In short //
Creating a community hub for growing, educating and promoting the word of organic and sustainable food nourishment for all.
Why //
Issue number 1: Those of us living in New England—particularly Boston or other cities—have only one season to grow and no space to grow in during that one season. Therefor we rely on foods shipped from long distances that are not picked for freshness or nutrition, but for surviving the trip.
Issue number 2: Living in the western world we have thrown away our means to provide for ourselves, replaced it with processed foods and now deal only with the consequenses of heart disease and cancers.
Issue number 3: Our "new" practice of "farming" has ruined our land, filled our food with chemicals and has taken away the nutrients in our foods. We now eat to fill our stomachs not to nourish our bodies.
Solution //
Number 1: Creating an indoor year-round growing house allows us to grows in any season. We will be able to eat local, fresh foods during the year at a cost that is less than a grocery store which ships food on average of 1500 miles*.
Number 2: Going back to our traditional means of farming, but adding modern methods can cut out the chemicals and pesticides that may build up in our bodies and harm us. A growing and harvesting center will allow the community to become involved and excited about real food and see the importance of spending the time preparing food, each day.
Number 3: We can teach our children and members of the community, of all ages how to grow, harvest and cook healthy meals. By giving people the chance to be involved with all aspects of food, we learn to respect our land and celebrate food as nourishment for our bodies, rather than a way to simply fill our stomachs.
How //
Imagine the indoor structure as a place to meet for everything food related. Growing, eating, celebrating, learning and sharing. Not just a community for food lovers and cooks, but a place for everyone of all levels and interests to meet and connect.
// As a member of the community you may become fully involved by renting a pod to grow your own garden. You can keep the food for yourself or sell it to the "house".
// As a farmer, you can work on the grow floors as a full time job, growing food to sell to the public. Being a serious farmer is not necessary because the "house" will be available to ensure a successful crop of all gardener levels, and each grower will work together as a team.
// Donated pods will be available to area schools to grow their own crops to bring back to the school for local, fresh lunch food. Students will be able to get hands-on learning to understand where food comes from and give them the ability to reap the rewards.
// The public can come in and shop in the produce store and purchase foods grown right over their heads and picked at the peak of their freshness. The produce shop will not only sell foods but will explain different crop varieties and have recipes and information available.
// An area dedicated to sitting an enjoying fresh made foods will be available to those that wish to grab a bite to eat. Salads, sandwiches and soups made from foods grown in the structure will be available.
// Harvest celebrations will take place as each new season gives us a new harvest of foods. These events will give us the opportunity to fund-raise, which will keep the structure maintained. Foods made with the harvest will be served and people will meet and see the importance of local healthy foods.
// Many intern positions will be available, from nutritionists to public relations to writers. Interns will get much needed experience in a happy community-driven setting and the program will benefit by having a lower employee cost.
Design //
Using graphic design I will produce a ready-to-implement system of deliverables, such as food packaging, promotional materials and store signage. These pieces will change as I move forward with my thesis work, but the main objective is to give life to the building and allow the members of the community to have the information they need for all the levels of interest, from growing to purchasing food.
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*2 Pirog, Rich. Food, Fuel, and Freeways: An Iowa perspective on how far food travels, fuel usage, and greenhouse gas emissions. Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Ames, Iowa. June 2001
