James Madison University
SD-2: Food Education

Courses in Integrated Science and Technology (ISAT), Geography (GEOG) and the School of Communication Studies (SCOM) address this topic. GEOG 322. Agricultural Systems. 3 credits. Offered spring. This course covers four distinct areas: the foundation of agriculture, the nature and distribution of soils on a global basis; the history of agriculture from the original selection of domestic crops to the 20th century; modern industrial agriculture and trade; and alternatives to chemical and energy intensive agriculture in the 21st century. Prerequisite:GEOG 290 or permission of instructor. GEOG/ISAT 429. Sustainability: An Ecological Perspective. 3 credits. Offered spring. This course examines present global environmental impacts and efforts made to change production and consumption patterns toward those that reduce impact on ecosystems or promote increased ecosystems health. The focus lies in understanding the basic resources of productivity including soils, agricultural systems, agroforestry, forestry and aquatic environments and applying solutions on a personal and community level. Prerequisite:GEOG320, senior standing or permission of instructor. ISAT 473. Local Agriculture and Farm Internships. 4 credits. Offered fall and spring. The objectives for this course include understanding local ecology and its impacts on farming, as well as how farming impacts local ecology; practicing diversified farming techniques; understanding how small-scale farms operate as businesses; examining localization and slow-food movements and recognizing the impacts of globalized or industrial food and fiber production; identifying the strengths and limitations of small-scale farming. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. SCOM 313 Food Communication offered summer JMU students in the Food Communication course propose, consider and analyze the different relationships between communication and food and how these relationships negotiated identities, cultures and environments. They discuss how each of us constitute and communicate our identities through the food we consume and importantly the food we do not consume. They attempt to understand how our food choices symbolically create, shape and reflect our cultures. Also, they analyze how corporate, mainstream mass media and governmental institutions discursively frame, influence and shape our food practices. Finally, students examine how our food practices intersect, communicate and impact our relationships to our surrounding environments.

JMU hosted a week of programming around the national "Food Day" in October 2012, which was the event's second year. Fourteen community and student organizations and more than 500 students participated in events held daily throughout the week, including a Community Food Resources Fair, a Farm to Fork Dinner and Cooking Contest, a Documentary Screening, a Food Drive concert event, and an academic guest lecture.

Several of the courses listed above address this issue. The Food Day programming also addressed this issue. In addition, an organic garden was the winning idea from the 3rd annual JMU Challenge-- a competition challenging students to develop local, entrepreneurial solutions that address global environmental problems. Construction is completed, and the garden was open to participation by any student in April 2013. The garden will not be certified organic but will use organic techniques. The food will be donated to local non profit organizations. ARAMARK in consultation with several faculty members will be overseeing the sustainable practices for the garden.

JMU's focus in this area is to teach students to be able to understand and articulate the complexity of the environmental science behind sustainable food choices. The definition of "eco-positive" in this context is complex and problematic.