Iowa State University
SD-2: Food Education

Iowa State University offers a class called "Societal Impacts on Food Systems" through the Food Science and Human Nutrition department (FS HN 242). This course focuses on describing food systems from farming practices to global marketing. It also includes an exploration of the impacts of food system choices on personal health, the environment and global society.

Iowa State University Dining Services (ISU Dining) provides information in university dining centers about how to make eco-positive food choices. This includes information about local foods, the trayless dining program, and pre- and post-consumer composting. In addition, information is available about reusable to-go containers. ISU Dining also posts nutritional information in the dining centers as well as online through its NetNutrition program. This is a tool, which allows meals to be planned and includes filters for vegetarians and vegans.

At orientation the dining centers post similar information on making eco-positive food choices. This includes information about local foods, the trayless dining program, and pre- and post- consumer composting. In addition, information is available about reusable to-go containers. ISU Dining also posts nutritional information in the dining centers as well as online through its NetNutrition program. This is a tool, which allows meals to be planned and includes filters for vegetarians and vegans.

Iowa State University organizes an annual Symposium on Sustainability. This has either been a two-day formal symposium or a one-day event called Sustainapalooza. Open to all students, faculty, and staff, the event includes speakers, workshops, and poster sessions, with many of the topics dealing with making eco-positive food choices. This year's event included “Green it Yourself” Centers, which offered attendees opportunities to learn and practice sustainable living skills from campus and community experts in urban gardening and decoding food labels.

The ISU Student Organic Farm (SOF) has been on campus since 1996, and students have since managed all aspects of the six-acre farm, including planning, sales, writing grants, managing money, stocking supplies, building structures, and growing crops. Products have been sold at the Ames Farmer’s Market, donated to shelters and food banks in Ames, and have been sold to ISU Dining through their Farm to ISU program. Part of SOF’s business model encourages new students to share their skills and time with the farm and, although they have a wide variety of crops, SOF is always willing to try growing new crops, while maintaining production goals and organic farming methods.