Franke Global Leadership Initiative Presentations
Eat With Understanding: A UM Student Guide to Food Systems
Project Type
Presentation
Project Funding and Affiliations
Global Leadership Initiative
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Catalina de Onis
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Professor of Environmental Studies
Abstract / Artist's Statement
The industrialized food system creates environmental harm, reduces food sovereignty, and contributes to growing food insecurity. These problems oftentimes are overlooked in higher education. To address this gap, our project examines how access to sustainable food education and campus-community partnerships can improve well-being and informed decision-making amongst University of Montana students. This collaborative project connects partners within UM Wellness, PEAS Farm, the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center, and the Big Sky Culinary Institute. Our research includes applied learning with these organizations by hosting a variety of speaker series presentations and coordinating a cooking workshop. We collected quantitative and qualitative data through anonymous surveys administered at Wellness Wednesday tabling events, before and after speaker sessions, and at our hands-on workshop. These surveys assessed baseline student experiences with food access, changes in knowledge and attitudes, and anticipated shifts in food-related behaviors. Student respondents reported in over fifty surveys that accessing healthy and sustainable food often is constrained by time and the cost of products. However, many student responses associated the importance of a sustainable food system with well-being. Concluding with partner interviews and hosting a collaborative community meeting, we documented organizational perspectives, identifying where partnerships could continue in higher education beyond the Spring 2026 semester. Moving forward, this project strives to connect students with a diverse perspective of our local food system, emphasizing sustainability and well-being by participating in programming offered by the PEAS Farm and Big Sky Culinary Institute. With the new “Farm-to-Table Swap,” our project will continue to deepen food literacy, promote equitable food environments, and strengthen local networks that support student success beyond the classroom. By doing so, this project seeks to minimize disconnections between the UM Mountain campus, Missoula College, and community partners.
Category
Franke Global Leadership Initiative
Eat With Understanding: A UM Student Guide to Food Systems
UC 332
The industrialized food system creates environmental harm, reduces food sovereignty, and contributes to growing food insecurity. These problems oftentimes are overlooked in higher education. To address this gap, our project examines how access to sustainable food education and campus-community partnerships can improve well-being and informed decision-making amongst University of Montana students. This collaborative project connects partners within UM Wellness, PEAS Farm, the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center, and the Big Sky Culinary Institute. Our research includes applied learning with these organizations by hosting a variety of speaker series presentations and coordinating a cooking workshop. We collected quantitative and qualitative data through anonymous surveys administered at Wellness Wednesday tabling events, before and after speaker sessions, and at our hands-on workshop. These surveys assessed baseline student experiences with food access, changes in knowledge and attitudes, and anticipated shifts in food-related behaviors. Student respondents reported in over fifty surveys that accessing healthy and sustainable food often is constrained by time and the cost of products. However, many student responses associated the importance of a sustainable food system with well-being. Concluding with partner interviews and hosting a collaborative community meeting, we documented organizational perspectives, identifying where partnerships could continue in higher education beyond the Spring 2026 semester. Moving forward, this project strives to connect students with a diverse perspective of our local food system, emphasizing sustainability and well-being by participating in programming offered by the PEAS Farm and Big Sky Culinary Institute. With the new “Farm-to-Table Swap,” our project will continue to deepen food literacy, promote equitable food environments, and strengthen local networks that support student success beyond the classroom. By doing so, this project seeks to minimize disconnections between the UM Mountain campus, Missoula College, and community partners.