Hometown: Centerville, Ohio
Majors: Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability and Spanish
Favorite SUSTAINS Events: Visiting community farms and The Plant (Chicago Trip)
Hi! My name is Sarah Grossman and I am a second-year student pursing a double major in EEDS (specialization in International Development) and Spanish (specialization in Latin American Literatures and Cultures). I have always cared for the environment, but I was nervous about coming to OSU since there are so many people with a vast range of interests. When I first heard about SUSTAINS, I immediately wanted to join this community of people who also care about the planet and want to make the world a more sustainable place!
It’s really hard to pick a single, favorite SUSTAINS memory because I have had the opportunity to do many cool things through this program, but I would have to say the events realted to sustainable food have been my favorite. On the Chicago Professional Development Trip, we visited The Plant, which is a series of businesses that work together in the same building to create a closed-loop system. There was a bakery, coffee roastery, aquaponic farming system, kombucha brewery, honey bee farm, and more! Each business used other businesses’ waste in their own production. I also really loved the trips to urban and community farms, where we helped plant seedlings at Four Seasons City Farm in Columbus and built foundations for a microfarm at OSU Mansfield. I especially liked those activities, because the food produced directly services local communities!
SUSTAINS has given me the chance to pursue opportunities that I never thought I would be a part of before coming to OSU. The sustainability projects that we work on have helped me develop my own interests, and provided me with valuable experiences in team work, research, and networking. Due to my interest in sustainable food systems and food security, I was able to help develop and work on a composting project with other students and faculty that are just as passionate. Joining SUSTAINS and being able to live and work with other people who care about a sustainable world has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done!