By Megan Alderman-Person
What is sustainable food?
According to Emmet Hedin, the Yale Sustainable Food Program’s (YSFP) student manager and registered volunteer coordinator, it involves using farming techniques that enhance health, while still protecting our environment.
Hedin grew up on a farm in the Midwest and always knew he wanted to be a part of the sustainable food industry. However, Hedin said Yale’s effort is not restricted to people in the food and agriculture industry, but welcomes anyone who is interested in learning more about sustainable food.
“Our aim is to help food literacy leaders create conversations among students and other food leaders today to help people,” Hedin said. “[Members] can talk about issues they never even considered before and create a sense of community on campus.”
Another organization aiming to bring some clarity and organization to the food system is the New Haven Food Policy Council. Mark Firla, a member, said it is an umbrella organization that aims to tackle issues of food and social justice in New Haven. There are many different working groups within the council, each with a different agenda.
One of these groups aims to help with low-income food assistance in New Haven. The members helped to expand the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for the elderly into Connecticut.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s website, “The Commodity Supplemental Food Program works to help improve the health of low-income persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious food products.”
The YSFP is also involved with the off-campus community. It has volunteer opportunities on its one-acre farm, where New Haven residents, students and guests of the university can get their hands dirty.
The produce from the farm is sometimes sold at the Worcester Square Farmers Market, the Yale catering service, or to local restaurants.
The YSFP also uses the farm for the “seed to salad” program, in which students from public elementary schools in New Haven come to work with the soil.
“It’s important for these students to get exposure,” Hedin said. “They learn that lettuce doesn’t come from the aisle at Stop and Shop. It comes from the ground.”
Meghan Alderman-Person is a senior journalism major at Quinnipiac University. She is writing about food this spring. She can be reached at meghan.alderman-person@quinnipiac.edu.
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