Homework and Extension Opportunities

Activity: Food miles

Homework and extension opportunities

Vegetable gardens

• Prepare some food that came straight from the garden to contrast its path with that of food produced and processed far away. Compare the tastes of the products. Discuss other advantages of using food straight from the garden, such as knowledge of growing conditions (for example, pesticide use).
• Before planting a vegetable garden research which plants have similar requirements (soil, water, nutrients, etc) and design your garden accordingly.

Community

• Visit your local community garden or a vegie garden of a parent or another school – investigate the role the garden plays in your community / the family / the school.
• Visit a local farm – what is being grown, what for, where does it go from the farm, what products is it made into, do you use any products grown on a farm like this one? Are you able to grow the same food plants in your school yard that the farmer is growing? Why/Why not?
• Interview a local café or restaurant owner, and / or the manager of the school canteen. Find out what they know about food miles in their business. Do they try to reduce food miles?

Mathematical/science

• Devise a way of calculating the energy used in producing the plant/animal product into food.
• Research the requirements of plants. Which ones are most suited to your climate?
• Do a class survey. Which plants do you like to eat and why – can you grow them?

Sustainability

• Explore the impacts growing food has on the Australian environment.
• Explore the concept of sustainability of production – include discussion on water use, salinity, soil degradation, fossil fuel use etc.
• Investigate the way consumer demands and expectations influence farm production.

Geography/cultural

• Research unfamiliar food plants (grown in different countries etc), is it possible to grow some in your garden – why / why not?
• In which country did the plants you researched originate?
• Investigate where some of these unfamiliar foods have been grown. Were they grown in Australia or overseas?
• Investigate the following:

- price

- taste

- the availability of this food grown in Australia

- the production process of the food transport to Australia (if imported).

• Investigate some foods that have been bought to Australia by different cultures. Where have they come from? Locate these areas in an Atlas.
• Choose a product and arrange into a flow chart showing its production chain (for example, food, beverage, medicine, toiletries, clothing).