Food Day was sponsored by the MSU Department of Sustainability and the Horticulture Farm, in promotion of local produce and celebrated the nationwide movement for more sustainable food. Students from various environmental awareness groups helped staff the event.

The primary focus was on Michigan’s apples. Students who filled out a survey could take a free apple of their choosing. There were baskets of jonathan, ginger gold, golden delicious and gala apples for the picking.

“All the apples were donated by the MSU Horticulture Farm,” Agribusiness Management senior Nicole Hellar said. “And we want to promote the food grown in Michigan, especially on MSU’s campus”.

Students could also practice yoga and raffles to win prizes from many local businesses. There were several informative boards set up about the various produce grown across Michigan, like cranberries and blueberries.

Student groups like the Ecological Food and Farm Stewardship Club and Bee Club also had a presence at the event, and encouraged fellow MSU students to look into the sustainable food and agriculture specialization, open to students in any major.

Interested students crowded the tents behind the rock all afternoon, trying the apples and learning about sustainable agriculture. The event concluded with a screening of the film “Broken Limbs: Apples, Agriculture and the New American Farmer” in the offices on the Hatch, a student startup incubator on Grand River Avenue.

Later this month, the MSU Center for Regional Food Centers will be hosting the Michigan Good Food Summit in Lansing. Anyone interested in taking the initiative to grow their own food is encouraged to attend.