Food – Page 8 – Kristen Baumlier

Category: Food

Foodology: A Semester focused on the Theme of Food

Posted on December 5, 2012December 11, 2012 by Kbaumlier

Each fall semester, Fontbonne University, which is located in St. Louis, MO, has a semester that focuses on a theme. The theme is used across all academic studies and disciplines at the school. This past semester, the theme was Foodology: The Culture, Economics and Science of Food. Throughout the semester, faculty and students were invited to explore the role of food in world cultures, health and science, politics and economics.

One outcome of the semester was the work done in the Visual Merchandising and Store Planning, Textiles, and Apparel Production and Evaluation courses. Students were challenged to create displays using the food theme. Some of the pieces made included a gown is made out of 5 pounds of corn husk and “beaded with dried corn kernels.” Another project was an installation that showed colors found in food and nature.

For the Foodology semester, the campus had events that included food tastings, film screening, and other special events. The semester is just coming to an end, and more projects will be posted in the upcoming months on the school’s website.

Image Source:
http://libguides.fontbonne.edu/foodology

Links:

http://libguides.fontbonne.edu/foodology

A Visit to the Raleigh State Farmers Market

Posted on December 4, 2012December 9, 2012 by Kbaumlier

I recently was able to visit the Raleigh State Farmers market, which is owned by the State of North Carolina and run by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. In the state, there are five state markets and each is located in a place that is meant to be easily accessible for both farmers and buyers.

The Raleigh State market is located near the downtown area of Raleigh. I was really impressed with the setup which is comprised of various buildings, which include a farmers area, market shops, restaurant area, market import area, and also a truckers building and wholesale terminal.

I spent time in the farmers area, which was a large 30,000 square feet building where North Carolina farmers can sell local produce, plants, and other items. At this time of the year there were lots of pecans, apples, and green vegetables for sale. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, arugula, and even strawberries are grown locally and available even in late Fall. Since it rarely freezes at this time of year, there are a lot of cool weather crops that grow well.

As I sampled over 15 kinds of local apples, a seller talked to me about them. I learned that there are over 46 kinds of apples grown in North Carolina, and over 2500 grown in the United States. I tried some new varieties of apples, and ended up buying two pounds to take home.

When I asked if anyone was selling mushrooms, the farmer let me know that only local produce could be sold in the farmersfBuilding, and that no one really grows mushrooms in North Carolina. He pointed at the inside market area up the hill, and let me know that I might be able to get some there, but they would not be local. The inside market area sellers can sell anything including bananas and kiwis from other countries.

Some of the things that are really nice about the market include:

1. The market areas are covered Farmers and shoppers can set up and shop in both rain and shine.

2. Some interesting vendors were there which included Annelore’s German Bakery and Yu’s salsa (The salsa was really good, we tried over 10 kinds and bought a quart of the medium sweet salsa.)

3. Some hardy and interesting plants and herbs were sale. There were some interesting succulent wreathes that were for sale that I had not seen before which really stood out and would look nice on a front door and also live through the cooler monthes.

The Raleigh State Farmers Market is open every day (!) If you are able to visit, make sure you sample some apples and pecans, and get ready for some great tastings as you shop. Next time I am in town, I plan to stop by again and see what is in season.

Links:

Raleigh State Market – www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/raleigh/

Apple Power! Art and Science Photos

Posted on November 29, 2012December 2, 2012 by Kbaumlier

I recently saw images of photographer Caleb Charland’s photo experiments where he works with art and science which include electricity, fire, and magnetism. One project he has been working on involves creating alternative power sources using vinegar, fruit, and coins to power a light, which is then photographed.

The process to make the images takes time and focus to setup. To create power, Charland hammered 300 zinc-coated nails into apples which took 11 hours to setup. The zinc reacts with acid in the apples and creates electricity. The power then moves through copper wire and powers up the lamp. Each apple created 5 volts, and could power a LED for several hours. The image was then created by taking a 4 hour exposure.

Check out his pictures on his website, and also the video online which documents the making of one of the images, which shows the process of making one of the images with apple trees.

Image Source:
calebcharland.com/

Links:

Video – The Making of Caleb Charland’s Apples and LEDs

calebcharland.com/

A Visualization and Inforgraphic of How the Millennials Eat

Posted on November 18, 2012November 20, 2012 by Kbaumlier

I recently came across a Infographic made by ThinkSplendid.com that puts into visual form the food and food spending habits of the millennial generation. I currently teach students who are of this generation (born between 1979-2000), and I found it interesting to learn about their spending habits, types of food that they will buy, and how often they eat.

The data presented supports that young people are willing to spend more on special and premium ingredients. In the top ten brands that are trusted, Trader Joe’s, Ben & Jerry’s, and Whole Foods are in the list.

Being a “foodie,” and exploring novel and gourmet foods is on the rise, and being socially responsible with food choices is higher with this group than other generations.

The information supports that gluten free food is on the rise, and being part of a social network influences choices in grocery shopping and restaurants.

You can check out the full graphic below, or read more on thinksplendid.com’s site.

Image Source:
www. thinksplendid.com

Links:

www. thinksplendid.com

The Everything Roof – A New Community Food Project in Toronto

Posted on November 16, 2012November 20, 2012 by Kbaumlier

Where can you grow your own food, compost, do upcycling projects, support education and awareness about sustainability, and grow food on top of a building? In Toronto you soon will be able to do these things at a new center called The Everything Roof, which is being created by a group called The About Face Collective.

The About Face Collective was started by Natalie Boustead and Lauren Pirie, in collaboration with other community members. The group consists of people who engage with art, sustainability, food security, health, and with the city. In Toronto, there is not a historical tradition of valuing community and public space.

The Everything Roof was developed as a platform to showcase creative approaches to sustainability and community space and to show how involving artists and designers in community projects can be a benefit to a city. The project is unique because it incorporates art and youth as well as sustainable urban food production. . Together, the group developed a vision of a creative community space that would promote healthy, sustainable lifestyles as well as integrating artistic and sustainable approaches. To do this, they are collaborating with other non-profit programs and groups and did a campaign to get support for the space.

The black tar roof of the spaces of the project will be replaced with green space, which will create plant life and food in the urban environment. The food that’s produced will be used on-site in educational programs and workshops, and it also will be sold at the on-site weekly office market and ground-floor cafe at the Center for Social Innovation.

Currently The Everything Roof is still in development and aims to be operational by summer, 2012. If you are interested in learning more about the space, you can email them at aboutface@aboutfacecollective.com with “Volunteer” in the subject line. You can also visit their website and check out their fun video on Vimeo.

Image Source:
http://www.aboutfacecollective.com/
Links:

http://www.aboutfacecollective.com/

http://vimeo.com/35942278