Write 200 words about your expectations of the fair, what you learned, and how the experience changes your views or how you will apply this knowledge in the future! Post as a comment
Due: Oct 10 at 11:59pm
Write 200 words about your expectations of the fair, what you learned, and how the experience changes your views or how you will apply this knowledge in the future! Post as a comment
Due: Oct 10 at 11:59pm
What surprised me most about The Sustainable Food Fair was the variety of people that were passionate about sustainable food. Beforehand, I had expected the fair to be more of a convention for sustainable food growers to mingle with themselves and a small amount to environmentally-focused Emory students. Within 10 minutes of volunteering at the check in stand, my expectations had been proven to be very wrong. I had great conversations with some Emory Parents, alumni, a professor and even a medical doctor. All of these people were so passionate about sustainability and the Sustainable Food Fair. This gave a greater appreciation of how individuals from any part of a community can be interested in sustainability. I also had a very interesting conversation with an older couple. They were thrilled to see such a great turnout for an event focused on sustainability because they said “back when we were young, we didn’t have any of this”. This conversation resonated with me because it showed me at places like Emory, sustainability has become not only sustainable, but supported. Moving forward I will try to include everybody in my sustainability efforts because anybody can be interested in sustainability.
Sustainable Food Fair Blog
By Chuck Isgar
October 1, 2016
When I first learned of Emory’s Sustainable Food Fair, I presumed that it would be fairly small and I also thought that I would not be able to personally relate to most of the information being presented. It turns out that I was very wrong. I learned that sustainable food relates directly to me and every single person. Every time I consume any food or beverage, I am making a decision about what I am putting in my body. I was exposed to the fact that my eating decisions have the ability to affect myself, the environment, and those who produce my food.
At the fair, I spoke with advocates for sustainable eggs, seafood, meat, and more. I was provided with an abundance of great advice on how to choose sustainable and healthy meat, poultry, and fish. I now know that a term like “free-range” is not reliable, however “grass-fed” meat is very good. I also learned about the difference between organic and non-organic produce. I was disgusted upon learning that some non-organic apples are sprayed with chemicals and stored for up to a year before being sold. As a result, I was prompted to make a commitment to myself to only eat organic produce whenever possible.
In all, the experience of attending Emory’s Sustainable Food Fair was wonderful; while I was first shocked with the abundance of vendors and advocates, I found a way to make it to visit almost every one of them. As a result, I had the opportunity to taste some really delicious food as well as learn a tremendous amount of valuable information that will help me make well-informed food-related decisions that promote a healthier self and a more sustainable future for the environment.
I really enjoyed the fair in general and seeing all of the other students at emory who feel that same as I do about sustainability and eating habits. I think its phenomenal that there was that large of a turnout for the fair and all of the different kinds of people that came. Each person I saw and spoke to was passionate about sustainability in their own way and I got some very good ideas for how I can modify my lifestyle to be more sustainable. I really enjoyed speaking to the people at the beef and fish tables. I had no idea that you can ask the grocery store or the restaurant where their meat/fish comes from and they are obligated to tell you so. I will definitely be doing this more now, especially after learning more details about how beef factory farms contaminate our water with the sludge run-off and theres not always enough filter to completely clean it. I think that’s horrible and I would like to start making a change in my lifestyle to avoid eating that kind of meat as much as possible.
For the fair, I was expecting something like a smaller scale farmers market that we get each Thursday. I thought there would be some decent booths to educate students about sustainability as well as some free samples. With tons of people attending the farmers market, and being in a centralized location, I was expecting the fair to gain a lot of popularity. During my volunteer shift I was in charge of passing out the Passports for people to get stamped at each station and receive a reusable grocery bag. Being from California, a state that just banned plastic bags and charges you ten cents for a paper one, I was sure the reusable bags would be tremendously popular, and they were. People were very happy about the idea of learning from eight different stations and getting stuff for free because they learned. People were especially drawn to the free samples and gifts given to them. One that I heard a lot of talk about was the free growler that you can fill up at Slice and Pint for free beer. I personally thought it was incredible to see all the people in our community that either are doing their best to be sustainable and preserve the world we live in or wanted to learn more about it. I definitely want to try to promote proper disposal of trash, like recycling and compost, so that we don’t continue to develop the landfills. My experience with the fair was overall eye opening to the possibilities we have towards sustaining our future on Earth.
When we learned about the emory sustainability fair in our freshman seminar class, I was expecting it to be a little dull and pretty small. I was impressed to see the actual fair had so many tables and people involved. There was a lot of very good food offered such as kaleslaw, goat cheese, homemade breads, and even burgers from a burger restaurant in Atlanta. Not only was there amazing food but I learned a lot more about sustainability and what qualifies food to be good and healthy. There was a stand that talked all about seafood and safe practices with eating fish. The most interesting stand to me was the bee stand with a bee hive and fresh honey. I also heard a lot of information we have been learning in class such as the different between free range eggs and cage free eggs and grass-fed beef versus corn-fed. From now on, I am going to try and buy as much of my food as I can from locally grown farmers, and I am only going to buy grass-fed meat and cage free eggs. I am also going to spread my knowledge by informing my friends and family about healthy and sustainable eating.
The Sustainable Food Fair was very impressive. I saw signs popping up all over campus and I did not suspect that there would be such a large turnout. As I was walking to class around 10 in the morning I noticed that the fair was already buzzing with both students and vendors. My shift began at 12 and still the fair did not lose any momentum until the very end.
Walking around and seeing the tables representing sustainable initiatives going on both on campus and in the city made me feel happy that people are taking sustainability very seriously. As I made my way around, I had to try some of the food that was offered. Everything that I got was delicious! What made me enjoy it more was knowing that what I was consuming was made in a sustainable way.
The Sustainable Food Fair made me want to engage in sustainability even more. I appreciate the fact that so many people are making a difference and so many others want to make one.
I was really impressed with the Emory Sustainable Food Fair. In the case of many Emory events, including Wonderful Wednesday’s, I have found the student turnout to be much less than expected. However, the Sustainable Food Fair completely surpassed my expectations. Even when I arrived towards the end of the fair, Cox Bridge was still packed with students traveling from table to table asking and answering questions and having their passports punched. During my shift at one of the tables, I had many conversations with parents and fellow students who seemed to be genuinely interested in sustainability. I had expected a few students to pass by the table, ask a question and come to the conclusion that the Sustainable Food Fair was a means to just taste food but many of the students who came to get passports came back to the table after visiting the vendors having asked questions and learned enough about sustainability to vote on their favorite tables. I was also surprised with how much I have taken away from this seminar so far. I had a great conversation with a visiting parent about what we thought the pros and cons were of GMOs. Overall, I had a really great time at the Sustainable Food Fair and continue to increase my interest in sustainability.
I thought Emory’s Sustainable Food Fair was great! I loved that I had the opportunity to get involved and volunteer. My shift was prior to the start of the fair, so I got to watch and help people set up their stands. The stand I helped with was the grass-fed meat station. The Italian students that were running the station explained a lot of interesting facts, showing me how much research and time they committed to their project. When my shift ended, I walked around throughout the fair and stopped at numerous stations. I tried many different types of healthy food and learned about the origins of the food as well. I love knowing where my food comes from and the process that goes into creating it, so this fair was extremely interesting for me. One of my favorite stations was the fruit stand with organic apples. They showed me the wax that comes on apples in typical grocery stores, and how it is artificial and poses threats to our health. They also explained how apples are often a year old by the time we consume them. It was gross to see all of the chemicals and substances added to apples that are going into my body. This motivated me to more actively choose organic food. Overall, I thought the Sustainable Food Fair was interesting, fun, and thought-provoking. I’m excited to attend it again in the future!
The fair was not what I expected, in fact, it was better. I imagined something small like the farmers market. A fair where people looked around as they walked through but never really explored the tables. Well happily I was wrong. I had my volunteer shift during setup and right from the beginning I was impressed by how many venders and tables they had. Even through I was a little disorganized (they definitely could have used some more volunteers), the student’s hard work, passion, and knowledge about sustainability shown. And when I went back later in the day to fill out a passport, I was impressed about how well the fair came together and the crowds of people surrounding each tables – it was incredible to see so many people enthusiastic about sustainability. And I learned so much just by talking to the students and it got me thinking about ways I can change my own lifestyle. One of my favorite tables was the pesticide one where I learned about what kinds of fruits and vegetables I should buy organically rather than in a supermarket due to the use of pesticides. It was eye opening to learn about what potential chemicals I may be putting into my body from eating the things I believed to be most healthy. So now, because of the weekly farmers market, buying locally and organically is something that is possible and something that I will start doing! It was also neat to have the knowledge that we learned in class and then to be able to have other students build upon our knowledge during the fair. In all, it was great Sustainable Food Fair with a terrific turnout and I am looking forward to changing parts of my lifestyle to becoming healthier and more sustainable.
I really enjoyed the Sustainable Food Fair. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into it, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised by the number of vendors, volunteers, and representatives that were present and by how enthusiastic everyone was about their unique contribution to cultivating a more sustainable food system. While several of the booths ran out of free samples fairly early on, I was impressed by how willing everyone was to engage with vendors and discuss their products with them solely in the interest of learning more about sustainable food. I was especially interested in the stands discussing meat and poultry, as I used to be vegetarian for ethical reasons and, since I have incorporated some meat back into my diet, I strive to only eat meat that I know was truly humanely raised, so being properly informed about the details of labels like “grass-fed” and “free-range” is really important to me. I also purchased a mini sweet potato pie that was absolutely delicious, and I loved seeing how excited the vendor was about all of his baked goods, taking the time to describe each one to me and asking if I had any questions. It definitely felt good to know I was supporting a local business, and even though pie may not be “healthy”, I know it was made with real, wholesome ingredients. Overall, the fair definitely made me consider the myriad of ways in which everyone can work towards a more sustainable food model. Whether it be by composting leftover food, buying produce from farmer’s markets, or making a conscious decision to only use free-range eggs, everyone can make a change – big or small – that can improve their health and protect the environment. I would definitely return to the sustainable food fair, both as a volunteer and as an attendee.
My experience from the Emory Sustainable Food Fair was great. It was fun helping people find their way around the Food Fair and being available to assist people. My favorite part of the volunteering was taking pictures for people because everyone was so excited. After volunteering, it was very interesting going to all the tables to learn about different topics. My favorite informational table was the one about bees where I learned that bees are dying and how I can help make an impact to help keep them alive. I think it was because of the multiple bee tables, but random bees were chasing me for the whole time I was at the Food Fair, which was funny and annoying. Another table that was interesting to me was the one that talked about different types of meats and the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed meats. I got to taste some different types of meats, which was fun. The atmosphere at the Food Fair was very inspiring because everyone at the tables was passionate about their topics and almost all the people attending the food fair were excited as well. It was a fun experience and I plan on attending it again next year.
I was pleasantly surprised by the sustainable food fair. Going in to the fair I was unsure of how successful the fair would be, and there was a great turnout. My job when I got to the fair was to work at the stand handing out stamp cards, giving people bags when they filled out their cards, and asking them to pick their favourite stand. It was interesting talking to people about their favourite stand because when I finished my shift I went around to all the stands. Most people who I spoke to loved the Bee stand, while my favourite was the Grass-fed beef. I was fascinated by the amount of information that the man working at the stand had about beef. Also, I was very surprised when he informed me that all beef on Emory’s campus is grass-fed. It was impressive how many different stands and foods the fair had. When I pictured what the fair would be like, I imagined it being much smaller and more intimate. Instead it was a massive and vibrant fair. I was also surprised by how many people were there specifically for the food fair, and not just passing through.
Because I missed the sustainable food fair due to a volleyball tournament, I instead visited Morningside Organic Farmers Market along with Dekalb’s International Farmers Market. It was difficult for me and my roommate, Sarah, to sacrifice our precious saturday morning of sleeping in, but it was ultimately worth it. Sarah’s dad was generous enough to volunteer to be our chauffeur for the morning. So, we left Emory around 9:30 and headed to Morningside, a small venue with about 10 or 15 stalls. Each tent seemed to have their own specialized product and identity; there was granola, popcorn, handmade soaps, artisan bread, and a few stalls sold seasonal produce. Upon entering the small parking lot, I immediately felt a sense of community and comfort. There was pleasant chatter amongst vendors and customers, and there was upbeat music floating around. Each vendor was happy and proud to tell us about their product. It was a very lively and lovely atmosphere. We purchased a loaf of sourdough bread that had gone through the process of fermentation for 6 days before being baked. We set upon completely devouring it. It was delicious. We left feeling happy and satisfied with the everything about Morningside and it’s experience.