A few semesters ago I was able to take a sustainable food systems class that opened my eyes to what our world has become in the eyes of commerce. We get out fruits shipped in from across the world in order to have them available year round instead of patiently waiting for our state next door to produce the same fruits. We farm fish and deplete the wild fish population. We farm animals in horrid conditions to mass produce them and don’t even realize that we are harming ourselves as well as these other animals. I would like to focus on some positive actions small farms are taking to counteract all this negative food destruction.

One very interesting thing that has always fascinated me was the Aquaponic system. This system allows plants to be grown onto of where fish reside. This is an ongoing circle. The fish feed off of worms, in tern the fish feed the plants. Plants grow and are positive to the fish. This is a much better system that farming fish deep in the ocean on top of each other and feeding them chicken scraps. Fish living in such conditions cause diseases that can spread to human beings.

One positive influence in sustainability is Dan Barber. He focuses on farm to table and knows how to properly compost things out of materials and processes that we have no idea existed. He is one of the most interesting and influential chefs in my eyes. I hope to learn more about him as my project evolves through the semester.