Sustainability is more than just a buzzword; it’s a deviation from the way we are taught to live as privileged consumers. From claiming that a reusable bag made in China is sustainable to purchasing an organic cucumber grown at a migrant farm in Mexico labeled as a better option, there are many choices that are marketed to us as sustainable Although green washing is all around us, living a truly sustainable life is becoming more plausible than previous years. In the Michiana area, there are many opportunities to study and get involved in the grassroots movement of sustainability.
Since I’ve mentioned sustainability quite a bit already, what is it exactly? According to the Brundtland Commission sustainability is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In other words, don’t live lavishly, treat others’ as you would yourself (would you be content making $20/day picking pesticide covered produce?), and remember that every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so polluting the rivers and burning and abundance of fossil fuels probably isn’t a good idea.
My time spent studying sustainability at IUSB has allowed me to get my hands dirty through my internship at Rise-Up Farms, a permaculture cooperative and community-supported agriculture (CSA) project in Elkhart, Indiana.
A CSA, in laymen’s terms, is you (the consumer) paying me (the farmer) money up front for a share of locally produced, organic, yummy vegetables throughout the growing season. Ours at Rise-Up is from June to late October. If you can’t afford a half or full share, we also offer a limited amount of work shares, which allow for people to learn about how organic vegetables are grown, the chance to hang out with really cool people at the farm, and a weekly share of veggies!
Let me quickly mention the four principles for a Sustainable Society per the Natural Step, a learning tool we sustainability students have implemented throughout our course of study of sustainability. In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing…
1.) …concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust
2.) …concentrations of substances produced by society
3.) …degradation by physical means,
and in that society…
4.) …people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs
In a nutshell, my internship addresses the four principles of sustainability by treating the Earth with kindness (no pesticides or caustic fertilizers) and by being a presence of good in the community by making accessible fresh and healthy foods to anyone regardless of their ability to pay (i.e. work shares), which can tie into not undermining people, even if that means making sure people are given adequate choice as to what they put in their bodies, which most supermarkets in our area do not.
I look forward to telling you more and sharing even more pictures of my time at Rise-Up. Please feel free to visit our Facebook page and “like” us for great seasonal recipes and awesome discussions! Click HERE
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