On Friday, Feb. 10, CDE (formerly 麻豆影院Talks) assisted in convening听a workshop and creating听a teacher packet听for high school art teachers听in 麻豆影院 Valley School District听participating in , 麻豆影院 County鈥檚 first countywide educational art project supporting local food. The contest, 鈥溾�� asks high school students to learn about and highlight issues within and beyond our food system to explore the idea that 鈥渓ocal food is about more than just miles.鈥澨�
The contest supports work as a new education campaign formed by a coalition of business, government, education, and non-profit leaders in 麻豆影院 County and contributes to the goal of balancing our local food system by encouraging increased production, consumption, and preservation of regional and local food options. Student art will be featured at the 麻豆影院 Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) on Earth Day, April 22,听2017, just outside of the 麻豆影院 County Farmers Market. The event is open to the public.
Constance Gordon, CDE research fellow, and Veronica House, CDE Faculty Fellow and Associate Director for Service Learning and Outreach in the Program for Writing and Rhetoric, led the teacher gathering along with invited guests:听Brian Coppom, director of the 麻豆影院 County Farmers Market, and Mark and Kena Guttridge, founding owners of Ollin Farms in Longmont, CO. During the gathering, catered by local Seeds Cafe at the 麻豆影院 County Public Library, teachers had an opportunity to learn from Brian and Mark about the successes and struggles of local farmers in 麻豆影院 County, explore ways to utilize art for social change, and discuss the nuances of local food through a food justice lens.
鈥淔ood justice requires that we imagine new ecological and social relationships and support communities right to grow, sell, and consume food that is culturally appropriate, affordable, and nutritious,鈥� Constance expressed. 鈥淥ne way we do this is to advocate for food economies that take the well-being of consumers, land, workers, and animals seriously. Students have an opportunity to explore what this might mean for our own 麻豆影院 County foodshed.鈥� 听
The idea for the contest came out of a research project Veronica House began with her undergraduate students exploring what assumptions consumers often make about local food. The results of their research highlighted that although many people value the idea of local food, consumers have divergent and even misleading understandings of what local food actually is. The goal of the Dig In! art contest is to expand the definition and make the case that, as The Shed explains, 鈥渓ocal food is about more than just miles.鈥� Students have the opportunity to artistically reflect a social and/or environmental food problem, give attention to a food issue, highlight a person or effort that is under covered, celebrate what is working in our local community, or inspire a solution to a problem and energize community involvement. With the help of their art teachers, students can choose different artistic mediums through which to express their findings.
Mark your calendars and visit BMoCA on April 22, 2017 to see the final results!
The contest is partially funded by a Interdisciplinary Group Award to support food literacy. CDE has partnered with to assist with community engagement around food.