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Comparing Food Systems - Iowa vs California - May 2025

nicolerh — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:42:29 +0000

Currently Unavailable

United States of America

Program Director(s):

Program itinerary is tentative and subject to change.

This course will review food systems frameworks and considerations, focusing on food supply chains (production systems, distribution, processing, and retail/markets). Discussion topics will include influences such as natural resources (water), innovation and technology, demographics (labor), and economics (price of food).

The pre-departure course will include tours of Iowa food production to assist in comparing and contrasting regional food systems in Iowa and California.

While traveling in California, students will visit a variety of farms and food production. Tours include wineries in Napa and Paso Robles, almond orchards and processing, dairy farms and cheese production, fruit and vegetable production including a visit to Driscoll's, coffee production, and seafood fishing.

Students will also have the opportunity to visit Sequoia National Park, the Santa Barbara harbor, and to choose between visiting the Monterey Aquarium or going on a whale watching tour.

4 credits FSHN 4960B during spring semester

This program was last offered in spring 2023.

Sunday, May 18, 2025 to Saturday, May 31, 2025

Department:

Food Science and Human Nutrition

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Friday, November 1, 2024

Semester:

Spring

Learn more!

Year:

2025

Credits:

Iowa vs. California: Students explore two states' food systems

nicolerh — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 13:31:33 +0000

Alternate Url:

/blog/whitney-baxter/iowa-vs-california-students-explore-two-states-food-systems

Iowa vs. California: Students explore two states' food systems

Tags:

Iowa vs. California: Students explore two states' food systems

California

Study USA

domestic

summer 2023

Iowa vs. California: Students explore two states' food systems

nicolerh — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 13:02:36 +0000

How do food systems in Iowa and California compare to each other? A group of students explored the answer to that question earlier this summer during a Study USA trip to California.

Seven students participated in the inaugural “Comparing Food Systems - Iowa vs. California” course led by Kate Gilbert, associate teaching professor, and Erin Bergquist, clinical professor, in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. The Study USA program, offered through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, provides opportunities for students to learn about diverse cultures, food and agriculture systems, natural resources and life sciences within the United States.

One of the class goals was to expose students to foods difficult to see grown and processed in the Midwest. Another was to teach students about the complexity of the food systems so they can understand how decisions get made and change can occur.

Gilbert said California raises more than 400 types of foods, including a variety of produce, nuts, dairy and seafood, making it an ideal place to take students.

To prepare for the trip, students enrolled in a pre-departure course, which included tours of different Iowa food production facilities to compare to ones in California. Students also learned about the food systems’ frameworks and components, such as soil and water usage, production inputs, labor needs, regulations, distribution and markets, nutrition and food accessibility.

During their two-week experience in California, the group went on more than 30 tours and visits throughout the state. Stops included dairy farms and creameries, grape vineyards and wineries, olive and almond orchards, berry and produce farms, nut, fig and vegetable processing operations, and seafood fishing and farming. They also learned about California water rights and regulations during a tour of the Turlock Irrigation District.

“It was definitely a fast-paced and jam-packed two weeks, but we had the opportunity to see a plethora of different businesses, processing plants and farms, which broadened my experience and knowledge about the food industry and food system not only California but as a whole,” said Christabel Forney, senior in culinary food science.

Claudia Arriaga, an international graduate student in food science and human nutrition, signed up for the trip to learn more about U.S. food systems’ logistics, organization and structure. Like Forney, she appreciated the variety of food-producing systems they visited, especially the stop at the abalone (marine snails) farm.

“We got to see and hear from so many people taking different approaches to food production, and they all were very valuable in establishing a view of how food is produced in the U.S.,” Arriaga said. “It definitely sparked my interest in learning more about the science behind food production, the environmental impacts of food production, and the lives and well-being of the people producing the food we eat every day.”

Gilbert and Bergquist are pleased with this inaugural trip. They are grateful for all the guest lecturers and tour guides who gave their time to the students and for the financial assistance of the Richard and Nancy Degner Food Systems Domestic Travel Fund.

“It was a wonderful trip, where I learned as much as the students,” Gilbert said. “The students got to experience the passion and commitment of so many people growing and producing food. They also enjoyed getting to know each other better, spending time on the beach, and eating as much fresh fruit as possible.”

Five things learned on the trip

One out of every 4-5 pounds of common cheeses like cheddar, gouda and mozzarella sold in the United States comes from Hilmar Dairy in California.
Olive oils have complex flavor profiles you don’t realize until you take part in an olive oil tasting.
California produces 80% or more of the world’s almonds and exports 70% of the almonds grown in the state.
A good yield for spinach is 6,000 pounds per acre and for broccoli is 15,000 pounds per acre.
It takes 3-5 years for abalones to reach sufficient size to be sold.

^{Original story posted: Baxter, W. (2023, August 16). Iowa vs. California: Students explore two states’ Food Systems. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/2023/iowa-vs-california-students-explo...}

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Iowa vs. California: Students explore two states' food systems

Author(s):

Application Deadline: Field to Fork on the Prairie (Study USA)

nicolerh — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 13:21:35 +0000

Friday, March 31, 2023 - 7:00am to 11:00pm

Tags:

Field to Fork on the Prairie (Study USA)

Study USA

Agronomy

domestic

Alternate URL:

/programs/field-fork-prairie-study-usa

Application Deadline: Comparing Food Systems - Iowa vs California (Study USA)

nicolerh — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 16:51:41 +0000

Tuesday, November 15, 2022 - 7:00am to 11:59pm

Tags:

Comparing Food Systems - Iowa vs California

Study USA

domestic

spring 2023

Alternate URL:

/programs/comparing-food-systems-iowa-vs-california-study-usa

Application Deadline: Study USA: Field to Fork on the Prairie (Domestic Travel)

nicolerh — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:33:36 +0000

Tuesday, April 12, 2022 - 7:00am to 7:00pm

Tags:

Study USA

domestic

Field to Fork on the Prairie

Alternate URL:

/study-usa

Field to Fork on the Prairie - August

nicolerh — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 13:41:50 +0000

Currently Unavailable

United States of America

Program Director(s):

Mary Wiedenhoeft

Mark Licht

Field to Fork on the Prairie takes students on a journey from production through the supply chain to the dinner table. On this trip, students will be exposed to the production and processing of sugar beets, sunflowers, potatoes, and dry beans/peas in eastern North Dakota, lentils and canola in western North Dakota, and irrigated wheat in South Dakota and Nebraska. They will also experience rangeland management in North and South Dakota. Students will be able to compare the native vegetation and climate of the tall grass prairies of Iowa with the short grass prairies of the northern Great Plains. In addition, they will be exposed to Native Peoples culture and the local cuisine of the northern Great Plains. Students will be required to complete pre-trip assignments.

Course credits: AGRON 496B (3 course credits)

Program fee: $1,000/ student

This program was offered in 2022 and 2023.

Sunday, August 6, 2023 to Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Department:

Agronomy

Type of Travel:

Travel Course

Application Deadline:

Friday, March 31, 2023

Semester:

Fall