Earth Month to focus on sustainable food systems
Mar 29, 2010
By Monica Chapman

Going green is all about personal choices. In some cases, it's as simple as choosing between a falafel and a filet.

Sustainable food systems are the focus of this year's Earth Month celebration at Ohio University. Organized by the Office of Sustainability, the series seeks to highlight the connections between people, food and planet.

Earth Month 2010: Roots of Sustainability will offer more than 40 food-related events throughout April, all free and open to the public. Programming aims to spark critical thinking on issues such as organic agriculture, local food production, food security, conventional farming practices, consumerism and the environmental impact of our diets.

"Food is an excellent topic for Earth Month because there are so many ways that our food choices and our food systems impact the planet," said Sustainability Coordinator Sonia Marcus. "Athens also happens to be an ideal site for these discussions. So many of our university and community members are passionate about finding ways to produce, sell and prepare food sustainably."

Earth Week 2010 features speaking engagements by eco-chef Bryant Terry, Slow Food USA blog editor Jerusha Klemperer, and Jim Merkel, author of "Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth."

Other highlights include a Campus Consciousness Tour stop on April 16, featuring musician Ben Harper, and a local food tour on April 23, which includes stops at Good Earth Farm, ACEnet, the West Side Community Gardens and Pleasant Meats. Cooking demonstrations, workshops and service opportunities round out the month's programming.

Earth Month 2010 is supported by more than 40 community and university partners. All events are free and open to the public. Visit the Office of Sustainability Web site for more information on Earth Month 2010, including a complete list of events.

Related Links:
Office of Sustainability

Earth Month 2010 is hosted by Beet Box, Turnip Table and G-Root - the Roots of Sustainability. These local, organic and vegetarian activists bump to the beat of the planet and ask us to consider how our food choices can shape the world.

Photo courtesy of: The Office of Sustainability