Edible Landscapes Project
UW - Madison
FOOD SECURITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
Access to fresh vegetables is a human rights, and we are here to combat this issue on our campus community. Many students living in residential dormatories have access to only two stores where the price of fresh produce is beyond what many students can afford. These stores don't always provide local, fair, and sustainable food and create a disconnect between consumers and the food system. Edible Landscapes Project is providing space and land as a resource and opportunity for students to participate in food production.
FOOD SYSTEMS
From farm to table, there are many steps involved in the production, process, and transportation of our food. Today, many lack the knowledge of the source of their food and the amount of energy involved in its production. The collective participation with food production makes people aware of what they consume, connects them to local farmers and vendors, and therefore encourages conscience decision making when purchasing food.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Sustainable agriculture hinges on the concept of land stewardship — maintaining a harmonious relationship with the land and giving back to the environment. Understanding and respecting the resources that each unique piece of land can offer is an important component of sustainable agriculture as well. Manipulating the land to grow food outside its means is irresponsible and damages the environment. We must move towards growing seasonally appropriate foods in a way that is kind to the land. Another tenet of sustainable agriculture is crop diversity. Crop diversification is a type of farming that incoporates a wide range of crop varieties into the growing space — including heirloom, and lesser known varieties of produce. Not only does crop diversification mean a more sustainable and healthier diet for those that choose to eat this way, but also alleviates the stresses of pest management and nutrient deficiency in soils by intoducing different minerals and elements. Big, industrial agriculture manipulates the food industry by eliminating any variety in crops — decreasing the the variety of food that we, as consumers, eat. Sustainable, small-scale agriculture has many benefits and is a solution for a range of environmental, public health, and agricultural issues.
