Student Programs

Earth Week Events

Monday, April 20, 2009

Farms & Fields Project Grand Opening*

Owens Food Court, 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Join us as we celebrate the opening of Virginia Tech's first sustainable, local and organic foods venue. Enjoy hors d'oeuvres created by our chefs using local and organic products and enter to win a Sustainable Foods Starter Kit filled with seeds, Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, and other items to help you start growing the most local food of all-from your own garden.

Catawba LandCare with Christy Gabbard

Squires Brush Mountain A, 1:00 p.m.

Landcare is a cooperative, sustainable approach to land management, which produces a broad range of economic, social, and environmental benefits (the triple bottom-line) desired by landowners and their partners. Come hear how the people at Catawba LandCare introduced the concept along the length and breadth of the Catawba Creek and North Fork watersheds and their tributaries, and how you can get involved and educated.

Shaklee and the Real Dirt on Clean by Rob Jacks

Squires Brush Mountain A, 2:30 p.m.

Rob Jacks from Seek Education, Explore, DiScover (SEEDS) will talk about Shaklee, the world's first climate-neutral certified company, some of their revolutionary new products, and how SEEDS has begun incorporating Shaklee as a fundraising tool for their organization. Also learn about the "Real Dirt" on cleaning products and their eco-friendly alternatives.

Food Sustainability Booth

Dietrick Patio, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Learn all about local and sustainable food systems! Information and materials will be provided by organizations that aim to educate the public on how and why to integrate sustainability in to daily meal choices.

Eat and Greet with Andy Sarjahani, Virginia Tech Dining Services Sustainability Coordinator

Squires Brush Mountain A, 4:00 p.m.

Andy Sarjahani will address the most common questions students ask about our dining halls, like, What's the deal with all the foam containers? How can we get more local foods on campus? What are we already doing?, and What are the next steps for greening our dining halls? Bring your own questions and come get informed!

Farms & Fields Grand Opening and Local Growers Panel*

Owens Food Court - Dinner: 5:30 p.m., Panel: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Have dinner at Virginia Tech's first local and organic foods venue in Owens Food Court and meet the local growers that Tech works with to make this project a success. They will discuss the obstacles of bringing local foods to big campuses like Virginia Tech's from a grower's perspective.

Local Growers Panel:

Moderator: Andy Sarjahani, Sustainability Coordinator, Virginia Tech Housing and Dining Services

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Deet's Place Coffee College*

Trips to Origin: Direct Trade, Fair Trade, and Sustainability

8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Coffee is more than just what's in your cup. Come to the Deet's Place Coffee College "Trips to Origin: Direct Trade, Fair Trade, and Sustainability" seminar and learn about the environmental issues behind one of the world's most popular drinks. Listen to special guest Mausi Khül Hayn from the Selva Negra coffee estate in Nicaragua discuss issues related to sustainable coffee farming, including:

  • What you may not know about Fair Trade, and the benefits of direct trade
  • What goes into processing coffee, and why we could be getting more out of its by-products
  • How a coffee farm that produces its own food and electricity can be completely sustainable
  • The social welfare issues behind maintaining a staff of 200 employees, and their families
  • How to make worms work for you: an up-close look at vermiculture
  • Why Virginia Tech's new organic laboratory will help solve our pest and weed problems

* If you are a person with a disability and desire assistance or accommodation, please contact a dining center manager. For all other events, contact the Environmental Coalition.