Farm to Student: Produce on the Plaza
Interview with Kimberli Meyer, University Art Museum Director
We reached out to Kimberli Meyer to find out how and why the University Art Museum is creating a more supportive and sustainable campus environment for our students.
What is “Farm to Student”?
“Farm to Student: Produce on the Plaza is a monthly 2-hour event where we give free, fresh produce gleaned from the Sunday Long Beach Farmer’s Market. We aim to get this high-quality produce directly into students’ hands.”
“Sarah Beadle, an artist that works with food and notions of hospitality, is our artist in residence for the program. Sarah thinks about food, culture, and landscape. For the September iteration of the program, she did an ice cream social, with ice cream sundaes based on the diet and habitat of the White Crowned Sparrow - a bird that spends time in Long Beach. The sundaes were delicious and surprising and it was great to think about the local landscape while savoring the treat. Sarah also comes up with recipes based on that day’s glean, and performs a demonstration. All recipes are printed and made available to everyone who comes by.”
It’s unique that the University Art Museum is hosting a “Farm to Student” event. How did this fantastic idea come about?
“Just before I started at the museum in July 2016, I read a report in the LA Times about a study on homelessness and food insecurity among students in the CSU system, authored by Dr. Rashida Crutchfield. I was shocked to learn that 1 in 5 students at CSU are food insecure. I wondered how we could possibly nourish people with art, if they were not getting their basic physical needs met. Later I met a board member of Food Forward, and we began to talk about partnering. Food Forward gleans produce from backyards, farmer’s markets, and the LA wholesale produce market, and distributes the surplus produce directly to organizations that need it. They had been wanting to be more involved on university campuses, and so they were happy to work with us on this.”
Who and which organizations are on the “thank you” list for hosting this event and providing a valuable resource to students?
“Food Forward, as I mentioned, is a key partner. So is Dr. Libby Gustin’s course HFHM370 from the Hospitality Management Department - she and her students are creative, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic collaborators. We’ve also had help getting the word out from The Office of Sustainability (Holli Fajack!) and from the ASI Food Pantry. The campus radio station is another great partner - 22 West Radio. They come and spin tunes, and make it even more fun. I already mentioned our artist in residence Sarah Beadle - her collective is called Notch. We have plans for more artistic and cultural guests for upcoming events - each month will be a different theme.”
When, where, and how often will this event take place?
“Every month during Fall and Spring Semester - 2nd Monday of the month, from 11 am - 1 pm. On the plaza in front of the University Art Museum.”
Something Special to Note:
“There is an enormous amount of waste in our society, and waste is ugly. As an art museum, we are concerned with aesthetics, and we feel that there is intrinsic beauty in the elimination of waste. Like a mathematical equation that solves a problem in an elegant way, we are drawn to the aesthetics of the simple movement of resources from where they are abundant, to where they are scarce and needed.”
