A Panel of Experts

This is another interview with a member of CUESA.

Julie Cummins, Director of Education
Julie has more than ten years of experience coordinating and leading education programs in the fields of ecology, open space and agricultural preservation, wise urban planning, recycling and resource conservation, sustainable living, and garden education. She has worked for a number of Bay Area nonprofit organizations, most recently Greenbelt Alliance. Julie earned a BS in Conservation and Resource Studies from UC Berkeley and is certified in permaculture design and as a Master Composter.

1. As a director of education, what are your greatest concerns when you stress the importance of locally grown food?

-The increasing globalization of our food system means food is more and more processed and is coming from farther and farther away.
-Peak oil: supplies of petroleum are dwindling and will become scarce in my lifetime, but technologies are not switching to alternative fuels at a rapid enough pace.
-Global climate change: fossil fuel-based transportation and production are contributing to climate instability.
-Transparency: local food from the farmers market, CSA or farm stand is easily traced to its source to find out how it was produced. Massive food safety recalls wouldn't happen if we were all relying on this kind of food.

2. Which educational programs in the current service of CUESA would you consider are attracting most attention?

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Seasonal cooking demonstrations

Farm tours

Kitchen skills classes (like canning, sausage making, etc.)


3. How would you improve the current system to raise awareness of carbon footprint among those who are not concerned with it?

I like the idea of a carbon tax that would incentivize manufacturers to keep carbon footprint low.
I also like the idea of labeling products with their carbon footprint, but those are complex because they require an entire life cycle analysis that could yield varying results depending on the assumptions used.


4. Could I ask a brief description of your course of a day especially when you have the merket or events?

I spend most of my time on the computer and phone, planning events, coordinating with people, editing, writing, etc. On the day of events I am taking care of all the little details and making sure everyone is having a smooth and positive experience.