How Does Your Dinner Grow?
Exploring Connections Between Food Production and Sustainability

What does it take to get our food to our plates? Educators explored models for making our food systems more sustainable as they dug into the science, engineering, and technology as well as the complex relationships, systems, and processes involved in food production. 

Teachers whet their appetite for science learning during an inquiry-based cheese making investigation led by Shelburne Farms. They then went behind-the-scenes of a small, family owned dairy farm (Barstow’s Longview Farm) and discovered how organic waste is used to produce natural gas, heat, and fertilizer in a Vanguard Renewables anaerobic digester. The group discussed differences in terrestrial and aquatic food sources after hearing from One Fish Foundation about the environmental impacts of the fishing industry and techniques used to promote sustainability. 

On a virtual visit to an urban community farm, educators gained ideas to promote community food equity. They evaluated how food systems are related to environmental and human health, and they discussed ways to encourage healthy food habits. Teachers talked with Massachusetts Farm to School about the role of schools in addressing student food security and what more they could do to empower students to seek sustainable food sources.

By the end of this institute, educators were planning school gardens and sharing ideas for supporting healthy, equitable food access in their communities.