Often, it takes stepping back from one’s home environment to really understand it – to understand how and why things work or don’t work, and what makes it a truly great place to live. I recently took a vacation to the beautiful mountain town of Jackson Hole, WY. While most of the trip was dedicated to nature (T1 if you’d like to classify it by transect zone!), I went to town - the actual town of Jackson Hole – a couple of times to enjoy dinner, shopping and the Saturday Farmer’s Market. Those trips, along with a few statistics I picked up while visiting, led me to compare this western town with the City of Beaufort. Here’s what I discovered:
When you hear the phrase “vibrant college town,” what image comes to mind? If you are like many people I know, it’s probably not downtown Beaufort and USCB’s Historic Beaufort Campus.
Prior to the 1950s, civic institutions were the icons of towns and cities throughout America. The City Hall, the Courthouse Square, the Fire Station, the Theater, Churches – many of these still exist as focal points of towns and cities around our state and are emblematic of their context and community. Drawings and etchings of them are found in city seals and logos. Their presence and frequent representation boldly declares, “This place is founded upon civic pride.”
Using local food sources to nourish our children during the school day makes a lot of sense, especially with the agricultural history of Beaufort. What we are finding is that it may not be as easy as it sounds…
There is a lot of excitement brewing in our county, and in the nation, about farm to school programs. Nothing could make more sense. We are facing serious problems of obesity in among school age children in Beaufort County. We are also learning from recent studies that eating habits matter even more than exercise when it comes to obesity (Harvard School of Public Health, June 2011). We have a tremendous growing season in the Lowcountry and a fantastic variety and quantity of fresh fruit and vegetables on our farms.
Everyone needs to eat; that is a fact of life. Food is personal. It can be fun, therapeutic, family-building, nostalgic, or just simply nourishing. Considering most of us have such a personal relationship with our food, the interesting fact is that most of what we eat is impacted by the global economy.
Culture - Civitas
Often, it takes stepping back from one’s home environment to really understand it – to understand how and why things work or don’t work, and what makes it a truly great place to live. I recently took a vacation to the beautiful mountain town of Jackson Hole, WY. While most of the trip was dedicated to nature (T1 if you’d like to classify it by transect zone!), I went to town - the actual town of Jackson Hole – a couple of times to enjoy dinner, shopping and the Saturday Farmer’s Market. Those trips, along with a few statistics I picked up while visiting, led me to compare this western town with the City of Beaufort. Here’s what I discovered:
When you hear the phrase “vibrant college town,” what image comes to mind? If you are like many people I know, it’s probably not downtown Beaufort and USCB’s Historic Beaufort Campus.
Prior to the 1950s, civic institutions were the icons of towns and cities throughout America. The City Hall, the Courthouse Square, the Fire Station, the Theater, Churches – many of these still exist as focal points of towns and cities around our state and are emblematic of their context and community. Drawings and etchings of them are found in city seals and logos. Their presence and frequent representation boldly declares, “This place is founded upon civic pride.”
Using local food sources to nourish our children during the school day makes a lot of sense, especially with the agricultural history of Beaufort. What we are finding is that it may not be as easy as it sounds…