Once again, a group of students will be bringing fresh produce to campus this fall.

BrainFeeders, a student organization, was founded in 2015 in the food studies program in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. The organization is working again with local farm Common Thread to establish long-lasting food access and food justice programs at Syracuse University.

“We are excited that we can make a connection with students who want to learn more about local food and their regions,” said Wendy Burkhart-Spiegel, Common Thread’s owner and manager. “It’s just great to have them participate.”

BrainFeeders President William Cecio said they are partnering with Common Thread again this year primarily because they practice organic and sustainable methods to grow a wide variety of vegetables.

Cecio said they are sourcing more food locally and regionally to bring more sustainable food to students on campus this semester.

Last year Cecio said there were about 40 SU and State University of New York College of Environment and Forestry students, faculty members and staff participating in BrainFeeders. He added that he was glad to see that they have been able to get back to the same level in terms of the number of students this year.

BrainFeeders has worked with SU Food Services and just opened BrainFeeders Cafe several weeks ago at the Schine Student Center. They are trying to improve the cafe to make sure it runs as efficiently as possible, Cecio said.

Their goal is to increase the transparency of the food system on campus and try to get students to be more involved in the decision-making process for food through Community Supported Agriculture, a model of agriculture that builds a close relationship between farmers and the community, Cecio said.

“Being part of the student CSA, you also support the region economically and the farm in general,” Cecio said.

Burkhart-Spiegel said the partnership not only fulfills the education mission but helps keep the farm running with support from many people.

She said without a group like BrainFeeders to help foster the connection, it’s harder for students to know Common Thread is bringing more healthy food to campus and making it more accessible for students.

Students can join the nine-week program — Sept. 1 through Oct. 27 — any time for a prorated fee. Two sizes of boxes of locally-grown fresh vegetables are available: smaller boxes are $150 in total — approximately $16 per week — and larger, full share boxes are $280 in total — approximately $31 per week. Smaller and larger boxes come with four to five and eight to 10 types of vegetables, respectively.

“If you break it down week by week, it’s not that expensive for the amount of vegetables you will get,” Cecio said. “Usually the food you get in grocery stores is a lot more expensive.”

Felicia Ramallo, secretary at BrainFeeders and a junior nutrition science and food studies major, said it’s easier to spend more when you shop at a grocery store.

“If I go shopping and get the same amount of vegetables, it would easily be $50 or $60,” Ramallo said. “Very quickly it would be added up.”

Burkhart-Spiegel said they always look forward to welcoming new members to join them with a prorated share.

The drop-off site will be under the Huntington Beard Crouse Hall portal every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Burkhart-Spiegel said they also have other delivery locations for students and faculty members living off campus with an additional fee of $5.

Published on September 12, 2016 at 9:03 pm

Contact Chieh: chchen@syr.edu