There are a ton of ways to get involved with sustainable food systems on campus! First and foremost, there are community garden plots by the HCC and down by the Evergreen Organic Farm available completely free to students. You can also check out their Facebook page here. There is also the Evergreen State Permaculture group on Facebook, with regular updates on garden parties or events at Demeters Garden and other locations around campus. Gardening has many health benefits, from alleviating symptoms of depression to preventing Alzheimer’s! Plus you get local, high quality produce! And what better way to say “NO!” to a corrupt, industrialized food system than to declare your independence and grow your own food?
The Campus Food Coalition is another great resource for students. Their primary mission is to ” promote community ethics and sustainability goals via our campus food system” and promote discussion of how to address key food issues on campus. They have weekly meetings on Wednesday, from 3-5 pm to discuss these topics. Follow them on Facebook or stop in for a meeting! These people know on-campus dining from the inside out, and they are happy to answer any of your questions.
The On-campus dining has been making huge efforts to increase the amount of food that is from local and organic sources. Click here for Campus Dining’s commitment to sustainability. According to Campus Dining, “last year [2013], over 32% of our food was local or organic.” There is also The Flaming Eggplant, located on the 3rd floor of the CAB building. The Eggplant is a student run cafe with the mission, “to serve delicious, ecological, and socially just food. Our intention as a collective is to foster a healthy community, support local economy, and nourish our customers.” Whether you are a farmer, foodie, or food system activist, you are sure to be impressed with the local, seasonal, DELICIOUS options available.
For those of you interested in harvesting your own bounty from the sea, The Evergreen Shellfish Club is the place to be! They raise oysters and clams down at Geoduck Beach, have work parties every two weeks, and have regular field trips to local shellfish operations and out to the coast to harvest razor clams. These trips are fun, educational, and you get to eat delicious mollusks!
Off-Campus:
The Olympia Food Coop has two locations in Olympia. They offer an excellent selection of local and/or organic food and promote healthy communities through excellent labor practices and a volunteer membership program where you can volunteer at the coop for a discount on your groceries. Click here for more information on volunteer memberships.
Olympia also has a huge farmers market downtown that is active April-October. It is open Thursday-Sunday, 10:00am-3:00pm.
There are many small to medium scale farms in Thurston County ranging from CSA farms, market farms and U-pick farms. Visiting a local farm is a wonderful way to become more engaged in the local food system while learning more about where our food comes from.
To see a list of Thurston County Farms that is updated every winter, visit the South of the Sound Community Farm Land Trust website. They also have internship or volunteer opportunities to support localized food systems, so they are a great resource for getting more involved in the agricultural community of Thurston County.
Young Roots is a student group in partnership with GRuB. It is completely organized by Evergreen Students. The focus of young roots is to create a safe space for children to learn about gardening. This group meets at the DEAP garden on campus.
GRuB is an organization that builds community through growing food and education. They offer CSA programs, internships, and educational opportunities for youth or low-income families. They are a really great organization and they are just off of the 41 bus line. There have been many greeners than have done internships or contracts through GRuB. If you are looking to get integrated into the local agriculture community in Olympia, this is a great place to start.
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