by Elly Engle, Rural Sociology PhD student
On November 14 and 15, I attended the second annual Yale Food Systems Symposium (YFSS), a student-led, interdisciplinary conference that was recently initiated by students in the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. The Symposium aims to bring together academics, students, and practitioners to address pressing food system issues. I’ve attended both symposiums that have taken place so far, and each time I’ve marveled both at the awesome results of well-organized, student-based effort as well as the lessons and new perspectives offered by others that attend. This year, my main conference take-aways coalesced around two main themes: the celebration of diversity within a food system and the power of student-farm projects as a convener.
Cheese samples from a workshop on the microbiology and marketing of traditional cheeses. (What would a food conference be without free samples??)
As a graduate student, the process of learning can sometimes be a lonely endeavor. It’s easy to become stuck in our own thoughts when we’re left by ourselves to read and write for hours upon hours. It’s conferences like the YFSS that remove me from my head-space and re-open my eyes to new information and interpretations different from my own. The first few hours of the Symposium alone were enough to blow my mind away, as we enjoyed opening remarks and a keynote plenary, which I found both informative and refreshing.
Mark Bomford, current director of the Yale Sustainable Food Program, (and formerly director of the UBC Student Farm), reminded us that food is indeed a convener, but that this is not a natural process that should be taken for granted. He urged us to actively “reach across the table” and seek out perspectives different from our own; to not only recognize, but also to enjoy that there are many different ways of eating, tasting, and knowing our food.
“Insect Sushi” containing crickets, brie, and apricots – as Mark Bomford ended his welcoming address, “Let’s keep food weird!”
The second plenary speaker added a new spin to this lesson of embracing diversity in the food system. Bren Smith, operator of Thimble Island Oyster, Co. and author of the NYTimes Opinion article “Don’t Let Your Children Grow Up to Be Farmers” reminded us that while the current food movement has done much in the way of making food and agriculture nationally recognized issues of concern, many small-scale food producers have been overlooked and are still struggling financially. While a self-proclaimed ‘non-foodie,’ Smith still respected the power of food as a tool that can “bring us together over what we love, not what we hate” – but he also urged us all to use this power to enact real structural change towards a new “blue-green” economy.
A visit to the Yale Farm property
Beyond the first morning, the Symposium hosted sessions and workshops that explored a number of research and practical projects that used innovative methods to explore food access and sustainability at different levels. Only two sessions touched on the topic of student farms – and yet, I spent the weekend connecting with those who were currently or had previously been engaged in the foundation or operation of student farms throughout the US. I swapped stories and lessons-learned with people from California to Oregon, from Minnesota to North Carolina, and, of course, Connecticut. While our formal convening time was limited, our shared love of these initiatives was powerful enough to bring us together over our breaks and meals, with promises to explore future collaborations following the Symposium.
The Yale Farm (We may have snuck in for a ‘self-guided’ tour…)
Particularly stimulating was a workshop hosted by the coordinators of the student farm at Duke University, entitled “Beyond the Field Trip: What do collaborations between academics and practitioners look like on the ground?” Within and across groups, we shared ideas on how to use a student-centered farm as a medium for education beyond the stereotypical walking tour; instead embracing its ability as a tool to foster critical thinking and meaningful relationships between people of different disciplines and paradigms. All of us in the room bonded over the common struggle to prove a student farm’s worth to a skeptical, tight-budgeted university administration. But instead of allowing this to slow us down, we used this challenge as motivation to work harder and generate innovative solutions.
As I was reminded by Mark Bomford and Bren Smith on that first morning, diversity is not only a necessary part of our shared food systems, but also a cause for excitement and an opportunity for learning and growth. I experienced this benefit of diversity through my interactions with other student farm agents. While we all came from different contexts, both physically and socially, we used our shared dedication to these projects to enhance our conference experience and create positive outcomes. My quick weekend trip to Connecticut was more than worth the drive. I encourage any and all to attend future convenings of the YFSS!
Another shot of the Yale Farm