During the last event of a three part series about sustainability, Delilah Seaman ’26 taught participants how to prepare and preserve different vegetables using pickle jars as a way to be more sustainable. By showing how to do it the right way, these vegetables can last for a long time. She also talked about how to safely store and consume the different vegetables after preserving them.
Seaman said, “Most Americans don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.” She shared that the purpose of her project was to share ways to be more sustainable, highlighting the issue of food insecurity she had researched both locally and at the national level.
As the issue of food insecurity persists, Seaman shared, “It saves more fresh food longer in the winter instead of buying fruit in the summer when it’s cheaper and fresher.” By utilizing a more sustainable method of consuming food, Seaman brings up other factors that contribute to its effectiveness, “It’s easier and faster to do, and instead of cooking or for people who work a lot, it takes up less time.”
Besides the cooking session to teach sustainable preservation, another element discussed during the interview is the problem with food waste in the US. This issue of food waste is challenged by corporations which Seaman says, “An enormous percent of food we consume is lost.” While Seaman acknowledges she doesn’t know the exact percentage of food wasted, it still leaves a big problem of food insecurity, specifically healthy food. The large percentage of food wasted is an issue for people who could rely on that food, to which Seaman said, “It’s not individual homes but more corporations and grocery stores.” As a result of the issue at the corporation level, it amplifies food insecurity and risks the health of the American population. This also leads to lower income families who may not be aware of sustainable eating having less access to high quality food. “Lower income people shouldn’t have to rely on corporations to keep themselves healthy.” While the issues with food waste and finding methods to conserve and efficiently reduce food insecurity continues to be a factor, the cooking class is one of many ways to expose students and faculty to sustainable ways to prolong access to various types of healthier foods at higher quality to be healthy. By teaching and exposing people to different ways of providing for themselves, Seaman said, “It’s a trial run to teach others. It’s a useful skill.” Overall this project becomes a relevant necessity to help show sustainable ways to address the issue of food insecurity in the United States. As a result, exposing people to more sustainable ways of preserving food helps to decrease reliance on corporations, as Seaman said, “It makes it easier to rely on ourselves and our community.”
