This week-long intensive program introduced high school students to sustainability, systems thinking, social justice and agricultural leadership and food systems – both local and nationwide. With a combination of theory and hands-on experiences in this program, students had the opportunity to learn more about where their food comes from and their personal impact on the food system.
“It was amazing. Overall it was a fantastic combination of in-class work and field work. We got to get our hands dirty but also learned what we were doing while we were doing it,” Alyson said.
Alyson was hoping to gain more experience with sustainable agriculture to help her determine if it might be something she would like to pursue in the future. Now that she’s had this experience at the Sustainable Farming and Food Systems Pre-College Program, she believes it’s a career path she’d like to pursue.
The program participants were busy all day with classroom learning from 9 am to 12 pm and field and farm work from 1 pm to 4 pm.
“Our days were filled with adventure! Each day my classmates and I would wake up, walk to the dining hall and then make the dash across campus to Paige Laboratory,” Alyson explained. “During classroom learning hours we discussed the building blocks of sustainable agriculture, food inequality in America, the role of government in agriculture and organic growing practices.”
“In the afternoon, we put on our work boots to venture out to one of the many organic farms we had the pleasure of harvesting and learning from. These included Fungi Ally (mushroom farm), Simple Gifts (organic vegetable/ herb farm), the UMass student experimental farm, the UMass permaculture gardens and the UMass organic farm,” Alyson continued.
During her stay, Alyson had had the opportunity to work in the fields at Simple Gifts Farm. There we harvested purple/ orange carrots and onions for the weekly Community Supported Agriculture they distribute.
“Near the end, I marveled at our product,” explained Alyson. “With lots of work and passion, we had an organic gold mine of food for the entire community to share.”
Alyson also had the opportunity to meet students who are currently enrolled in the Farming and Food Systems program and get a firsthand perspective on their college experience and career goals.
The experience taught Alyson a lot about creating a sustainable food system.
“We were talking about the core of sustainability for a lot of the time we were out there – the three main components are ethics, environment and economy. There are 50 million starving people in the U.S., but 40 percent of all the food that the U.S. produces is wasted, which is horrifying to me. It's not that we don't have enough food; it's just that it's not in the right places.”
“We talked about reusing the food that would be discarded as scraps, like distorted vegetables that can't be sold can be distributed to a homeless shelter, food bank so it can be distributed. Or even composting it rather than just throwing it away. Composting can add nutrients to the soil, making it richer so the next crop grows better. Starving people aren't going to be put off by the shape of the food. They just want something to eat,” added Alyson.
“I learned that doing something you morally and ethically agree with and still making enough money to live comfortably is possible! Happiness by means of personal fulfillment is so much more valuable than an illusionary happiness that relies on possessions,” said Alyson. “I also learned that I want to study sustainable agriculture in college! When I came upon that realization, I was so relieved!”
Alyson has big plans for her future and she’s willing to take the steps necessary to reach her career goals.
“I won't be able to buy a plot immediately after I'm done with school, so to start off I'll likely work on an organic farms in the west and try to team up with a couple local schools to try to integrate programs involved with healthy foods and how to grow them,” she said.
Alyson’s advice to current students trying to decide on a college major is to try out things that interest you.
She explained, "If you're a student who is looking into majors, but don’t know which direction to steer, trying a program on the subject is always a good idea! Get hands on experience before you commit to something you have not gotten the chance to explore! For me, it made all the difference!”
