Every Tuesday the Ohio State campus group Students for Food Sovereignty meets in Denney Hall 202 to tackle new projects and connect with like-minded students who are interested in organic, local, sustainable food. Established last Autumn Quarter, the group is a “spinoff” from another campus group, Free the Planet, said Dani Deemer, a graduate student in rural sociology.
“This is really a project to get students to start community-oriented projects,” she said.
Students for Food Sovereignty has already planted an organic garden in Buckeye Village with funding from the Idea Lab at the OSU Urban Arts Space. Recently, they were given the use of a backyard on Summit Avenue to continue their community gardening endeavors — the subject of Tuesday’s meeting. The group discussed the placement of rain barrels, grape vines, the types of fruits and vegetables to be planted, and even where to put an outdoor oven.
Kelly Lewis, a freshman in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, heard about the group “through the grapevine.”
“I’ve always been interested in local food. I worked at a farm over the summer, and there was a lady down the road who was part of OEFFA [Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association] who told me about Students for Food Sovereignty. I really decided that it would be a great thing to get involved with.”
Amanda Schneider, a freshman in environmental science, joined the group out of a desire to “join the local food scene” here in Columbus. A contributor to Greenlight Magazine, Schneider was happy to discover a group that revolved around her personal and academic interests.
“I originally thought this club would be a lot of discussion, but I’m finding that it’s much more hands on,” Schneider said. “To be honest, though it may sound cliché, I’m beginning to feel like I’ve really found something I’m passionate about here.”
Schneider said that she also had the opportunity to establish valuable contacts with people at Ohio State as well as individuals in her field. She has learned much just by being involved.
“A lot of people are unaware of how much it truly costs — I’m talking ecological footprint here — to produce and transport food. They’re also unaware of how easy it can be to maintain your own garden and the various techniques and routes you can take.”
Members maintain that it is not truly an “activist” group. It is an “awareness” group that does community projects.
“This is just a way to get the information out there,” Schneider said. “I mean… it’s not to say that ‘you must have a garden.’ That’s not what we’re saying. There are so many other aspects. You can make your own rain barrels at little cost. You can plant a tree. You can change your light bulbs for Pete’s sake. But I’d say the reason this club is so important today is because the more people know, the easier it is to become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.”
