Tag Archives: wesfresh

FEATURED
Unofficial Orientation 2016: How to Keep Wes Green

This will be mostly a repost of Samira‘s two updates of DMZ‘s original 2012 post but with some important updates, so read on, dear freshies.

Is there anything more romantic than a bike ride in place? (October 2012)

Is there anything more romantic than a bike ride in place? (October 2012)

This is part of our 2016 Unofficial Orientation Series. A quick reminder that you can check out the welcome post here and past years’ series here.

If you came to Wesleyan because of some vague, or obvious, interest in environmentalism, then you’re in luck! If you find the right people, organizations, classes, etc. then you’ll have a great support system for keeping green on campus. If you thought it was impressive that the admissions building has solar panels on top of it (mostly a ploy to get environmentalist students to apply), then you’ll have a great time getting involved with sustainability efforts at Wes.

First of all, Wesleyan has a sustainability coordinator, whose role is to help further Wesleyan’s mission of sustainability, including making things clearer to you. Her name is Jen Kleindienst and you can send her an email at jkleindienst(at)wes. For any and all questions regarding sustainability, you should also check out Wesleyan’s sustainability website. (I’ll be going through the most important details, but I can’t link to everything.)

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EVENT
VegOut Mindful Meal

From Manon Lefèvre ’14:

BuHo and WesFRESH invite you to a combined Mindful Meal and VegOut
this Friday evening! We’ll be cooking up a gigantic delicious
vegetarian, community meal cooked from locally sourced ingredients.
The mindful meal is an opportunity to thoughtfully reflect on the
processes that bring good food to our plates and beyond, considering
our meal as a part of much larger food system. We will take the time
to appreciate this holistic approach to thinking about food from farm
to fork to waste, all facets of the food movement represented on
campus. It’s a celebration of good food and good people!

For this VegOut we’ll be selling tickets in Usdan this week for $4 –
we’re hoping to make enough money to keep VegOut self-sustainable, so
contributions are appreciated. Please bring your own utensils and
plates!

This meal is co-sponsored by Buddhist House, Farm House, Out House,
Earth House, WesFRESH, and SALD

When: Friday, April 26th, 6:30 – 8pm
Where: Buddhist House
Cost: $4

EVENT
Short Talk by Bon Appetit Fellow Followed by Q & A Session

Food Friends~

WesFRESH, Wesleyan’s food policy group, wants to chat about food with you and Bon Appetit’s East Coast Fellow:

Calling all fungivores, piscivores, frugivores, insectivores, detritivores, herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, and heterotrophs of any kind! Nicole Tocco, the East Coast Fellow of Bon Appétit Management Company (our food provider) is coming to campus this week on a campaign to talk food, and we’ve decided to take her up on it! We’re hosting an open discussion and Q&A, so come with questions, criticisms, and thoughts on our food system. This is a rare chance to talk about your thoughts or critiques with someone on the inside. Don’t miss this chance to get the inside scoop and ask any questions you may have about organic food, agriculture, food policy and how Bon Appetit incorporates these considerations into their business.

When: 7pm-8pm. Wednesday, April 3rd
Where: PAC001
Who: Nicole Tocco, East Coast Fellow for Bon Appetit Management Company Foundation
Why: We all eat food… And our current food system is in need of change. We are the ones who need to change it!

EVENT
FLOW (For Love of Water) film screening at Earth House

If you feel up to adventuring through the snow tonight here’s a wonderful tip from Becca “sexy cat lady” Wilton ’15 and the rest of the WesFRESH crew.  

Tonight, WesFRESH kicks off its environmentally-minded film series
with FLOW (For Love of Water)! FLOW is an extremely informative,
moving documentary about water privatization and the impending world
water crisis. A discussion will follow.

This movie is an addendum to the regular weekly WesFRESH meeting that
happens on Wednesdays at 8PM at Earth House.

Time: 8:30 pm
Place: Earth house living room
Cost: $400 billion dollar water industry (but the film is free)
Bring: snuggles
Check it:out

EVENT
Campus Sustainability Day

Haley Greenberg ’14 and Emma Pattiz ’13 have plans.

This year, Wesleyan took a big step forward by registering with AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, as a follow up to President Roth signing the Presidents’ Climate Commitment last year. We’ve also made an important commitment to better our community by joining STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, to rate how sustainable our institution is and find ways to make it better.

Join your fellow sustainability advocates in a day of awareness and appreciation for everything we’re doing beyond these BIG steps, from Long Lane Farm, to WILDWes, WesFRESH, Campus Composting, Urban Gardening, Green Fund, CRI, and so much more! Come enjoy an explosion of good eats and treats at the Farmers’ Market and join the conversation in Usdan110 where we’ll be screening a keynote address from the organizers of Campus Sustainability Day beyond Wesleyan. Volunteer at the Farm, WILDwes courtyard, or Middletown urban gardens! Watch demos by student groups and visiting environmentalists! Also, bring your bike to pedal for power for a smoothie while listening to live music performances all afternoon!

When: Wednesday, October 24.
Where:Usdan Courtyard

EVENT
Lecture and Discussion with Food Justice Activist and Author Mark Winne: The Myth of Food Democracy

Caitlin Aylward ’13 writes in about the food justice:

Food justice activist and author Mark Winne is returning to Wesleyan this Thursday to give a talk entitled “The Myth of Food Democracy: Ethics, Choice and the Tyranny of the Marketplace.”

The event will take place in the Woodhead Lounge (Exley) on Thursday October 11th from 4:15-5:30 PM with a reception to follow featuring Udupi’s Indian food.

In light of the upcoming general election, Mark Winne will address the links between food justice and the national election, as well as the market barriers that impede genuine democracy. Learn more about the societal consequences of recent food-related actions, votes, and policies, and discuss effective food policy strategies from cities across the world.

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FEATURED
“Elbow Deep in Soil for $10 an Hour”: NYT features Recent Wesleyan Graduates, Farming

“Farming appeals to me, and probably to other people, because it’s simple and straightforward work outdoors with literal fruits from your labor,” Abe Bobman ’11 said. “It doesn’t feel like you’re a part of an oppressive institution.”

Yesterday, the New York Times published a piece about the growing trend among young college graduates to pursue the age-old profession of farming. Two Wesleyan alumni, Abe Bobman  ’11 and Jordan Schmidt ’08, are featured, along with a number of other Northeastern liberal arts college graduates.

The article sets the tone at the beginning with an image of well-educated young people who, moved by their ideals and values, have chosen to work the land from dawn to dusk, “elbow deep in soil for $10 an hour.” It focuses on young farmers on two small organic New York farms and makes a point of emphasizing that none of these young graduate farmers come from farming backgrounds. Through snippets of these farmers’ mishaps and misadventures and statements of how their parents feel about their profession, the article looks into the issues of coming to agriculture from a well-educated, non-farming background.

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EVENT
WesFRESH Food Systems Working Group

From Becca “woodland fairy” Wilton ’15:

Last Saturday, Wesleyan made history by joining a handful of schools nation-wide fighting for a more just and sustainable food system. WesFRESH (Wesleyan’s food activist group) celebrated the signing of the Real Food Campus Commitment, a pledge to shift 20% of Wesleyan’s food budget to REAL food by 2020. President Roth and Head of Dining Michael Strumpf signed the pledge to move Wesleyan’s food system to food that is ecologically sound, local & community based, humane to animals, and fair to workers.

This was a major step in the right direction – but the work is only beginning!

Now, we are looking for devoted, enthusiastic students to form the brand-new Food Systems Working Group, a core team that will research new “real food” initiatives, and work with real food businesses, farmers, and Bon Appétit to implement the changes that will move us towards our 20% goal and beyond. If you are passionate about fighting for change in our food system at the institutional level, here is your chance!

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MUSIC
Celebration of Real Food

WesFresh put on a great event on Saturday to celebrate the university’s commitment to  increase “real food” at Wesleyan to 20% by 2020. The CFA Courtyard was filled with brightly-clothed earth lovers swaying to the bike-powered concert on stage, courtesy of the College of the Environment’s bike generator (run by 10 bikers biking in place the whole time). A very-proud-of-Wesleyan President Michael Roth was bopping to the music and beaming at everything around him. And how could he not be proud? Weskids did all of this!

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EVENT
REAL FOOD REAL WES COMMITMENT CELEBRATION

From Becca “champ” Wilton ’15:

WesFRESH (Wesleyan Students for Real Ethical Sustainable Habits) invites you to celebrate the signing of the Real Food Challenge Campus Commitment!

The Real Food Challenge Campus Commitment is a contract that will be signed by President Michael Roth and Dining Director Michael Strumpf to increase real food at Wesleyan to 20% by 2020. Real food is food that is local and community-based, ecologically sound, fair to humans and ethical for animals.

In honor of this historic event in Wesleyan’s history and to celebrate Earth Week, there will be speakers, the signing of the commitment, and a picnic-style meal with food grown at local farm Urban Oaks and other sustainable farms.

MENU:

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