Winners of the 2014 Whole Foods Market “Trip to EARTH” contest visit campus

From left to right: Michelle Bennett, Angelina Miller, professor Luis Pocasangre, Anika Walz, Phillip Kaleewoun, Natasha Calvert and staff member Victor Rodriguez.

From October 5-11, the two winners of the “Trip to EARTH” contest, organized by Whole Foods Market and EARTH University, had the opportunity to visit campus and learn about sustainable development. Contest winners Angelina Miller and Anika Walz were accompanied by guests Michelle Bennet and Phillip Kaleewoun, respectively, and Natasha Calvert represented Whole Foods Market.

Among their many activities on campus, the group got a firsthand look at the effort and dedication that it takes to produce EARTH’s sustainable bananas, which are sold exclusively at Whole Foods Market stores in the United States. Additionally, the University’s Permanent Education Program facilitated trips to the academic farms and laboratories where the students practice sustainable production, in addition to the banana plantation, packing plant, periurban garden and the organic farm.

The participants helped install a biodigester in the Las Lomas community, along with student Emmanual Fornah (’14, Sierra Leone) and Luis Carazo from the Community Development Program.

The group also spent a day in the nearby community of Las Lomas where they helped EARTH staff and students to install a biodigester on the property of a local farmer.

For Anika, what most surprised her about EARTH was “The integration of all of the different disciplines around the central idea of integrating for the good of the planet and the good of people.”

Contest winner Michelle commented that “At my work every month we pick a charity to donate to, and I’m going to get EARTH University on the roster, so that we could help with scholarships. That will be the first thing I’m going to say at work when I get back.”