https://www.uccs.edu/swell/ While completing my wellness rotation at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), my time was spent at the university’s farmhouse. Students, primarily in the graduate nutrition program, gathered there to not only enhance their nutrition education and experience, but that of the university’s as well. Their focus was on sustainability and wellness, and rightfully so, they called themselves SWELL (Sustainability, Wellness, and Learning). One piece of the farmhouse’s SWELL initiative was Food Next Door, a nutrition graduate student-driven group that utilized the farmhouse’s greenhouse produce to prepare meals for the campus dining hall. Every Monday the group gathers at the campus dining hall kitchen to complete food preparation for the meal to be served on Tuesday. All meals are prepared using the harvested produce from the greenhouse, along with other local foods. During the meal, the Food Next Door team provides food literacy and other engaging tools to help educate the campus on wellness, sustainability, and healthy eating. Their idea of wellness and sustainability stems from their desire to highlight the importance of knowing where your food comes from; where are the farms, who are the farmers, how are the crops harvested, how do these foods impact the environment. Choosing foods that have low environmental impacts helps to contribute to our nation’s food security and shared food supply. This mindset helps to drive environmental changes both present and in future generations. While most of the groups within SWELL and at the farmhouse are student-driven, community members are encouraged to volunteer; whether it be at the farmhouse where they can harvest produce and clean grains, at the dining hall to help with food preparation, or get involved with a project or event like Grain School.
