Would you like some dirt with your veggies?

The future of food at the University of Manitoba

Milena Lemez & Alicia Ali

“Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables. They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.”

— Elizabeth Berry

Honestly, how many of us can say that we know more about our food than the shelf that it sits on does? Even if we cared about where it came from or what sort of agony it underwent to present itself according to its label claim, knowing what we are consuming and the reliability of the source is not a reality for most people. Food today is something that we are not only uninformed about and detached from but something that we have marginal control over. Since food is a fundamental aspect of human survival, this detachment from the processes of growth and procurement should be somewhat alarming.

Recently, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) addressed some striking trends regarding our global food standing. They report that agricultural commodity prices rose sharply in 2006 and continued to rise even more sharply the following year. While the food price index rose on average nine per cent in 2006, in 2007 it increased by 23 per cent by comparison. This is huge! The ratio of world cereal ending stocks in 2007-08 (basically our food reserve) to the trend of world cereal utilization in the following season is forecast to fall dramatically to the lowest level in the past five years. The FAO says that high food prices and market uncertainties have become a major global concern.

Further, just last November, Time Magazine reported that nearly every region of the world has experienced drastic food price inflation in 2007 and that worldwide food reserves are at their lowest in 35 years. In their February 2008 issue, Time added that increasing demand is a significant contributor, as billions of people are buying ever-greater quantities of food. Other acute problems causing inflation include the spike in oil prices, which recently hit $103 per barrel, pushing up fertilizer prices, as well as the cost of trucking and shipping food abroad. Then, of course, there is climate change, which is creating freaky weather conditions that are disrupting our global harvest.

Remaining optimistic about future resource supplies, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reported in 2007 that demand for energy is set to continue to grow. However, before a sigh of relief, we should be mindful of OPEC’s corporate interests as well as the fact that sufficient supply doesn’t address the problem of emissions that exacerbate climatic chaos. Simply, as oil reserves decrease, the price of oil increases, and so does the cost of production and distribution of food. Accordingly, as food prices follow oil prices, the demand booms and supply falls, and we have ourselves the extravagant dwindling of global food security.

Where we stand:
(out of 50 students across campus cafeterias)

What do you feel could be potential threats to food security?

“Not enough money, can’t grow stuff, depends on where you live. I was just listening to something on India, it’s about farmers and how they are killing themselves working yet they can’t afford to buy their own food, and they’re farmers!”

— Heidi Newman (undergraduate student)

“I think most people don’t have a clue how to produce their own food. I don’t think many students and people in general could make a loaf of bread to save their lives.”

— Roy Campbell (professor)

So let’s relate to this. What portion of our edibles can we firmly say, or hope at the least, is exempt from this calamity? How much of what we consume lacks an excessive energy bill attached to its production? Can we take for granted that thousand-mile imports of goods we consider staples in our diet will be available infinitely? Who really knows, and who really wonders, right?

What we wish we knew:
(out of 50 students across campus cafeterias)

Let’s consider the University of Manitoba campus alone, without getting ahead of ourselves. Despite all the rants about the university’s food service provider, Aramark still keeps us tightly on a leash. This international American company is very adept at not only dominating our food networks but making them grossly homogenized. For the most part, the food that is available to us via Aramark is provided by Sysco, another corporate behemoth perpetuating our dependence on uniform, generally unsustainable delivery sources, that they have entangled themselves with in order to keep their status quo of “capital almighty.”

Result: global networks of limited corporate players tinkering with food production and distribution, practices that victimize the environment and sell us product that can only accumulate extensive capital by remaining at the low quality at which we have it. What’s more is that, not only are Aramark’s assembled choices devoid of verdure but they have eradicated our alternatives, as smaller scale sustainable and equitable sources are shaded out. For those who have tried, how easy is it to get local or organic food on campus?

How we feel:
(out of 50 students across campus cafeterias)

What alternatives would you like to see more of on campus?

“More restaurants like Daily Bread. I work in Isbister, and there’s only the Greenhouse Café, which I think is way too expensive and there’s just not enough options. So, providing a facility like this where students can come, sit down and have a meal on a real plate that isn’t overly expensive. There’s just not enough food service here on campus.”

— Allyson Demski (graduate student)

What do you think students and staff can do to improve our current food situation?

“Petition and speak up, or just not buy certain food. Demand better choices as we should have a choice in what we eat.”

— Heidi Newman (undergraduate student)

“We could petition or something, maybe boycott certain places if you want to change the options.”

— Sam Koulack (undergraduate student)

But we have to eat somewhere! OK, let’s turn this around, as it is not yet time to retire completely jaded. In the assumption that we are finally sick of this ordeal and willing to do something, let’s delve in for some inspiration where its shown that, yes, there is in fact a way to seize back the ball.

The University of British Columbia established Food System Project, which is a collaborative, community-based action initiative, working towards sustainable food networks. It has the student-driven Market Garden growing fresh and organic produce that is locally processed. Recycling and composting practices are endorsed, and educational components are incorporated, creating a unique place of learning and research while enriching the curriculum and energizing the campus community. Much of the food grown is sold at the student-run Farm Market, with all revenue going towards the cost of operation, which helps provide paid work experience for students every summer and contributes to economic sustainability.

Just next door to the UBC, the University of Victoria is also committed to its student-run Sustainability Project. Recently, it initiated the Food University Network that sees potential in the campus as a leader in food sustainability. This network includes Pocket Market collaborating with a local organic provider, needless to say, offering students healthier choices. Students, faculty and staff can purchase produce directly from farmers. Furthermore, the network looks for ways to facilitate cooking classes and workshops to introduce newcomers to the exciting world of local, organic and nutritional choices. Of course, for those who can relate to some fun in the grime, they run a year-round campus community garden, where anyone can apply to operate their own allotted plot to grow their own food.

What we want:
(out of 50 students across campus cafeterias)

Now let’s get back to food security. This dynamism is clearly above and beyond what we can hope to tap in to on any given day here at U of M’s Fort Garry campus. But is this what it means to truly have food security? According to the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable, “in a food secure community, the growing, processing and distribution of healthy, safe food is economically viable, socially just, environmentally friendly, and regionally based.”

From this we can conclude a couple of things. First, believing that we are secure only means we are in denial. Second, there’s no need to further deny the obvious as there are clearly ways of doing things better, like our fellow western students have shown. Key word, “doing,” and much to our delightful relief, it turns out we are doing something.

Taking gardening ‘out of the box’

The University of Manitoba is taking initiatives to bring sustainability back into campus by introducing our own garden called, drum roll: The University of Manitoba Student Community Garden. The main goal of this student-led initiative is to foster community spirit and volunteerism as well as provide a venue for growing our own healthy food, via more sustainable agricultural practices. The idea is to connect students with their food and with one another. With the help of Martin Entz and Gary Martens of the plant sciences department, students from across faculties are gathering to ensure that this garden plan transpires. The location is designated at the corner of University Crescent and Dysart Road (near St. Andrews College).

How beneficial do you feel a campus community garden would be to campus sustainability?

“I think that would be a great idea! I mean, you’re allowing local production of food, you’re allowing education, which is why we’re all here . . . knowledge that can be passed on to not only students that are working in the garden but even to students that are passing by saying, “Hey, what’s going on?” That would allow them to get more involved and become more aware.”

— Allyson Demski (graduate student)

“It would be pretty exciting. It could break down the isolation of the students from the rest of the community, which I feel is a big part of the Fort Garry campus. I realize how fortunate I am to have an opportunity to garden at home that not many other students have, living in apartments, for example, so I can see the value in the garden.”

— Natalie Asselin (graduate student)

Not only could the garden bring people together but it could also allow for students and staff to learn and practice sustainable methods, using new technologies and seed varieties. The garden is already in commission and has prepared for growing an extensively dynamic assortment of organic staples: tomatoes, squash, corn and spinach, as well as a variety of barriers and even apple trees. Also, there will be herbs such as sage, mint and many others to spice it all up. The first plantings are already in the ground!

If we had a campus community garden here at the university, growing organic produce, what level of interest would you have in growing food or purchasing it directly from the garden or prepared in the cafeterias?

“Getting directly from the source would be really good.”

— Mandeep Bhardwaj (University 1 student)

“I would be interested if it was sort of like a share thing where you could participate and everyone gets a portion of the vegetables. It would make it easier in a way to buy fresh produce because you would be at the campus anyway and you’d know that it was really fresh. It would also be a neat way to form community while learning about growing your own food.”

— Sam Koulack (undergraduate student)

“I’d be interested because then you’d know that it was grown on campus and you wouldn’t have to pay for its transportation.”

— Heidi Newman (undergraduate student)

“It would be the first place I would go!”

— Roy Campbell (professor)

The organizing committee of this “fruitful” enterprise has contemplated a few directions that can be taken with the garden. Beyond the foremost goal of providing space and resources for students to grow some healthy food and learn along the way, the team has also discussed the potential of finding ways to market the produce on campus. One very supportive player in this project is Ian Park, manager of Daily Bread Café in St. John’s College. Park has taken part in the planning meetings and is open to the idea of looking for ways to incorporate the produce into his business. The possibility of setting up a farmers’ market right outside in the quad, which would give students easy access to local and organic food, is also up in the air. For now, the plan is to donate the surplus to Winnipeg Harvest in return for seed that can be used towards further planting.

In regards to striving towards concrete food security, not only on campus but also in our communities, one very promising idea has been presented that revolves around the possibility of including a curriculum into the project. As much as it would be amply fun to plant a few things, chow down and then be able to add the experience to a resumé, students are primarily driven by the need for accumulating scholarly credentials, and time is a big factor. By having the university credit, the value inherent in fostering knowledge, knowledge that is clearly essential for food-secure communities, students would be doing much more than watching some greens spring up.

Today calls for new ways of doing things. If the institution that students are writing out their cheques to claims to be a provider of education, then it is time that we are provided the opportunity to learn that which is equally, if not more relevant, than the best way to jump through hoops.

How relevant do you feel knowing how to produce food is to food security?

“I think it’s relevant knowing how to produce your own food in case any shortages, globally speaking, were to arise. Finding out that a type of food is not coming this way . . . what do we do then?”

— Allyson Demski (graduate student)

“Pretty relevant. It’s a fundamental aspect of life that we are kind of detached from in this society. You have to make the priority to do it.”

— Sam Koulack (undergraduate student)

“I think it’s relevant for some and not for all. Some people have no interest in that but they can be involved in other aspects of food security and not necessarily the actual growing and producing of food. There are different roles to be played.”

— Natalie Asselin (graduate student)

“I think if people knew how to produce food, different ways of producing food and of tending to it, then they can make more informed choices on what they buy and they may spend less money.”

— David Berglund (University 1 student)

“In this millennium, with the realities that we face, it is very important now that people who don’t normally work in the food industry get involved in producing it. This is something we all have to do, otherwise we are all living in denial as to the realities of the future.”

— Chris Curpen (staff)

Professionals at the University of Victoria proposed the development of a theoretical and practical learning centre on-site for urban and alternative agriculture. They envision universities as playing a leading role in sustainability; acting as centres of opportunity for innovation and creating links between the university and community as well as humans and the environment. The educational institution we choose to partake in can be essential in creating strong and food secure communities.

Clearly, education plays a key role in food security, and enriching the curriculum in such a way would not only give us the skills to be self-sufficient but would also raise awareness of issues surrounding food security. Further, by creating a venue for not only experientially meaningful academia but also for collaborative societal integration where institutional reformation may begin, we can start to influence the campus and revive our communities. At the very least, the garden is a great starting point in exchanging ideas and creating networks.

What do you consider a sustainable food network, keeping in mind social, environmental and economic factors?

“I would definitely say as local as possible so food prices can possibly go down, and then any money generated stays within the local economy. So definitely buying local as much as possible is important.”

— Allyson Demski (graduate student)

“We have to have leadership that is willing to talk to people and organize neighborhoods to start to develop their own food sources. Say for vegetables, we can have community greenhouses and community gardens. This would cut down on crime because, guess what? Then the neighbours will get to know each other.”

— Chris Curpen (staff)

There is no need to fret about the belief that we might all be going to go back to some nostalgic idea of rural life. On the contrary, this is a time to educate ourselves about the issues that affect us and, most importantly, to take back responsibility and control over the processes that sustain us. To make this happen there are many roles to be filled and support from all levels is crucial. Students, faculty and staff hold as much power as is necessary to be resistant to the externalizing forces inherent in the system that is currently in place. Equally, taking part in such projects even by simply showing up speaks out the message that there is relevance in doing this and that we have a coherent perspective of the issues with which we are determined to deal.

It’s a matter of connecting to our places, to our food and to the community, which can be exciting in so many ways besides the obvious one of creating reassurance. The reward of bringing to life that which sustains us is not something that we don’t relate to as a result of the minimal enjoyment that it provides, rather, it is something that the majority of us have been deprived of. Need it be no longer!

The garden initiative is for undergraduate and graduate students, professors, as well staff from any faculty across the university. Whether an experienced gardener or not, if you want to learn or just have fun this is the place to be. Everyone is welcome to participate.

Where to start: upcoming events

March 24-28, Environmental Awareness Week (visit the garden table!)
April 2, 2:30 p.m. Plant Sciences Building Room 218 (meeting)

If you want to get involved or get more information regarding the University of Manitoba Student Community Garden we encourage you to contact

Benil Sable at umsable0@cc.umanitoba.ca and/or James Frey at freynfrey@gmail.com.





Volume 95 Issue 25	The Official University of Manitoba Students' Newspaper Website	March 26, 2008

Home About Us Advertising Rates Contact Staff Current Issue PDF Employment Letters to the Editor Meet the Staff Online Archives Volunteer Online Classifieds St. Vincent's Academy Diaries	Font Size Respond Email Print-Friendly Would you like some dirt with your veggies? The future of food at the University of Manitoba Milena Lemez & Alicia Ali “Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables. They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.” — Elizabeth Berry Honestly, how many of us can say that we know more about our food than the shelf that it sits on does? Even if we cared about where it came from or what sort of agony it underwent to present itself according to its label claim, knowing what we are consuming and the reliability of the source is not a reality for most people. Food today is something that we are not only uninformed about and detached from but something that we have marginal control over. Since food is a fundamental aspect of human survival, this detachment from the processes of growth and procurement should be somewhat alarming. Recently, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) addressed some striking trends regarding our global food standing. They report that agricultural commodity prices rose sharply in 2006 and continued to rise even more sharply the following year. While the food price index rose on average nine per cent in 2006, in 2007 it increased by 23 per cent by comparison. This is huge! The ratio of world cereal ending stocks in 2007-08 (basically our food reserve) to the trend of world cereal utilization in the following season is forecast to fall dramatically to the lowest level in the past five years. The FAO says that high food prices and market uncertainties have become a major global concern. Further, just last November, Time Magazine reported that nearly every region of the world has experienced drastic food price inflation in 2007 and that worldwide food reserves are at their lowest in 35 years. In their February 2008 issue, Time added that increasing demand is a significant contributor, as billions of people are buying ever-greater quantities of food. Other acute problems causing inflation include the spike in oil prices, which recently hit $103 per barrel, pushing up fertilizer prices, as well as the cost of trucking and shipping food abroad. Then, of course, there is climate change, which is creating freaky weather conditions that are disrupting our global harvest. Remaining optimistic about future resource supplies, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reported in 2007 that demand for energy is set to continue to grow. However, before a sigh of relief, we should be mindful of OPEC’s corporate interests as well as the fact that sufficient supply doesn’t address the problem of emissions that exacerbate climatic chaos. Simply, as oil reserves decrease, the price of oil increases, and so does the cost of production and distribution of food. Accordingly, as food prices follow oil prices, the demand booms and supply falls, and we have ourselves the extravagant dwindling of global food security. Where we stand: (out of 50 students across campus cafeterias) What do you feel could be potential threats to food security? “Not enough money, can’t grow stuff, depends on where you live. I was just listening to something on India, it’s about farmers and how they are killing themselves working yet they can’t afford to buy their own food, and they’re farmers!” — Heidi Newman (undergraduate student) “I think most people don’t have a clue how to produce their own food. I don’t think many students and people in general could make a loaf of bread to save their lives.” — Roy Campbell (professor) So let’s relate to this. What portion of our edibles can we firmly say, or hope at the least, is exempt from this calamity? How much of what we consume lacks an excessive energy bill attached to its production? Can we take for granted that thousand-mile imports of goods we consider staples in our diet will be available infinitely? Who really knows, and who really wonders, right? What we wish we knew: (out of 50 students across campus cafeterias) Let’s consider the University of Manitoba campus alone, without getting ahead of ourselves. Despite all the rants about the university’s food service provider, Aramark still keeps us tightly on a leash. This international American company is very adept at not only dominating our food networks but making them grossly homogenized. For the most part, the food that is available to us via Aramark is provided by Sysco, another corporate behemoth perpetuating our dependence on uniform, generally unsustainable delivery sources, that they have entangled themselves with in order to keep their status quo of “capital almighty.” Result: global networks of limited corporate players tinkering with food production and distribution, practices that victimize the environment and sell us product that can only accumulate extensive capital by remaining at the low quality at which we have it. What’s more is that, not only are Aramark’s assembled choices devoid of verdure but they have eradicated our alternatives, as smaller scale sustainable and equitable sources are shaded out. For those who have tried, how easy is it to get local or organic food on campus? How we feel: (out of 50 students across campus cafeterias) What alternatives would you like to see more of on campus? “More restaurants like Daily Bread. I work in Isbister, and there’s only the Greenhouse Café, which I think is way too expensive and there’s just not enough options. So, providing a facility like this where students can come, sit down and have a meal on a real plate that isn’t overly expensive. There’s just not enough food service here on campus.” — Allyson Demski (graduate student) What do you think students and staff can do to improve our current food situation? “Petition and speak up, or just not buy certain food. Demand better choices as we should have a choice in what we eat.” — Heidi Newman (undergraduate student) “We could petition or something, maybe boycott certain places if you want to change the options.” — Sam Koulack (undergraduate student) But we have to eat somewhere! OK, let’s turn this around, as it is not yet time to retire completely jaded. In the assumption that we are finally sick of this ordeal and willing to do something, let’s delve in for some inspiration where its shown that, yes, there is in fact a way to seize back the ball. The University of British Columbia established Food System Project, which is a collaborative, community-based action initiative, working towards sustainable food networks. It has the student-driven Market Garden growing fresh and organic produce that is locally processed. Recycling and composting practices are endorsed, and educational components are incorporated, creating a unique place of learning and research while enriching the curriculum and energizing the campus community. Much of the food grown is sold at the student-run Farm Market, with all revenue going towards the cost of operation, which helps provide paid work experience for students every summer and contributes to economic sustainability. Just next door to the UBC, the University of Victoria is also committed to its student-run Sustainability Project. Recently, it initiated the Food University Network that sees potential in the campus as a leader in food sustainability. This network includes Pocket Market collaborating with a local organic provider, needless to say, offering students healthier choices. Students, faculty and staff can purchase produce directly from farmers. Furthermore, the network looks for ways to facilitate cooking classes and workshops to introduce newcomers to the exciting world of local, organic and nutritional choices. Of course, for those who can relate to some fun in the grime, they run a year-round campus community garden, where anyone can apply to operate their own allotted plot to grow their own food. What we want: (out of 50 students across campus cafeterias) Now let’s get back to food security. This dynamism is clearly above and beyond what we can hope to tap in to on any given day here at U of M’s Fort Garry campus. But is this what it means to truly have food security? According to the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable, “in a food secure community, the growing, processing and distribution of healthy, safe food is economically viable, socially just, environmentally friendly, and regionally based.” From this we can conclude a couple of things. First, believing that we are secure only means we are in denial. Second, there’s no need to further deny the obvious as there are clearly ways of doing things better, like our fellow western students have shown. Key word, “doing,” and much to our delightful relief, it turns out we are doing something. Taking gardening ‘out of the box’ The University of Manitoba is taking initiatives to bring sustainability back into campus by introducing our own garden called, drum roll: The University of Manitoba Student Community Garden. The main goal of this student-led initiative is to foster community spirit and volunteerism as well as provide a venue for growing our own healthy food, via more sustainable agricultural practices. The idea is to connect students with their food and with one another. With the help of Martin Entz and Gary Martens of the plant sciences department, students from across faculties are gathering to ensure that this garden plan transpires. The location is designated at the corner of University Crescent and Dysart Road (near St. Andrews College). How beneficial do you feel a campus community garden would be to campus sustainability? “I think that would be a great idea! I mean, you’re allowing local production of food, you’re allowing education, which is why we’re all here . . . knowledge that can be passed on to not only students that are working in the garden but even to students that are passing by saying, “Hey, what’s going on?” That would allow them to get more involved and become more aware.” — Allyson Demski (graduate student) “It would be pretty exciting. It could break down the isolation of the students from the rest of the community, which I feel is a big part of the Fort Garry campus. I realize how fortunate I am to have an opportunity to garden at home that not many other students have, living in apartments, for example, so I can see the value in the garden.” — Natalie Asselin (graduate student) Not only could the garden bring people together but it could also allow for students and staff to learn and practice sustainable methods, using new technologies and seed varieties. The garden is already in commission and has prepared for growing an extensively dynamic assortment of organic staples: tomatoes, squash, corn and spinach, as well as a variety of barriers and even apple trees. Also, there will be herbs such as sage, mint and many others to spice it all up. The first plantings are already in the ground! If we had a campus community garden here at the university, growing organic produce, what level of interest would you have in growing food or purchasing it directly from the garden or prepared in the cafeterias? “Getting directly from the source would be really good.” — Mandeep Bhardwaj (University 1 student) “I would be interested if it was sort of like a share thing where you could participate and everyone gets a portion of the vegetables. It would make it easier in a way to buy fresh produce because you would be at the campus anyway and you’d know that it was really fresh. It would also be a neat way to form community while learning about growing your own food.” — Sam Koulack (undergraduate student) “I’d be interested because then you’d know that it was grown on campus and you wouldn’t have to pay for its transportation.” — Heidi Newman (undergraduate student) “It would be the first place I would go!” — Roy Campbell (professor) The organizing committee of this “fruitful” enterprise has contemplated a few directions that can be taken with the garden. Beyond the foremost goal of providing space and resources for students to grow some healthy food and learn along the way, the team has also discussed the potential of finding ways to market the produce on campus. One very supportive player in this project is Ian Park, manager of Daily Bread Café in St. John’s College. Park has taken part in the planning meetings and is open to the idea of looking for ways to incorporate the produce into his business. The possibility of setting up a farmers’ market right outside in the quad, which would give students easy access to local and organic food, is also up in the air. For now, the plan is to donate the surplus to Winnipeg Harvest in return for seed that can be used towards further planting. In regards to striving towards concrete food security, not only on campus but also in our communities, one very promising idea has been presented that revolves around the possibility of including a curriculum into the project. As much as it would be amply fun to plant a few things, chow down and then be able to add the experience to a resumé, students are primarily driven by the need for accumulating scholarly credentials, and time is a big factor. By having the university credit, the value inherent in fostering knowledge, knowledge that is clearly essential for food-secure communities, students would be doing much more than watching some greens spring up. Today calls for new ways of doing things. If the institution that students are writing out their cheques to claims to be a provider of education, then it is time that we are provided the opportunity to learn that which is equally, if not more relevant, than the best way to jump through hoops. How relevant do you feel knowing how to produce food is to food security? “I think it’s relevant knowing how to produce your own food in case any shortages, globally speaking, were to arise. Finding out that a type of food is not coming this way . . . what do we do then?” — Allyson Demski (graduate student) “Pretty relevant. It’s a fundamental aspect of life that we are kind of detached from in this society. You have to make the priority to do it.” — Sam Koulack (undergraduate student) “I think it’s relevant for some and not for all. Some people have no interest in that but they can be involved in other aspects of food security and not necessarily the actual growing and producing of food. There are different roles to be played.” — Natalie Asselin (graduate student) “I think if people knew how to produce food, different ways of producing food and of tending to it, then they can make more informed choices on what they buy and they may spend less money.” — David Berglund (University 1 student) “In this millennium, with the realities that we face, it is very important now that people who don’t normally work in the food industry get involved in producing it. This is something we all have to do, otherwise we are all living in denial as to the realities of the future.” — Chris Curpen (staff) Professionals at the University of Victoria proposed the development of a theoretical and practical learning centre on-site for urban and alternative agriculture. They envision universities as playing a leading role in sustainability; acting as centres of opportunity for innovation and creating links between the university and community as well as humans and the environment. The educational institution we choose to partake in can be essential in creating strong and food secure communities. Clearly, education plays a key role in food security, and enriching the curriculum in such a way would not only give us the skills to be self-sufficient but would also raise awareness of issues surrounding food security. Further, by creating a venue for not only experientially meaningful academia but also for collaborative societal integration where institutional reformation may begin, we can start to influence the campus and revive our communities. At the very least, the garden is a great starting point in exchanging ideas and creating networks. What do you consider a sustainable food network, keeping in mind social, environmental and economic factors? “I would definitely say as local as possible so food prices can possibly go down, and then any money generated stays within the local economy. So definitely buying local as much as possible is important.” — Allyson Demski (graduate student) “We have to have leadership that is willing to talk to people and organize neighborhoods to start to develop their own food sources. Say for vegetables, we can have community greenhouses and community gardens. This would cut down on crime because, guess what? Then the neighbours will get to know each other.” — Chris Curpen (staff) There is no need to fret about the belief that we might all be going to go back to some nostalgic idea of rural life. On the contrary, this is a time to educate ourselves about the issues that affect us and, most importantly, to take back responsibility and control over the processes that sustain us. To make this happen there are many roles to be filled and support from all levels is crucial. Students, faculty and staff hold as much power as is necessary to be resistant to the externalizing forces inherent in the system that is currently in place. Equally, taking part in such projects even by simply showing up speaks out the message that there is relevance in doing this and that we have a coherent perspective of the issues with which we are determined to deal. It’s a matter of connecting to our places, to our food and to the community, which can be exciting in so many ways besides the obvious one of creating reassurance. The reward of bringing to life that which sustains us is not something that we don’t relate to as a result of the minimal enjoyment that it provides, rather, it is something that the majority of us have been deprived of. Need it be no longer! The garden initiative is for undergraduate and graduate students, professors, as well staff from any faculty across the university. Whether an experienced gardener or not, if you want to learn or just have fun this is the place to be. Everyone is welcome to participate. Where to start: upcoming events March 24-28, Environmental Awareness Week (visit the garden table!) April 2, 2:30 p.m. Plant Sciences Building Room 218 (meeting) If you want to get involved or get more information regarding the University of Manitoba Student Community Garden we encourage you to contact Benil Sable at umsable0@cc.umanitoba.ca and/or James Frey at freynfrey@gmail.com.


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