Trent University students, staff, faculty and community members gathered for the ground breaking celebration of the Seasoned Spoon Root Cellar on Thursday, June 23, 2012, a sustainability initiative envisioned over two years ago by students to provide year-round storage for local produce.

“As we celebrate our 10th year in operation, the root cellar is a testament to our mandate to strengthen the local food system and to make the Seasoned Spoon viable and sustainable.”

Students who help to run the on-campus café the Seasoned Spoon have learned that supporting local farmers not only revitalizes the regional agricultural system, but reduces waste and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the long-distance transport of produce.

The Seasoned Spoon works in partnership with the Trent Vegetable Gardens, maintained by students in the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program, and also sources locally produced foods whenever possible. “The challenge was to make those locally-grown foods accessible year-round,” said Aimee Blyth, coordinator of the ethically-mindful Seasoned Spoon Café.

To build the root cellar, the students are working with Trent alumnus Chris Magwood, a founding director of the Endeavour Centre, a local, not-for-profit sustainable building learning centre.

Dug into a small hill near the loading dock of Champlain College, the root cellar will use proven sustainable building methods including earth-bag foundation and walls. The featured “green roof”, will provide the most ecologically-sound means of insulation, and the opportunity to showcase native plants. The root cellar will feature two storage areas, suitable for vegetables with different storage requirements.

“This root cellar will also be a demonstration site, introducing students and community members to ecological building practices and traditional food storage methods, while providing proper storage space for local produce and strengthening the sustainability of the Seasoned Spoon’s mandate,” explained Ms. Blyth.

An important part of the Spoon’s mandate is to provide innovative research opportunities for students, encouraging experiential learning and academic inquiry. From non-profit business management to rooftop gardens, the Spoon is relevant to many disciplines and issues, giving students a chance to explore numerous topics and to see their ideas put into practice, working with community gardens, local growers and environmental education groups.

Students who enroll in the new Bachelor of Arts or Science program in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems at Trent will no doubt find many opportunities to explore their ideas in this campus-grown initiative. http://www.trentu.ca/agriculture

Those who know the benefits of a bowl of soup from ‘the Spoon’ during the colder seasons on Trent’s campus, will be very glad indeed that this operation is learning to sustain itself and will continue to grow.

The Seasoned Spoon would like to offer thanks to  Champlain College, the Carrot Cache, Co-operators Insurance, Trent University, Sustainable Trent, the Graduate Students Association, the TCSA, and most importantly the students of Trent University.

If you are interested in getting involved in volunteering during the build or otherwise helping out in the Spoon, please contact the Spoon volunteer coordinator at: seasonedspoon@trentu.ca

The Seasoned Spoon is a student-driven, co-operative café at Trent University that serves ethically produced foods. The Spoon is a social enterprise that seeks to achieve social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The Seasoned Spoon uses food as vehicle for social change and community building. For more information about the Seasoned Spoon, including our mandate and history, visit: www.seasonedspoon.ca