The Student Farm Club would like to invite students, faculty and community members to “dinner and a movie” — Local Foods Night and a screening of the documentary film Just Eat It — on April 18 as part of Penn State’s Earth Week activities.
Beginning with Local Foods Night at Redifer Commons from 5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M., the Student Farm Club has prepared an evening that’s sure to be delicious, educational and, above all, fun! Alongside other local growers, the Student Farm is providing fresh produce, grown right here on campus, to Redifer Commons for the meal. Sharing our locally grown, sustainable crops is one of our favorite ways to connect with the community, so be sure to join us for dinner! Although the meal is on campus, no meal plan is required; cash and credit cards are accepted, too. Faculty, staff and community members, in addition to students, are encouraged to attend.
“It’s a great addition to the local meal to be able to work with produce grown on campus by the Student Farm,” Chef Stephane Gawlowicz, who will be preparing the local meal, said. “Our guests are enthusiastic to know that produce is coming from campus; it’s a big plus for everyone.”
While the menu has not yet been finalized, Gawlowicz offered insight into what is being planned.
“I can tell you we’ll have some lamb and/or vegetable tagine, with some crunchy lettuce, of course,” Gawlowicz said.
Immediately following the meal, the Student Farm Club has partnered with Eco-Action and the Community Nutrition and Food Security Club to host a screening and panel discussion of the filmJust Eat It. The screening is set to begin at 7:00 P.M. in 102 Thomas Building, and it is free and open to the public.
Nearly 50 percent of food in North America is wasted each year. Just Eat It chronicles how billions of dollars worth of food is wasted yearly, from the farm, through retail, all the way to people’s refrigerators.
“The Student Farm Club takes a holistic approach to how we think about our food system. From production to consumption, every step of the process is important to consider,” Alyssa Gurklis, internal development director of the Student Farm Club, said. “We wanted to host this event so we could engage the community in a larger conversation about food waste.”
Following the film, attendees will be joined by panelists — Emily Newman, Penn State student and founder of the Green2Go program, Dr. Judd Michael, Professor of Sustainable Business, and Lisa Wandel, Director of Penn State Food Services — for a discussion on the film and food waste here at Penn State.
These events are the first of a number of others hosted by sustainability-focused organizations that will take place throughout the week, leading up to Earth Day on April 22.