ENV43819

A watershed is an area of land that drains to a particular waterbody. Landscapes and organisms are connected through this flow of water. A foodshed similarly can be thought of as the geographic links between farm and fork and the multitude of relationships between producers, processors, and consumers. Prescott’s foodshed, as in most places, is global. As concerns about the ecological, social, and health impacts of cosmopolitan food mount, there is an increasing call to shift the policies and practices of this global, industrial model toward regional, diversified agroecosystems. Despite rising interest among consumers and expanding markets, locally grown foods remain a relatively small percentage of total food purchases. This course will examine the current status of Prescott’s foodshed. Based on this community food assessment and an exploration of other regionally based community food initiatives, we will collaborate on projects that highlight alternatives to current the food system and evaluate their effectiveness. Watersheds are delineated by topography. Foodsheds, however, are malleable. This course aims to vision and map more durable food routes.SPECIAL NOTES: There will be occasional Saturday field trips to local Farmers Markets.