Post #2- New Deal Cafe

    
       On Wednesday night, my friend, Jamie, and I embarked on an adventure to the Union Street Farmer's Market. Due to late classes, we missed our chance at buying some tasty, locally grown vegetables, so we went to the New Deal Cafe instead.
       New Deal buys only local and organic produce, a refreshing change from typical restaurants. Their menu offers a wide variety of dishes, like paninis, salads, and hamburgers, for the vegan, vegetarian, and locavore alike. Their prices are extremely reasonable, especially for the college student with an empty wallet. I ordered the sliced steak panini with a house salad, and Jamie ordered a tempeh burger with a house salad. Both meals were delicious!
       I look forward to returning to New Deal Cafe one day, and also discovering more restaurants that cater to the needs of locavores. If you're interested in enjoying a meal at New Deal, check out their menu here. Or if you're interested in other restaurants that serve meals produced from local food, go here!

Post #1- The College Student's Dilemma

            Hello blog world!  My name is Jena, and I am an environmental engineering student at the University of Florida.  I’m currently enrolled in an honors class that is focusing on the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a tale of one family’s mission to eat food produced locally for one year.  I was inspired by the book to create this blog, and recount my own efforts in having a more sustainable life. 
            Living a sustainable life in college may not be the easiest thing.  There are no parents to yell at us if we stay in the shower to long, transportation to local farmers’ markets may not always be easy to come by (if there are even farmers’ markets near your campus), and the dining halls may not have a variety of vegetarian or vegan options, and if they do, we tend to reach for the pizza or chicken fingers.

This semester, I am going to try to eat more locally, reduce my consumption of meat, conserve water, and provide resources to others so they may do the same.  I hope to show college students that sustainability isn’t just a fad, but an easy lifestyle, and hopefully inspire others to make a change!

If you're interested in learning more about Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, check out the author's website here.