Culture, Labor and Strawberries: How is Food Political?
Food affects cultural history, cost of living and authority. This mix of food and politics is prominent in the small, central California coastal town of Watsonville — with the strawberry at the heart of it all. “Obviously [food is] something that people — that everyone...
Localizing Global Initiatives
One-third of the food produced worldwide is either lost or wasted according to the United Nations. Yet to meet food demand levels by 2050 based on current trends, global agricultural production will have to increase by 60 percent, relative to 2005 rates. “Certainly, changing climates...
MAH develops Abbott Square
The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH) asked residents in 2013 what downtown Santa Cruz was missing — the answer was a space for community. Out of this response, the idea of Abbott Square was born. With $5 million of support from community...
Campus Gardens
UC Santa Cruz’s commitment to the environment is evident through the abundance of gardens on campus. Working in a garden helps students understand the process of growing their own food and cultivates a deeper, more meaningful relationship with food. Many colleges offer courses based around...
Solidarity & Strawberries
Students on campus consume millions of strawberries each quarter. In Santa Cruz County, one of the state’s top strawberry producers, the fruit’s harvest earns hundreds of millions of dollars for local farmers each season. However, on May 17, when the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable...
A Taste of Culture
As festivalgoers walk across the lawn, one thought consumed everyone’s mind: “what do I eat?” With numerous tents with delicious food from different cuisines, the choice was almost impossible to make. The 38th Annual Multicultural Festival (MCF) last Saturday celebrated culture not only through food,...
From Farm to College
Situated near the base of campus at UC Santa Cruz, the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) teaches students and apprentices about sustainable farming and grows a variety of produce items each year. CASFS sells a portion of this to UCSC Dining Services...
Is Veganism the Answer?
Cows produce 37 percent of the total methane released into the atmosphere. It takes 1,000 gallons of water to make one gallon of milk. Cattle ranching is the leading cause of destruction to the Amazon rainforest. Yet in the U.S., the average person continues to...
From Bodyguard to Food Service Worker
Every day, Osmin Cruz-Garcia can’t believe he was able to make the over 3,000-mile trip from his hometown of La Libertad, El Salvador to Santa Cruz. He recalls the 7.6 earthquake and mudslide that hit La Libertad in 2001, killing over 800 people, destroying homes...
Deconstructing Measure 68
What is Measure 68? For the past four years, the Chancellor’s Office has temporarily provided $1 million in funding for NCAA athletics with the intention of ending institutional support by fall 2018. Measure 68 is a student fee referendum intended to support NCAA athletics at...