The College of Arts and Sciences has created a food-focused curriculum to feed students’ interests.
Athenians love their local food.
And now, that interest might be even more encouraged with the formation of two programs — a group of university courses designed to teach students about food and an interactive website to highlight local eateries.
Ohio University created a theme of courses related to food in the College of Arts & Sciences. This is the first semester for the food studies theme and a certificate is in the works to give students with credit for the courses in this theme with a certificate.
“The theme isn’t about a major or minor, it’s about creating a life-long passion,” said Theresa Moran, assistant professor at OU. “Our focus is really to develop a greater community of scholars, students and community members to support the exploration of food.”
A majority of the courses within the theme previously existed at OU, but two were added this semester — Food Matters: Explorations in Food Across the Liberal Arts and French Gastronomy.
“Many students had a pre-existing interest in food, and this is allowing them to further their knowledge in food,” Moran said. “I had a student hug me, saying this is what they’ve been waiting for. Food has an intimate impact on our lives. (The classes) are really rewarding.”
Other courses turn their focus to include food in the curriculum — like using food as a topic in English classes or using beer as a basis for chemistry.
“I had an interest in teaching a course about the broad concept of beer,” said Bob Colvin, a professor in biological sciences who teaches a class on the science behind brewing and fermentation.
Topics in the course theme include food security, food justice, identity of what is eaten and how food impacts our relationships and ourselves.
Out of this theme bloomed Food Matters, a student organization that focuses on learning more about the importance of food and where it comes from.
A large project the group is working on this year is growing produce at the West State Street Research Center, which they plan to sell at the Ohio Farmers Market when enough is grown, which will allow students and other farmers market patrons to buy something grown by students on campus.
“Here in Athens we have a very unique food system,” said Janice Brewer, the vice president of the group and a junior studying sustainable food systems and environmental studies.
“In Athens, it is so strong and prevalent that as soon as I got involved with the food community, I felt like I got involved with Athens. It’s important to be part of the community and support your region that you live in to be a sustainable system,” Brewer said.
Another program launched over the summer allows users online to find restaurants that support the community by using local ingredients.
The Appalachian Regional Commission’s Tourism Council put together “Bon Appetit Appalachia,” a printed and interactive online map featuring a variety of different culinary hot-spots in the 13 Appalachian states from New York to Mississippi.
The project took two years to complete and was unveiled at Ohio Brew Week, said Paige Alost, executive director for the Athens County Visitor’s Bureau and the Ohio representative to the Tourism Council.
Users can search for icons representing farmers markets, farm-to-table restaurants, farm tours, festivals and events, vineyards and wineries and craft breweries and spirits.
For Athens, these featured places include the Athens Farmers Market, Casa Nueva, Bounty on the Bricks, Jackie O’s Pub & Brewery, Kiser’s, Ohio Brew Week and Sol — all of which were chosen by a nomination process.
While this map features all of Appalachia, Alost said that there’s something unmatched about Athens.
“We have our own food brand here,” she said. “In most food communities, local is within 100 miles … (Eating local) was cool here before it was cool anywhere else.”
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