Enviro group says eat locally

Students for Sustainability launch zine with campus cook-in

Thanks to St. Thomas University’s Students for Sustainability, the smell of local produce cooking filled the kitchen in Vanier Hall on Oct. 29.

The group hosted a “cook-in and zine” promoting the importance of eating local. The menu included soup, kale chips and apple and cranberry crumble.

Julianne Butt has been involved with Students for Sustainability for four years. While she recognizes that eating local isn’t easy, she says the good outweighs the bad, when it comes to foods filled with preservatives.

“They don’t want you to know what’s in the food, that’s why they make the print so small,” she said.

Local farmers pay more for production, meaning higher prices for consumers. But according to Butt, keeping revenue in your town has its own benefits.

“When we have an area so vast and agricultural [like Fredericton] it’s a waste of carbon and energy to transport our food,” Butt said. “[Eating local] is better for our soil, our farmers and our local economy.”

Access to local produce only seems possible on Saturday mornings at the Boyce Farmer’s Market. However, there are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Buying in bulk and at local food stores are all ways to contribute to our local economy.

Rebeka Frazer-Chiasson, a fourth year student at STU who attends many Students for Sustainability events, says she gets the majority of her produce from her parents’ farm but realizes that not all students have that privilege.

“It’s not easy, and it’s time, and you have to prioritize things really differently,” she said.

But for Chiasson, food is only the beginning of something bigger. It was evident when taking part in the cook-in on Friday, that food brought people together.

“We should use food as a rallying point, because it’s something that touches all of us,” she said.