This year the Adolescent Community is exploring complex topics around food. They started with food systems and the biochemistry of food, and they are now beginning to study food as part of culture and issues of food accessibility in Baltimore.
Students began the year on an Odyssey trip to Echo Hill Outdoor School to learn about food systems and where our local food is sourced. Students picked wild pawpaws and harvested pears, apples, cucamelons, peppers, and more from the gardens at Echo Hill. Then they spent several days on a fishing boat in the Chester River to learn about the local marine ecosystems and how fish, crabs, and other seafood are caught for the food industry.
They then began a unit on the biochemistry of food, learning about the fermentation process and ways of food preservation, making homemade paneer (Indian cheese), chapati (made with whey from the paneer), butter, sourdough, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, and a variety of pickled vegetables. They also learned about the breakdown of nutrients back into the soil, starting a campus-wide composting program and giving lessons to the younger classes on how to compost at school.
The students are currently studying the sociology of food, beginning with the fundamental needs of humans and exploring the cultural significance of food. Students ventured to Lexington Market in Baltimore to learn more about the many ways in which cultures cook and share food. They are also beginning to explore the ways that different communities are able to access food. As they explore neighborhoods and markets throughout Baltimore, they will continue to ask deep questions about culture, identity, and food.
Stay tuned for more details about the upcoming projects from the Adolescent Community as they begin to design new food systems.
