“As humans, we’re viscerally connected to food, so it lends itself to being tied to individual values and ethics in many disciplines,” Angstmann says. “A lot of people ask why Butler has a farm when we don’t have an agricultural program. Our answer is that we support classes you’d never expect us to support, and it has connected the University to more community partners in the past decade.”
Food security through collaboration
to those in need. We couldn’t because we weren’t already registered,” Angstmann says. “The Kheprw Institute helped us by purchasing our product, then distributing it through their Community Controlled Food Initiative and with donations to the Near Northside Food Pantry.” A true partner, Kheprw was then part of the CUES’ decision earlier this year to begin selling all of The Farm’s yield to Butler’s new dining provider, Bon Appetít. Now, The Farm
One of the most enduring of those community partnerships is with the nonprofit Kheprw Institute. The partnership began about six years ago with an elementary-school student. “I heard they had an aquaponics system designed by a 10-year-old and started meeting with them,” Angstmann laughs. Kheprw nurtures young people to be critical thinkers, active in working with marginalized communities to bring about change. They teach that people are a community’s most valuable asset. “They’re all about raising capacity through can “knock on the back door with three cases of something fresh, and they’ll figure out how to use it,” Angstmann says. “Our goal has been to make food a centerpiece on campus. That’s starting to happen,” she says. “We wanted to get The Farm integrated into curriculum, and we wanted to provide local farmers with support. We’re doing those things now.”
Social issues impede hunger solutions
The other piece of the CUES mission is “empower.” For Angstmann, it’s impossible to help the city create sustainable food systems without taking a hard look at the social issues surrounding them and determining how to empower residents to be resilient.
education,” Angstmann says. “Kheprw has so much social capital—we truly support each other. It’s been a really good relationship.” Kheprw became a lifeline during COVID-19. A closed University meant no on-campus sales for The Farm. They had to find another way to distribute their food.
“Our strategic plan is very focused on social justice. We’re looking at everything we do from a social justice lens and asking ourselves what we can do,” she says. “Social justice is being addressed in many areas on campus. We hope people see our Center as a partner in those efforts. It’s part of our mission. And we’re really committed to work with Indianapolis partners and help combine resources in order to change the way people look at food.”
“Other local farms worked with the Marion County Health Department and Gleaners [Food Bank] to provide food
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