Madison Richarson

English 111
“Food is the Problem and the Solution”

In major cities it is made extremely difficult for people to obtain fresh produce and foods
and therefore are forced to resort to processed and pre-prepared options. This, therefore, is
having a negative impact on the health and well being of the individuals that live in these areas.
People who live in large, urban areas are the most at risk for these nutritional setbacks. (Finley,
2013) According to the World Atlas, areas that have the highest obesity rate in America tend to
be large cities and metro areas. (Pariona, 2019) According to data from the Cencer for Disease
Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 5 Americans between the ages of 6 and 19 are
considered obese, accounting for approximately 20% of the population. And this number only
continues to increase as the age demographic gets higher. Seventy percent of all adults over 20
are considered overweight and of those 40% are considered to be obese. (CDC, 2016) This
dynamic needs to change if we want to solve the obesity epidemic that has become present in
the United States and around the world. The lack of education about healthy food options and
the minimal access to unprocessed, fresh foods are major contributions to this issue and is
currently one of the leading causes of death throughout the country and the world.
One of the biggest issues behind this problem is the pure lack of access to healthy, fresh
food options. This is particularly prevalent on college campuses across the United States. At
Saginaw Valley State University there are several stores and restaurants on campus that
provide food options for students, but most of these options are fast, cheap, and processed.
With tight schedules and even tighter bank accounts, most students resort to these not so
healthy options to fuel them throughout the day. This issue can be solved by instituting healthier
options and making the resources to provide these healthier meals more available to students.
An effective way to do this would be to encourage the institution of gardens around campus to
provide students with fresh fruits and vegetables. As of right now at SVSU, the available
restaurants are limited to the small assortment of options at the marketplace and the fast food
establishments located at the Cardinal Cafe. If the school were to incorporate healthier options,
students would be more prone to go to those places and eat fruits and vegetables as opposed
to greasy pizzas and stir fry. Therefore, “food is the problem, and the solution.” (Finley, 2013)

Beginning in college, typical adults tend to gain about 0.66 - 1.98 pounds each year.
While this doesn’t seem like a significant amount, following this trend for and extended amount
of time can lead to harmful weight gain and typically leads to overweight and/or obesity issues
later in life. (Middleton & Perri, 2013) One of the biggest fears for students starting college is the
infamous “Freshman 15,” and while this stigma has been proven to be a myth, the concept of
excessive weight gain during the transition into college has some truth to it on a smaller scale.
Typical college freshman gain approximately 2-5 pounds throughout their freshman year due to
the dietary changes that occur with the transition into college. If college campuses were to
implement healthier options for students this number would decrease significantly, allowing
students to maintain healthier lifestyles and allot more time to worrying about studying rather
than food choices.
Many campuses all over the country have already taken action in providing community
gardens that are maintained and utilized by college students. Students at George Washington
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University converted areas of unused land in their urban campus to grow fruits and vegetables,
forming their own campus garden. Students walking through campus would largely see the
urban environment of the city, but “if they were to step from the sidewalk over a shin-high
wooden fence, they would enter a wonderland of tiny lovingly tended crops.” (Bahrampour,
2018) In this garden they grew things such as shishito peppers, swiss chard, bell peppers,
jalapenos, tomatoes, cabbage, eggplant, amarynth, apples, peaches, pears, parsley, cilantro,
red okra, zucchini. Anything that could be used to provide healthy meals for students was
included in the project. Yvana Petros, a student at George Washington University, was one of
the students that led the project and started the garden. She stated that she “wanted to be
around vegetables, and not spend [her] last year of college worrying about pre-professional
stuff.” (Bahrampour, 2018) Initiatives like these not only provide students with easy access to
healthy foods that would not otherwise have been available to them. These gardens also allow
students to get involved on their campuses and participate in projects that will benefit the health
of them and their peers.
Without programs such as this many students are unable to gain access to the proper
nutrition, which has negative, long term effects on the health of these individuals. In addition to
the health consequences, unhealthy eating habits can also affect students' attentiveness and
academic performance. Sam Abraham, a professor at the Bethel College School of Nursing,
stated that “it is crucial to meet daily nutritional requirements for one’s body to function properly
and to maintain one’s health to the optimal level. Most nutritional values such as protein,
energy, carbohydrates, fats and most minerals can be obtained by food sources.” (2018) Most
college diets are not able to supplement all of these nutritional requirements, and therefore
students health is not at its best, both physically and mentally. Without the proper intake of
protein and carbohydrates, students do not attain enough energy to function properly. This
means that physical energy, concentration, and critical thinking skills are severely depleted
without the proper food intake. With the implementation of nutritional gardens on college
campuses, such as Saginaw Valley, the increased access to good food will increase student
well being and academic performance.

Implementing these programs does not have to be expensive or time consuming. The
first step in creating a project such as this is to get together a group of students to bring the
project to life. Many college campuses have access to thousands of individuals who would be
willing to devote their time to projects such as these. The second step, however, is finding the
space to develop such a large project.
Saginaw Valley has several areas of largely unused land throughout campus, such as
courtyards, dormitory lawns, and areas along the outskirts of campus. Areas such as these,
which are relatively unused by students passing by, are perfect areas to begin planting and
growing these gardens. With permission from the school these lawns could be transformed into
the perfect university gardens.
The next step is to decide what to plant and how to get the materials to do so. This is
where some spending comes into play, obtaining the seeds and supplies to maintain the
project’s progress. Begick Nursery and Garden Center in Bay City provides all of the supplies
necessary to execute the project, such as seeds, plants, shovels, soil, etc, and is right down the
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English 111
road from campus, creating easy access to the resources necessary. Funding from the school
or the student body could cover the costs of these supplies. If no financial support from the
school is possible fundraising would be the next best option. Then the only step left is to actually
begin creating these gardens.
The next step in this process is hands on and requires manual labor from the student
body. Clearing the spaces, preparing them for planting, and then finally planting the seeds and
plants. It takes time and energy but overall this step is the most crucial in the implementation of
the project. And after the plants are settled and the gardens are established it is the
responsibility of the students to maintain and protect the gardens. In time the gardens will yield
the fresh fruits and vegetables for students to use and enjoy.

While creating a project as big as this one does have it’s challenges, for the most part
there aren’t many significant costs. Financially, the cost of the supplies and plants would cost a
good amount of money, however, this money can easily be supplemented by the students. The
students of SVSU would benefit greatly from the ability to have easy access to fresh food and
this benefit would make contribution worth it. If each student donated a small amount of money,
the project cost would easily be covered and every student would have the benefit of being able
to know that they have good, nutritional food to eat every day. This allows them to focus more
on school and less on dietary issues.
Another cost to the school would be the loss of the land used to hold these gardens. To
produce enough food to sustain all of the students who need it, the gardens would have to cover
a lot of space that the school will no longer have access to. The areas, however, will largely be
areas that were not being used to begin with and therefore will not have a significant effect on
the efficiency of land use on campus. In fact, the gardens will positively impact the effective use
of property at Saginaw Valley, converting unused space to a good cause that will positively
benefit the students that live there.

Overall, the concept of converting unused university space to provide healthy, nutritional
food to students who otherwise wouldn’t have access has significantly more benefits than costs.
Not only would these gardens help improve student health and academic performance, this
project would provide a way for SVSU students to come and work together to create and
maintain gardens that will not only improve their experiences, but those of generations of
students to come. It keeps Saginaw Valley’s students well fed and allows them to feel more
connected to their peers and to their school. It also allows the school to make use of unused
property and provide better dietary options for its students.
Saginaw Valley State University should consider the option of university gardens on its
campus, both as a health and social benefit. The long term benefits of providing a resource
such as this make any costs relatively obsolete. Without the implementation of projects such as
this one students are more susceptible to poor dietary habits, decreased academic
achievement, and are at a greater risk for serious health issues in the future due to poor eating
habits. This project would reverse these risks and provide a social outlet for students to give
back to each other and their school.
 Madison Richarson
English 111

References

Abraham, S., Noriega, B.R., Shin, J.Y. (2018). College students eating habits and knowledge of
nutritional requirements. ​Journal of Nutrition and Human Health, 2 (1). h​ttps://www.allied
academies.org/articles/college-students-eating-habits-and-knowledge-of-nutritional-requi
rements-9188.html

Bahrampour, T. (2018). In planting campus gardens, university students root themselves in the
larger world. ​The Washington Post.​ Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/ne
ws/inspired-life/wp/2018/09/01/in-planting-campus-gardens-university-students-root-the
mselves-in-the-larger-world/

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (June 13, 2016). The National Center for Health
Statistics: Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obe
sity- overweight.htm

Finley, R. (2013, February). A guerrilla gardener in South Central, LA. ​Ted Conference. ​Talk
presented at 2013 TED conference.

Middleton, K.R. & Perri, M.G. (September 22, 2013). A Randomized Trial Investigating the
Effect of a Brief Lifestyle Intervention on Freshman-Year Weight Gain. ​Journal of
American College Health, 62, ​101-109.

Pariona, A. (March 26, 2019). Which U.S. Cities Have The Highest Obesity Rates? Retrieved
from https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/fattest-cities-in-america.html