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6/27/2017

On The Ground: Permaculture in Action

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2017 UMass Amherst Permaculture Summer Garden Crew member Lizzy Keery on her experiences working in the gardens:
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Our Summer 2017 Permaculture Garden Crew!
When I started applying for summer jobs I knew I wanted to do something different. The previous summer I’d scored a competitive internship at a public relations company. While I learned a lot that summer, and still consider that internship an invaluable experience, the biggest thing I learned was that I wanted to do work that mattered in a different way than public relations matters. I didn’t want to spend another summer in an office helping big companies sell products to people who didn’t need them. I wanted to have a direct impact on the community I was a part of.
As a crew member at the UMass Permaculture Garden I know that the work that I do in the garden matters. We grow healthy, fresh and sustainable food for the University. It feels pretty great to give back to the students, faculty and staff that have supported me over the past three years. There’s something magical about seeing pea plants sprout from seeds we plant, watching kale plants grow lush and big, unearthing a perfectly round radish, or discovering a bright red strawberry. Growing food offers a satisfaction I’ve never experienced in any other job. But perhaps the best part is walking into a dining hall and seeing the crop we harvested four hours ago on peoples plates.

​At the beginning of the summer we made a list of group norms for the garden crew. One of them was, “cultivate community while cultivating crops.” The permaculture garden creates community, not just among the crew members who work there, but within the larger UMass community. 
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Lizzy showing off freshly cut rainbow Swiss chard from Franklin Permaculture Garden.
It connects the people who eat at the dining halls to the earth and the crew in the garden to the staff at the dining commons. Working in the permaculture garden has made me understand the importance of knowing where our food comes from, how it is being produced, and made me passionate about engaging with my local community.
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The garden crew harvesting chamomile to dry for herbal tea blends.
I believe that change starts with small, personal action. The permaculture gardens only makes up a fraction of the food supply at the UMass. But even small scale initiatives like this can make big change. I know that after experiencing the beauty, simplicity and satisfaction that comes with working in the garden, I think about food on my plate differently. If we can change people’s relationships with their food, we can make a large-scale difference in our community. ​
Lizzy Keery
UMass Permaculture Crew Member Summer 2017 

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6/7/2017

On the Ground: Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference 2017

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Chef Ron DeSantis, Director of Culinary Excellence and Quality Assurance for Yale Dining, presenting about jackfruit and other underutilized edible plants.
This week, the 23rd annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference hosted by UMass Dining has returned! The theme of this year’s conference is The Power of Food, which encompass all aspects of food, including nutrition, community, food security, and sustainability. The conference focuses on the unique power and influence that high-volume food service operators and campus chefs have on our flawed food system. Chefs have the power to make our food more fair, healthy, and sustainable through their tremendous purchasing power and their influence on the food choices of young consumers. The annual Chef Conference hopes to empower chefs to question norms and tradition, ask questions about where the food they are serving is coming from, and to push innovations in our food system forward one meal at a time. Hundreds of participants registered for the five day long conference, attending workshops, presentations, and competitions to improve their own culinary skills, waste reduction strategies, and sourcing practices.
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A beautiful diverse spread of dishes made by the chefs at the Taste of the World Chef Culinary Conference.
One of the many notable presenters at the conference was Sheila Bowman, the Manager of Culinary and Strategic Initiatives at Seafood Watch. Seafood Watch is the leading source of science-based recommendations for seafood found in the U.S. Market. At the conference, Sheila Bowman spoke of the many challenges that our oceans are facing due to the high demand for certain species and unsustainable practices of the fishing industry. Per the United Nations, over 80% of the world’s fisheries are fully exploited, over-exploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion.  Bowman explained how important it is to know where the fish you are buying comes from, how it was caught, who caught it, and what condition that species’ stocks are in. 
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Check out Seafood Watch’s Recommendations to see what species of fish you should look for or avoid!
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Sustainable Alaskan Salmon, listed on the Seafood Watch Green List, served at UMass Berkshire Dining Commons.
​Thanks so much to everyone who attended this year's conference for making it such a success!

​Be sure to check out the Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference next year from June 3rd – June 8th, 2018!  
​

Photos by Keith Toffling.

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UMASS DINING . UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST . AMHERST, MA 01003
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  • About
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Our History
    • News >
      • Awards & Publications
    • Contact Us >
      • New Vendor Application
  • Initiatives
    • Purchasing
    • Low Carbon Dining
    • Waste Reduction
    • Prioritizing Real Food
    • Green Cleaning
  • Permaculture
    • How to Get Involved
    • History
    • Schedule a Tour
    • Our Gardens >
      • Franklin
      • Berkshire
      • Hillside
      • Hampshire
    • Medicinal Plant Guide >
      • Local Herbal Resources
      • Vocabulary
    • UMass Student Farmers Market
    • Donate Today
    • Annual Reports >
      • 2018
      • 2019
      • 2020
      • 2021
    • Local Permaculture Resources
  • Resources
    • How-To Guide for Food Service
    • How To Eat Sustainably on Campus
    • Low Carbon Dining
    • Virtual Gatherings
  • Events
  • Blog