How Sustainable is the Southern Oregon University Farm?
The Southern Oregon University farm is a core for sustainable agriculture at the university. The farm is a student-worked organic farm that produces harvested food in which is pesticide free and overall no harmful products are used to produce these products.
One of the main things I focused on when it comes to the farm is the fact that they don’t use any pesticides. So what exactly are pesticides and why are they harmful towards the environment? Pesticides are a substance that is used to destroy insects or organisms that can be harmful towards plants. Though Pesticide residues can get into the water and be harmful towards plants and animals as well as even contaminating groundwater. There are also many negative effects towards the human health with pesticides which includes stinging eyes, blisters, nausea and dizziness. There can also be chronic effects on health which includes cancers, birth defects, reproductive harm, and many more. Making sure that people are getting healthy food that isn’t harmful to their well-being and health is number 3 on the 17 goals for the United Nations. This is helping progress towards that. Though the SOU farm is only geared towards the Southern Oregon community, it is helping spread awareness of what sustainable food looks like, and helps the Southern Oregon part of the world.
Another positive thing that the SOU farm does is try and minimize waste. Whatever isn’t bought, they give to the Hawk. Minimizing waste is very good for the community as it’s giving access to healthy and accessible foods that aren’t contaminated and damaging towards anyone else in which not everyone has access towards.
A worker at the farm- Acey Reyes helped inform me more about how the farm exactly runs and more information on the farm in general. She told me that they try and keep plastic to a minimum- they also make sure that all packaging is compostable.
What does reducing plastic do? There are numerous benefits that come from reducing plastic consumption. Some of these benefits include preventing pollution, saving energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing waste. Plastic pollution is a climate issue as well as a human health issue. Plastics are very greenhouse-gas intensive- due to plastic being a huge part of daily life, it will keep increasing and will even increase to 49 million metric tons by 2030. There also aren’t many positive ways to get rid of plastic waste, as burning it releases thousands of pollutants and exposes workers and anyone living near a facility where plastic is bring burned would be at risk for exposure. Reducing plastic is essential when it comes to trying to help combat pollution and climate change. Number 13 on the United Nations is taking Climate action. The SOU farm is trying to take some of the first steps when it comes to that.
The SOU farm is doing all of the right things to try and help combat pollution, minimize waste and overall produce a sustainable farm. If you’re a Southern Oregon University student or a member of the Ashland community go and check out the farm! If you’re not apart of the community check out your local farm and see how it’s sustainable towards the environment.
