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Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences

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Cooking a meal at the Forge Garden

Cooking a meal at the Forge Garden

Course Update: Deep Dive into California Foodscapes

Our first Deep Dive class was offered in Spring 2024

This spring, ESS offered our inaugural ENVS 77 Deep Dive class. Deep Dive classes are mini-immersions into an environmental topic, enlivened by hands-on experiences, weekend field trips, and close interactions with faculty. This spring’s class taught by ESS Professor Leslie Gray and Forge Garden Manager Becca Nelson, led students through a deep dive into California’s foodscapes, exploring how food roots us in our local communities, and how food is grown and by whom. Through discussions at the Forge Garden, visits to local farms, shared cooking and meals, and an overnight field trip to Pie Ranch, we investigated the environmental, social, economic and cultural practices that make up the local and regional foods of the Santa Clara Valley and beyond. Students learned about our food systems and gained practical skills in sourcing, cooking, and, of course, eating California’s food.

If you are interested in experiencing a deep dive class, Iris Stewart-Frey will be leading a deep dive into California’s waterscapes this upcoming fall.