Lipscomb's Food Day promotes new policies of healthy eating both on campus and in the local community
Lacey Klotz |
Since 2012, Bison Square has transformed each year, for one-day, into a farmers’ market in honor of National Food Day on Oct. 24.
This year, Lipscomb’s Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (LAND) will hold its Food Day on Friday, Oct. 23, complete with local vendors and food-savvy experts ready to educate the Lipscomb community about healthy eating from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Lipscomb’s Food Day is designed to raise awareness of the complex cycle of food, as well as promote changes in policies on campus and within the local economy. The goal of the event is to raise awareness of issues surrounding farmers and workers, the environmental impact the food system has on our nation and the amount of food wasted in our country, and this event is a unique platform to explain where food comes from, the steps needed to make it available for consumption and the sustainable practices needed for our waste.
This year’s theme, “Toward A Greener Diet” was established to encourage the Lipscomb community to make better decisions about food purchases and to educate individuals on how to make these healthier choices.
Julia Hagaman, a dietetics major at Lipscomb and student coordinator of Food Day, explained how significant it is for the community to consider where their food comes from and how Food Day is an excellent resource for that.
“There will be several booths where students are able to gain information on where their food comes from and how the raw agricultural products gets turned into meals,” said Hagaman. “For example, zucchini squash picked from the vine gets washed, chopped, and baked, and possibly put in a pasta with other agricultural products that have been processed and prepared.”
Food Day will feature a diverse group of local vendors, whose food and products will be available for free tastings and purchase at their individual booths, including a brand new seasonal food truck, The Brothers Burger.
This years Vendors include:
- Padrino's Pops
- Farm One
- Sodexo
- Nut Butter Nation
- The Wild Muffin
- Tazikis
- Haulin' Oats
- Healing Hands Intl.
- Second Harvest Food Bank
- The Taco Bike
- Sweet Bites
- Juice Bar
- Tree of Life Market
- The Brothers Burger
Additional information including each vendor’s specific contributions to the world of food service, and healthy dorm-room recipes for Lipscomb students will also be available at select booths.
“Food Day is unique because it’s the only event that brings all of the channels of food service together,” said Hagaman. “We have farmers, sustainability groups, restaurants, food bikes and food banks all coming together to educate people on how food gets from the farm to the fork.”
To gear up for Food Day activities, a special documentary, “A Place at the Table,” will be shown on Wednesday evening, Oct. 21, in room 118 of Lipscomb’s Burton Health Sciences Center at 7 p.m. There will be chapel credit for any Lipscomb student who attends, however, seating is limited to the first 100 participants.
A panel of professionals will discuss issues explored in the film immediately after, Hagaman explained.
“Our panel will feature a registered dietitian, a nutrition professor and an athletic trainer to join in a discussion and answer questions about the film as well as common misconceptions of food,” said Hagaman.
“We are looking forward to this fun and educational event that is centered around something that relates to everybody…. good food.”