What does sustainability look like in your home, community and the wider world? Join us to learn how to reduce your carbon footprint through growing and preserving your own food. And find out about the innovative work being done to develop sustainable food systems in our community.

You’ll walk away with some practical ideas to grow and preserve your own food or get involved in community projects.

Chef Bryan Flower, NIU assistant director of food systems innovation, will share an update on NIU’s new Edible campus program along with some of the exciting technologies being utilized to grow food.

Jessica Cima, curator of the NIU Pick Museum of Anthropology, is also a dedicated home gardener who grows much of her family’s food. She’ll discuss the “Good Food” exhibit at the Pick Museum of Anthropology, then demonstrate how to preserve tomatoes, with a focus on the science of safe food preservation. Jessica will share the health benefits of growing and preserving your own food while also reducing your carbon footprint.

Northern Illinois University STEM Cafés are part of NIU STEAM and are designed to increase public awareness of the critical role that STEM fields play in our everyday lives. They are offered in partnership with the NIU Alumni Association and made possible with support from Bayer Fund.