Closing the Loop at Plant Chicago

First-year students in the Food For Thought and Food class embarked on a cross-curricular Field Experience to Plant Chicago. Education Manager, Rock Evans gave the students a tour of the work done at Plant Chicago, which furthered their investigations of food origins, distribution, and economies. On the STEAM side, students got a deep understanding of closed-loop systems by testing the water from Plant Chicago’s two aquaponic systems. On the Humanities side, the aquaponic systems demonstrated the concept of a circular economy.

The students will return to Plant Chicago later in the spring to follow up on the work they’ve done in both classes, whether it be the science of aquaponics and composting or the values that inform food sovereignty.