Jodi Summit
TOWER – Where is our food from? How is it made? What are the environmental effects? What can we do about the environmental effects of the food we eat
Vermilion Country School students investigated these questions and more as part of an entire school-wide environmental education project.
“We are so far removed from where our food comes from,” said VCS science teacher Paula Herbranson.
Students watched a documentary that featured a Canadian chef and his quest to find out where all his restaurant’s food was coming from, as well as finding ways to reduce the environmental impact of his purchasing decisions.
Each student then chose a food product to research and spend a few weeks researching its production, environmental impacts, and what can be done to make it more sustainable.
The project had two goals: to help students identify the problems and to suggest solutions.
Students were given the option to present their research in any medium. Many students chose traditional posters and brochures. Others created poems, songs or podcasts.
The judges were a small group made up of school staff, volunteers, and a peer judge. The presentation included questions from the judges.
“Most of the students did a really nice job,” said Herbranson.
Many students were shocked at the many ways that food production can impact the environment. These include excessive water use, pollution from manure runoff, animal cruelty and issues related to pesticide and herbicide use.
Many students stated that their research made them more aware of the choices they make when purchasing food.
“I learned some things I didn’t want to know,” said Dakota Hanninen, who researched the poultry industry. She shared how chickens with injuries are removed from farms. “It’s so sad.”
Dakota stated that chicken manure can help with soil health.
Brandi Strange studied almonds and discovered that approximately 80 percent of our crop was grown in California. Because they do not need to be replanted every other year, fruits and nuts grown on trees are more sustainable. However, these trees need a lot of water which is becoming more of a problem due to California’s frequent droughts.
Alyssa costello discovered that peaches require a lot of water but can be grown in areas with sufficient rainfall. However, there can be significant environmental effects from pesticides and fertilizers.
Almost all of the projects showed the complex reality that is our commercial food production process. Students do get a chance to grow some of their own food, using the school’s solar greenhouse.
And one day, hopefully, some of these students will be working to find better ways to grow food at large scale.
