Looking Ahead

Looking back to the beginning of the year, I have immersed myself into the local food scene even more than before. Gathering knowledge of all aspects within the food systems greatly helped in putting all the pieces together: the economic, environmental, social, and beyond. Like a puzzle, putting all the pieces together requires proper arrangement and seeing the bigger picture; all stakeholders have a different role within the food system. In my case, it has come with difficulty to find where I best fit, since I try to spread myself thin by sharing my efforts within several aspects of the community.

Throughout the semester I was able to attend several events that really boasted the energy to make local food a big issue. Events such as Veg Fest, Collards & Cornbread, and the Vegan 420 Mac N’ Cheese bake-off really sparked up how great it is to share food with others that comes from its own people. What is particular about all of these events is that they heavily rely on its community, the stakeholders of the local food hub. I have become very passionate about engaging people, which leads to awareness of what is happening with their food, and ultimately have a stronger sense of their surroundings. Ideally, my goal is to develop awareness whilst creating social cohesion, awareness that entails environmental stewardship and longing for a more sustainable lifestyle.

Funny enough, Dr. Butler called me a community planner, but I really enjoy the title and the opportunities it may bring. As the summer approaches, I am greatly invested in making my summer project based on community engagement and farmers market. With this independent project I aim to observe and interact within diverse farmers markets across the country and see what are some effective methods to attract the community, and seeing the positive effects it brings when it comes to diet and customer-to-vendor relationships. Additionally, it will be a great source of knowledge to bring back to Tallahassee once I return in the fall term.  

Two years from now, I will –hopefully- be working towards a master’s degree in urban and regional planning, which I hope to focus in sustainability and food systems. Even though if I do not go to a school that has a program especially designed to address food issues, I will strive to engage communities in programs such as farmers markets, urban gardens, food policy councils, and other activities that educate people. One of the major benefits I hope to see in the coming years is the shift in people’s demands toward fresh, healthy, affordable food. This will require action both at the social and political level, which will entail efforts from different sectors of communities to join forces, demanding for better policies that benefit the health and diets of all. In the meantime, several questions loom in my head: Will people advocate for low-income families to give them a just share of vegetables? How can we get kids to start eating kale instead of candy? Can your front yard be your own edible garden?

Even if change does not occur from day to night, I hope to see healthier people, people that do not lack of access to fresh foods and can share it with their families and neighbors. When people eat well, people feel great and health issues go away. I firmly believe that food is the solution to the majority of earth’s issues. Nations need food. But we must give them vegetables, grown by their people, with the people, for the people.