First Annual Food Drive for Carolina Cupboard
11/8-11/22

"For students, by students"

Edible Campus addresses student food insecurity in a variety of ways. Some of our efforts include donating produce from Main Garden to Carolina Cupboard, maintaining satellite beds that are free for students to forage, and producing educational materials like the Carolina Cookbook. However, there is a gap around this time each year in how much produce we're able to donate as we transition from summer to fall and winter crops. That's why we're hosting Edible Campus' first annual food drive, where we will connect with other student organizations to combat student food insecurity.

We've just wrapped up the first week of the food drive. Boxes were located at Campus Rec, UNC Hillel, Town of Chapel Hill Stormwater, and Chapel of the Cross. We want to extend our gratitude to these organizations for partnering with us on this initiative! 

This week will conclude the food drive with boxes located at Davis Library, Campus Rec, NCBG, Town of Chapel Hill Stormwater, Chapel of the Cross, and Phi Alpha Delta.

Stay up to date with what we are working on and receive updates about the food drive by following our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
 

• North Carolina has the 10th highest prevalence of food insecurity in the nation. 
• As of May 2017, the U.S Department of Agriculture still considered Chapel Hill a food desert, or an area without sources of affordable and nutritious food. Grocery stores are located too far for people with limited finances or transportation access to reach.
• A survey conducted with UNC Chapel Hill undergraduate students in the Spring of 2017 found that 29.1% reported at least occasionally skipping or cutting the size of meals because there wasn't enough money for food, which further supports the need to address food insecurity among students (UNC Chapel Hill The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, 2017).
• Despite higher rates of food insecurity among US college and university students, there are typically less food assistance resources available to this population compared with other groups.
• Compared with undergraduate students, graduate students were significantly less likely to experience marginal food security or food insecurity. 
• Studies have shown that hunger affects students academically, and stress from trying to make ends meet “flows into the classroom.” Hungry students often miss more classes. When students are hungry, they cannot pay attention. 

• http://mediahub.unc.edu/hungry-students-unc-chapel-hill-struggles-food-insecurity/
• https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S2211335519300257?token=2DB912D2D351F5AEFBBD27457B0105B108FEB0D17069F5706F5AE439B76C98A55281A93A3D2CC250C179EBBCD0FE4FB0&originRegion=us-east-1&originCreation=20211106163636 

Workday Updates

It's been an exciting couple of weeks at the workdays! While our official Fall "Planting Days" have concluded, we're still replacing summer plants with fall plants in the satellite beds. Thanks to our workday volunteers, in the past two weeks, we have planted all of the south campus beds, harvested sweet potatoes, and replaced them with fall leafy greens at Fetzer. Volunteers helped us plant about 2,000 fall plants across campus! Volunteers also helped us harvest and donate 67 pounds of sweet potatoes and 17 pounds of peppers in the past two weeks! This is hard work that we could not do without you. Thank you!

Upcoming Events
Be on the lookout for more details about miniature horses in Edible Campus' main garden (behind Davis Library) during finals week! This will be a great way to destress.

Stay up to date with what we are working on and receive updates by following our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.