Interviewing Sophia Day
Lab Manager at Seeding the Future
I have learned a lot about global and local food insecurities. However, when the opportunity came to expand my knowledge to the Boston area and what is being done at Seeding the Future Lab, I knew I needed to take this opportunity. By talking to the lab manager, Sophia Day, I learned what is being done to address food insecurities in the local area, how Sophia’s communicates the lab’s work with the public, how data is being collected on a newly created pantry to figure out what food is most needed, and many other things.
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Some of the Main Points We Covered
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One of the first topics we talked about was a project Sophia Day worked on called Clerk’s Cart. Clerk’s Cart provides eah grocery store worker with a free food allowance by using soon-to-be-expired food that the store would not be able to sell. Since the food would normally be donated, composted, or thrown away, grocery store workers can have reliable access to goods that meet their nutritional needs. So far, there have not been any grocery stores willing to do this, however, the program is in place when one decides to do so. Sophia Day designed the logo for Clerk’s Cart as well as came up with the color scheme.
Sophia Day is an incredible artist and is able to incorporate her creative background into her daily job. Many times she will work towards design-centered solutions as well as using art as a communicator. Furthermore, she has found cohesive branding to be helpful in getting the message of the Seeding the Future Lab out to the public.
One of the things that is best about the Seeding the Future Lab is that no one day looks the same. One day Ms. Day may be touring the Fenway Park rooftop garden while on another day she is checking seeds, running a workshop, or painting and stocking the pantry. The variety of these jobs has enabled her to meet people from across the Boston area while continuing to learn more about food insecurities.
The pantry that the Seeding the Future Lab started is for the Arts and Nutrition students as they do not have access to dining halls and are responsible for all of their own meals. It was started in early Feburary and has one large restock at the beginning of each month. Through a grant, a little less than $1,000 is given to buy food that can be put in the pantry. So far, popular items have been quick things that can be eaten on the way to class or used as a snack such as protein bars and easy to prepare meals. However, the pantry also wants to ensure their are organic, nutritious options for the students so it is all about finding the balance between fast and fresh. There is an online survey that is available for people to fill out about what they would like to see in the pantry and/or any other suggestions.
To ensure the pantry is known, Seeding the Future Lab has worked to get the art school involved. One way this was done was by having an artist join the team and work on a project that educates the public about food systems. The artist is working on embroidered napkins that can be used but also have a message.
Seeding the Future Lab ensures to collaborate with other organizations, campuses, and community organizers to ensure that all is being done to address food insecurities. In collaboration with VCU, a smart pantry was started that will hopefully continue to grow to even more locations as the years progress.
One of the most memorable moments that Sophia Day has had so far has been a large conference that is held every fall where major food providers such as General Mills gather to share updates while people are able to ask questions. This has been a great way that there has been a bridge between large corporations and the local communities they are serving.
