Farm House leads discussions on anti-racist agriculture

Lucy Suchomel `24 brought up the disparity in access to organic or locally sourced food determined by who can afford to live off campus and opt out of the meal plan. Access to a vehicle could also determine a student’s access to any groceries, and choosing to shop at McNally’s or Fareway is dependent on a student’s financial situation.

Tyne noted that any discussion around the effects of pesticide use on campus could not be conducted without involving facilities management and acknowledging the frequent disconnect between students and staff on Grinnell’s campus. Frequently throughout their discussion, participants returned to how these topics could be approached with a dedication to antiracism.

Unzicker pointed out how important it is to utilize the resources and infrastructure already available when organizing around sustainability. She noted that often, just putting in time and labor are more important than generating more ideas.