Food Studies News
Food Studies program co-sponsors Food Chains: A Revolution in America's Fields
In April, the Food Studies program co-sponsored a screening of the documentary, Food Chains: A Revolution in America’s Fields with The Labor Studies Working Group (an interdisciplinary group of scholars from across campus) and the Workers Center of Central New York, to highlight labor issues in the food system. Over 70 people came to the event, which included a discussion with local farmworkers in the CNY region. According to assistant professor of food studies, Dr. Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, “the film opened many people’s eyes to the ways that immigrant workers are both exploited by and resisting our industrial food system.” The film focused on changes motived by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers movement for Fair Food, a program where big buyers of tomatoes, such as Taco Bell and Wal-Mart, have agreed to pay a penny more per pound that goes directly to the workers. Although the film takes place in Florida, our guest speakers discussed their experiences, which reflected those in the film.
Students active in the new Food Studies club, Brainfeeders, announced they will also be working on farmworker issues, and collected names of other involved in taking action.
Seth Goldman, co-founder and TeaEO of Honest Tea, visits Falk College April 13
The Food Studies program, along with Falk College, is pleased to welcome Seth Goldman, co-founder and TeaEO of Honest Tea— the mission-driven entrepreneur who Beverage World magazine just placed at the top of its “50 Disruptors in the Beverage Industry” list. Goldman is the featured speaker at the Christy Lecture Series in Nutrition presented by Falk College April 13, 10:15-11:30am, 312 Lyman Hall.
Goldman’s presentation is entitled, “Scaling an Authentic Brand While Keeping it Honest” and will highlight how he co-founded the company out of his home in 1998 with Barry Nalebuff of the Yale School of Management. Scaling a mission-driven enterprise requires many ingredients including resilience, determination, transparency and loyal partners. Goldman will share how those ingredients along with his entrepreneurial vision and commitment to innovation continue to guide the company to new levels of growth.
Honest Tea, which creates organic fair trade beverages using less sugar, was acquired by Coca-Cola in 2011. Under Goldman’s leadership, the company has expanded into over 100,000 outlets across the U.S. The company continues to deepen its relationships with Fair Trade-certified suppliers in India, Paraguay, China, and South Africa, and create innovative partnerships with organizations such as IndoSole, FoodCorps and National Parks Foundation. In 2014, Seth was recognized by the United States Healthful Food Council with a REAL Food Innovator Award for helping change the food landscape by providing options that are healthier for both the body and the planet. Honest Tea was also recently named as one of Greater Washington’s Healthiest Employers of 2014 by the Washington Business Journal.
Goldman is the author of Mission in a Bottle: The Honest Guide to Doing Business Differently – and Succeeding, an accessible business book told in comic form that presents the story of how the co-founders of Honest Tea built their mission-driven business. With many failures and some success, the audience will gain entrepreneurial insights and advice about the importance of passion, perseverance, and creative problem-solving.
The Christy Lecture Series is made possible by a gift from nutrition alumna Joan Christy ’78, G’81.
Food studies students work with international chefs to expand cultural competencies, give back to local community
Falk College food studies students, led by assistant professor Evan Weissman, recently hosted chefs from Burma, Eritrea, Japan, South Sudan, and Somalia in the Falk College teaching kitchens in preparation for a recent My Lucky Tummy community dinner, which celebrates the local refugee and new American communities in Syracuse through food. Falk food studies students volunteered in advance of the community dinner, and at the event, working alongside the chefs, who are now local to the Syracuse area, to support their needs. “Food provides a really important vehicle to learn about other cultures,” says Weissman. My Lucky Tummy was started in April 2013 by Adam Sudmann who joined forces with members of the local refugee community to showcase homestyle cooking from around the world. Through his leadership work with Syracuse Grows, a grassroots coalition of individuals, gardens, and community collaborators working to cultivate a just foodscape in the City of Syracuse, Weissman and Sudmann have worked closely on numerous community initiatives. Sudmann has been a featured guest lecture in several food studies courses this semester. Falk College offers a major and minor in food studies.
Falk College Community Meet-and-Greet with Dean Murphy
Dear Falk Undergraduate and Grad. Students,
Please join Falk College Dean, Diane Lyden Murphy, and your classmates for a Falk Student Community Meet-and-Greet. A date will be scheduled after Spring Break. Dean Murphy is interested in hearing your ideas about student needs in our new building. What would you like to see in the student lounge? What makes your study space ideal? Hear about renovations in-the-works, including space for student services, food services, and collaborative learning.
Pizza, salad and soda will be served!
Share your suggestions via email.
SUSN Class of 1964 Celebrates 50 Years
Syracuse University School of Nursing Class of ‘64 gathered in Seneca Falls to celebrate its 50th reunion in May, 2014. From the Carolinas, Florida, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oregon, California, Texas and West Virginia, 17 members of the class of 24 gathered to reminisce, catch up on news, view pictures and memorabilia and just enjoy one another.
This class of only 24 have earned 3 PhDs, more than 10 master’s degrees, and 1 nurse practitioner. We have been directors of nursing in health care agencies, taught nursing, worked as clinical nurse specialists in numerous fields, and served in the military, working in almost every aspect of nursing.
Since graduation, only one of the class is deceased, three could not be located and several were unable to attend. One of the highlights of the event was having dinner with our physician instructor for obstetrics and gynecology, Phillip L. Ferro, MD, who is still practicing and teaching at SUNY Upstate in Syracuse. He traveled to Seneca Falls to surprise the group (only the reunion chairs knew he was coming.)
Since no SU reunion would be complete without Marshall Street memories, menus were obtained from the Varsity and Cosmo’s. Manny’s contributed some mugs and t shirts. Syracuse University and Falk College also contributed items to remind the ladies of their days at SU.
Endless memories were recalled such as females curfews, no slacks on campus, no alcohol on campus, freshman beanies, the Goon Squad, the strict rules and regulations of the Nursing School, snacking on M Street, going to The Orange with a date, and placard cheering in Archbold.
Many of our class lived in cottages that have long ago been demolished to make room for new buildings and parking lots. Our school was located at 107 Waverly Ave. in a metal Quonset hut. We had codes…dress codes, behavior codes and an honor code, all which were strictly enforced. While many of these things seemed a bit harsh at the time, each of the class agreed that our school equipped us well to be the caring professional women we became. It made us good citizens, volunteers, family members and most of all, friends.
Each of us remembered where we were and what we were doing the day President Kennedy was assassinated. Each of us remembered having to graduate in Manley Field House due to inclement weather. Each of us remembered our years at SU and all of the years that have passed at SU, our school, and one another… with a smile!
Prepared by Joan Martin Way, RN, MSN
Food studies, nutrition faculty, students participated in NYC James Beard Empire Feast
Falk College food studies chef instructor, Mary Kiernan, cooked for and participated in the James Beard Empire State Feast Event on Feb. 27 at the James Beard House in NYC. Assisting her and the other team chefs are Falk nutrition students, Rachel Johnson and Kaylah Wicks. The Beard Foundation offers events to educate, inspire, entertain, and foster an appreciation of American cuisine. Preparation for the event included recent test run-throughs at Syracuse University’s Falk College teaching kitchens.
WCNY-TV explores community gardens in Syracuse with food studies professor Evan Weissman
In December, WCNY-TV’s “Cycle of Health” show featured assistant professor of food studies, Evan Weissman, an exploration of the history and growth of community gardens in Syracuse, as well as across New York State. A growing interest in where food comes from and how to cook it, along with many other factors, has spurred urban garden movements locally. Some local community gardens date back 20 years, and many new ones are sprouting up today. Watch the segment entitled, ‘Urban Roots’ with Professor Weissman
New York Times food columnist offers advice to Falk students on food production, consumption and activism
A standing-room-only audience of students, faculty and staff had the chance to hear the insights of Mark Bittman, one of the country’s best-known, most widely respected food writers. Bittman, who was in Syracuse as the featured speaker at the Rosamond Gifford Lecture on November 5, made a special trip to campus to meet with students in Falk College’s food studies and nutrition programs.
The question-and-answer format led by Bittman explored many topics, including how students can work with their faculty to help expand the percentage of locally produced food served on campus, why people who are ‘foodies’ are becoming increasingly active in the labor movement, and the need for reduced marketing of soda, sugary cereals and junk food to children. In discussing the merits of urban agriculture and school gardens, Bittman noted “it is significant to show kids food comes from the ground.”
Bittman told the audience that while people don’t cook as much as they used to, “interest in food and cooking is making a recovery.” His newest book, How to Cook Everything Fast, tackles one of the greatest barriers to cooking—time. He explained to students that even if they aren’t able to cook as much as they’d like, they still need to eat healthy foods that interest them. “It isn’t critical for everyone to cook. But everyone absolutely needs to eat good food,” he added.
Bittman writes for the Opinion section of the New York Times on food policy and cooking, and is a columnist for the New York Times Magazine. A regularly featured guest on the Today Show, he wrote “The Minimalist” column for 13 years, and now a “Minimalist” cooking show is featured on the Cooking Channel. The How to Cook Everything series is highly respected: the first edition of the flagship book How to Cook Everything won both the IACP and James Beard Awards, and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian won the 2008 IACP award. He is also the author of Food Matters, Food Matters Cookbook, Fish, and Leafy Greens.
Syracuse University’s Falk College Highlights Graduate Studies During November 15 Information Session
Faculty, staff, students available to talk about programs, coursework, student life
Syracuse University faculty, staff and current students will welcome potential graduate students interested in the Falk College’s graduate programs in child and family studies, public health, marriage and family therapy, nutrition science, social work andsport management during a special Fall Information Session for graduate studies on Saturday, November 15. The presentation begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Shaffer Art Building, Shemin Auditorium.
Detailed information will be provided on graduate programs in child and family studies (MA, MS, Ph.D.), child and family health (MS), marriage and family therapy (MA), social work (MSW) as well as the dual degree program (MA/MSW) in marriage and family therapy and social work, nutrition science, and sport venue and event management (MS). Details on our newCertificate of Advanced Study (CAS) programs in trauma-informed practice and intercollegiate athletic advising and supportwill be available along with information on other Falk College CAS programs in addiction studies, dietetic internship, and global health.
Admissions staff will be available at the information session to meet with students and provide information on academic programs, scholarships and housing.
Food studies professor Evan Weissman cultivates food justice
Syracuse Grows recently celebrated another successful growing season and hosted its first-ever Farm-to-Table Benefit dinner. Funds raised at the event will support the Syracuse Grows network of community gardens and farms and also contribute to its annual resource drive in the spring. Syracuse Grows is a grassroots coalition of individuals, gardens, and community collaborators working to cultivate a just foodscape in the city of Syracuse. The group provides advocacy, programming, education, and resources to support food justice and community development through community gardening and urban agriculture.
Syracuse University students were involved in the event, including three students in assistant professor of food studies Evan Weissman’s FST 304: Farm to Fork course who volunteered by helping chefs prepare the meal and worked at the event itself. Weissman, is a founding member of Syracuse Grows and member of its advisory board. Falk College began offering a bachelor of science degree in food studies in August 2014. As part of this major, Weissman teaches Contemporary Food Issues and Farm to Fork, a popular course with students that provides a first-hand exploration of alternative food systems. His areas of expertise include alternative food networks, urban agriculture, the political economy of agro-food and urban political ecology.
Weissman will be delivering the keynote address for the World on Your Plate conference on food and sustainable living in Buffalo, New York in October. His address is titled, “Building a Movement: Grounded Reflections on Emerging Food Justice Initiatives.”
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