Farm to Table: Shaping Crops and Making Food Systems

This program will start in week 2 of spring quarter, with open enrollment into week 3 if space allows.

Have you ever wondered how a tomato got its vibrant red color, or where that slice of pizza dough originated? Have crops shaped societies or vice versa? This program will link together various aspects of the food world. Cooking will serve as our pathway to understanding ingredients, crops, and landscapes, all flavored with a touch of plant genetics. We'll also embark on field trips every other week to visit farms and food organizations across Western Washington, providing hands-on experiences that enrich our learning.

Historically, farming was the act of domesticating a wild landscape to funnel its resources into the production of food, fuel, and fiber. Focusing on food, this program will examine how humans have selected plants to fulfill their nutritional and aesthetic desires. What were the criteria guiding human plant selection, and what motivated these choices?

Humans are influencing global climate patterns, suggesting the need for a reassessment of our artificial selection targets. What if wheat was a perennial instead of an annual crop? Could that change the way we farm and make it more sustainable? Analyzing ideas in the book Against the Grain by James Scott, among other readings, we will challenge common ideas about food and its role in the rise of grain-centric societies.

To address big issues related to global agriculture, we’ll bring them down to a scale more easily assessed. Consider cooking – it's more than just preparing meals; it's a voyage through cultural traditions, priorities, and habits that have sculpted our landscapes through the ages. Weekly hands-on cooking labs will allow us to experience how different cultures interpret the same ingredient. Through lectures, seminars, labs, and fieldwork, we will examine key crops such as wheat, tomatoes, and rice, exploring their uses and co-evolution with humans.

Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

4 – Food Culture and Globalization

4 – Food Science Lab

4 – Food Science Fieldwork