This past spring, the Journey Away semester program took students across the globe to learn about food systems and culture. During the spring semester, the group explored their own backyard in southern Vermont before traveling to the American South, Vietnam, and France. They returned to Vermont in mid-May exhausted but having learned a tremendous amount and ready to share their stories with the community.

The trip was jam-packed, leaving them with a wide variety of highlights to share. The Vermont segment included field trips to several local farms, including Miller Farm in Vernon, Scott Farm in Dummerston, Rushton's Farm in Grafton, and Hazleton's Sugarbush in Rawsonville. Next came a short trip to New York City, which included an urban food tour and a visit to the United Nations. Their visit to the American South included a trip to Jones Valley Teaching Farm in Birmingham, Alabama, a civil rights tour, and land restoration work with Common Ground Relief in New Orleans. They then traveled to Vietnam, where they visited the Mekong River, did a farm stay, and embarked on food tours in Saigon and Hanoi. Finally, in France, they immersed themselves in the food cultures of Paris and the Auvergne region, visiting a local cheesemaker, making bread in a boulangerie, visiting local farms, and taking in the landscape through local hikes.

Their first stop in sharing their experience was hosting a workshop at the FEAST Summit at Shelburne Farms on May 22nd. FEAST, which stands for Food Education and Sustainability Systems Thinking, is a youth-organized conference for local high school students, showcasing different workshops about food systems, agriculture, and sustainability. At the summit, a few Journey Away students hosted a workshop providing an overview of their experiences in the American South, Vietnam, and France, and led participants in making spring rolls. The workshop struck a nice balance between being informative and hands-on, resulting in some vibrant and delicious spring rolls.

Next, program director Jessa Harger was the keynote speaker at Food Connects' Farm to School gathering on May 30th at Bellows Falls Union High School. In addition to sharing highlights from the trip, Jessa reflected on the evidence of climate change the group witnessed in the countries they visited. She also shared some themes she observed while leading a group of teenagers on this expeditionary learning trip.

On June 7th, the Journey Away group hosted a community event at the Townshend Town Hall where they shared stories and work from the semester. The centerpiece of the event was a 50-minute movie showcasing images and videos from the places they visited throughout their journey. The event also included oral histories collected along the way, as well as other academic and creative work that came out of the semester. One project even included food made by students, inspired by the places they visited. This gathering was a meaningful way for the group to reflect on their experiences and share them with the Leland and Gray community.

The Food Connects Farm to School team and food hub were happy to support the Journey Away group throughout the semester. What an inspiring program that truly deepened this group's experiences of culture and broadened their worldview!