PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — In a season of popsicles and potato chips, Brown University undergraduate Ben Underwood is bringing carrots and cucumbers into the mix.
This summer, Underwood is working on the community education team at Farm Fresh Rhode Island to get people of all ages excited about the state's bounty of local fruits and vegetables. To do that, the rising Brown junior is turning farmers markets and public libraries into hands-on learning environments.
For young eaters, he’s using scavenger hunts, taste tests, arts and crafts to show that fresh, seasonal foods can be just as fun and flavorful as their favorite summer snacks. For seniors and other community members, he’s leading workshops that offer recipe ideas, cooking demonstrations and practical tips for incorporating seasonal produce into their meals.
“At the end of a workshop in Portsmouth, we asked the kids if they’d learned anything, and one of them said, ‘Yeah, I learned that I like cauliflower,’” Underwood said. “It might seem like a small thing, but that’s really what this is all about — just exposing people to new information and local foods they might not have tried otherwise.”
Underwood secured the internship with Farm Fresh through the SPRINT-iProv summer fellowship program, a joint project of the University’s Swearer Center and Center for Career Exploration. Each summer, iProv connects approximately 30 Brown undergraduates with full-time work experiences in partnership with Providence-based nonprofits.
For Underwood, the position brings together many of his interests. Originally from Florence, Alabama, he’s considering a double concentration in environmental studies and English and has spent previous summers in his hometown working with kids as a camp counselor. During his sophomore year at Brown, he led weekly workshops at Providence-area high schools as a member of the Brown's Outdoor Leadership and Environmental Education Program student organization. He’s one of many Brown undergraduates who volunteer to teach teens about environmental topics ranging from industrial agriculture to environmental policy.
“My high school didn’t offer much in the way of environmental education, so it was eye-opening to see how powerful it can be,” Underwood said. “It became clear to me just how transformative education can be in shaping how we respond to climate change and other environmental challenges.”
He credits two of Brown’s community-based learning and research courses for inspiring him to join Farm Fresh this summer: Urban Agriculture: The Importance of Localized Food Systems; and Humans, Nature and the Environment, where he had the chance to collaborate with community partners, including Community Health Innovations, to design a roadmap for scaling a farm-to-institution program for Rhode Island. That coursework and his internship this summer have helped him gain a better understanding of food systems, food access and regional food production, he said.
“Taking classes helps you understand the broader food system, but it’s really different to be out here talking to people at the markets, seeing where the food comes from, holding the produce,” Underwood said. “Before, I had more of an academic view of all this. Now it feels much more real, much more substantial.”
After Brown, Underwood hopes to pursue environmental or educational law, with a focus on shaping policies around local food systems and access. His time with Farm Fresh has only deepened that interest, he said.
“I’m really passionate about food accessibility and the ways organizations like Farm Fresh can strengthen communities and improve public health,” he said. “This internship feels like it will be instrumental in whatever I do next. It’s been exciting to work with such a mission-driven team, and after this summer, I could definitely see myself staying here in Providence or New England.”