area. Although we are fortunate to have these benefits in our community, most Moscow High School students haven’t grown fresh food themselves.

The most realistic, crucial, and immediate step is to spread the word of the benefits of local food and get students involved in the process. I want there to be an opportunity for all the students in Moscow to see how important, rewarding, and possible locally grown produce is, even in this cold climate.

My goal is to design a greenhouse for Moscow High School to build in the outdoor commons. How amazing would it be to grow vegetables for Ms. Eareckson’s biology class and be able to eat them for lunch later? Or care for the plants as a government service project and then see our efforts be donated to the food bank? There are so many possibilities a greenhouse could provide for not only educational value, but also for our community.

~Olivia

"Young People Love Their Food – But Do They Know Where It Came From?" Farmageddon: The True Cost of Cheap Meat. Ciwf.com, 9 July 2012. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.

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