By Jonathan Zelinger || Staff Writer
Over the course of the next month, The Fair Trade Cafe is hosting sustainable food workshops on Friday afternoons and evenings.
Director Sarah Dawson, who runs The Center for a Sustainable Environment, told The College Reporter that the workshops are designed and run all out of student initiative.
“It is the first year of the workshops, which are possible because of our new Greenhouse Liaison program. The liaisons decided that the one topic they wanted to focus on this year is education regarding sustainable food choices and options, from start to finish – at that’s also the goal of these workshops inside of these mini greenhouses! We have so many options available to us here in Lancaster County,” said Dawson. The workshops are designed to inform Franklin & Marshall students about all of these available options that Dawson mentioned.
The first of the five workshops discussed sustainable shopping. Brooks College House first-year Stephanie Liu led an hour-long workshop teaching students how to eat more sustainably.
One good piece of advice that Liu, who is the Green House Liaison for Brooks House gave, was that students should be aware of, and sign up for CSA, or the community supported agriculture program. The CSA — Lancaster Farm Fresh — is all organic and local produce, which is good for students, good for the environment, and good for the local economy. Members pick up at the Center each week which gives them more than enough produce for the week, and possibly enough to share.
The workshop, which hosted about thirty students, went as well as planned and has sparked interest all around campus. Next week, on March 1, a Greenhouse Liaison will be teaching students how to make black bean and sweet potato tacos. Students will benefit from catching at least one event before the series is over.
Junior Jonathan Zelinger is a staff writer. His email is jzelinge@fandm.edu.