For more information, please check out our website at www.farmecologyatpenn.com
FarmEcology was started in 2004 by Emma Kirwan and Rachel Meyer as an outgrowth of Professor Mary Summers' Politics of Food class. After learning about the ways our current food system harms the environment, Emma and Rachel created the club with the goal to bring more locally grown food to Penn's campus. In addition, the club's mission centers on spreading awareness of the benefits of eating local
Since its inception, FarmEcology has hosted speaker events, sponsored local food dinners in the dining halls, created its very own local food farm stand in Houston Market and has worked with PennDining to increase the amount of produce that is purchased from local farms. This year, for the first time, FarmEcology has brought the Winter Harvest Buying Club to Penn's campus, providing students and others with the opportunity to receive weekly deliveries of local products ranging from bread to cheese to fresh greens. FarmEcology also consulted with the student-run Williams Cafe, resulting in the introduction of a number of local products for sale at the cafe.
In the future, FarmEcology aims to further increase the percentage of local food purchasing by Penn in order to provide students with a sustainable dining experience. The club continues to look for new projects that will bring local food to all areas of campus and to encourage students to buy local whenever possible using educational initiatives such as publicity campaigns and local food events. FarmEcology looks to the entire student body for support in its drive toward a more sustainable Penn and a healthy community.
If you would like to get involved with FarmEcology or would like more information, please contact Seonghoon Jeong at sejeong@sas.upenn.edu.
