For some people, eating locally grown food is one way to support the local economy, promote environmentally friendly farming habits and create a strong sense of community.
For Garin Fons, it “just comes down to the fact that local food tastes better.”
U-M Photo Services)
Fons, an open education specialist in the Office of Enabling Technologies, likes the taste of great food but enjoys the challenge of creating a health-conscious community more.
He believes that by taking an interest in our food, it “demonstrates that we value the people, the places and the organizations that make this community the vibrant place it is.”
Fons first became involved with the local food movement when he moved to Ann Arbor. A native of Minneapolis and a graduate of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore., he came to U-M as a graduate student in information science.
Once he got here, however, he decided he wanted to “be more than a student and to get involved in the community.”
An active interest in cooking initially sparked his enthusiasm for locally grown food. Now, Fons continues to support the local food movement and educate others on getting involved.
The movement promotes buying organically grown food that is harvested in the Ann Arbor area. By buying local, consumers help sustain small farming companies and cut down on costs incurred and pollution produced by transportation. Plus, eating local and organic is simply better for your health.
Buying locally grown food is easier than most people think. “Just go to the farmers’ market and ask questions,” he advises first-time local food buyers. Focusing on where and how food is grown, who grows it and how it got to us can make a big difference in eating and purchasing habits.
As a university employee, Fons is no stranger to spreading knowledge. He works as an open education specialist and a coordinator for Open.Michigan, a Medical School-led initiative that helps faculty, staff and students maximize the impact and visibility of their scholarly and creative work by making it open to anyone to access and share.
In collaboration with other grad students, faculty and staff, Fons created the model for Open.Michigan with the goal of helping support the creation of Open Educational Resources — course materials and other educational content that is accessible on the Internet and licensed for use and remix (open.umich.edu/education).
“These materials can be used and shared,” Fons explains, “by prospective and current students, educators at U-M and other institutions, or self-learners worldwide, free of charge.”
The best part of his job, he says, is working with students and hearing their new ideas and perspectives on education technology and the learning experience. He also is excited about the huge number of faculty members embracing new methods of teaching and sharing their intellectual work with other staff, students and interested parties worldwide.
Fons believes the most important thing people can do is to “share the things we create with others.” From promoting the local food movement to making knowledge available through the Open.Michigan initiative, Fons is doing his part to educate others on issues close to his heart.
The weekly Spotlight features staff members at the University. To nominate a candidate, please contact the Record staff at [email protected].
