Food is very related to environmental issues from how, where, and who aspects of how it’s grown, processed, distributed and sold. The Baltimore School Food Project is the Blackboard community that establishes a connection between UMBC and the Baltimore City Public Schools(BCPS) nutrition program. The BCPS has recently begun an organic farm in Catonsville. They have opportunities for volunteering, research and internships on a wide range of topics from bee keeping, science, ecology and nutrition education, and alternative construction. There are greenhouses, goats, composting, art, history, and a ton of other topics being adressed by the project.

Here on campus the Baltimore School Food Project is also supporting Students for Environmental Awareness(SEA) in our sustainable food efforts. We also are working with Chartwells (our campus’s dining contractor) in order to bring a farmer’s market, composting, and better food and produce to campus.
We are working on a prove-it SGA grant to start a community garden on campus. We’ll be growing heirloom organic species, half of the plots will contribute to Chartwells who will serve our produce in featured meals available right on campus and the other half will be available with plots for research, courses, groups, and anyone in the UMBC community interested in taking part. It will also be a gathering place and will host regular workshops and events.
Students can visit https://umbcsea.wordpress.com to find out more about SEA.
One quick and easy way to get involved is joining SEA as we volunteer on the farm in Catonsville and promote sustainable food on campus. At http://umbcgarden.blogspot.com students, professors, and staff- anyone really- can sign on as supporters of the community garden proposal and undergarduate students can vote in the spring for our grant proposal. Also, individuals can keep potted plants or buy better food- of organic heirloom species in order to preserve biodiversity, and protect water and land by not using chemically toxic fertilizers and pesticides. Also, buying from local farmers and boycotting fast food and cutting back on the amount of eat we eat leaves a gentler mark on the enviornment and natural resources.
Spending more time considering what we in, where it comes from, and how nutritious and safe it is will greatly improve our well-being and health. The student organization UMBC Vegetarians, the SGA department of Health and Well-being, the SGA Department of Environmental Affairs, and Prof. Belasco’s course on Food are further resources.
SGA Department of Environmental Affairs is currently working on establishing compost on campus. contact mhall13@umbc.edu to find out more.

Thanks for your interest and feel free to let me know if you have any more questions