Geography W/ Robby

  Is my meal a problem? Even though my meal of sweet potato and watermelon juice felt healthy and locally prepared, the environmental impacts of these ingredients are definitely worth questioning. Both sweet potatoes and watermelons require significant water, land, and energy resources to produce and transport, and that adds up when we think about it on a national scale. Global and national scale solutions At the global and national level, improving agricultural practices is key. Policies that promote crop rotation for sweet potatoes and water-efficient irrigation for watermelons could reduce impacts on soil and groundwater. Encouraging integrated pest management could also help cut down on harmful pesticide use. But these solutions are not simple. A big limitation is that many farms are driven by market pressures to maximize yield and efficiency, often at the expense of sustainability. Regulations vary by state and region, and there is no guarantee that national or global poli...

Introduction This week, I am diving into the geography and environmental impacts of two key ingredients from a recent meal I enjoyed at a Milwaukee pop-up event. The meal included a stuffed sweet potato packed with veggies and a fresh-pressed juice featuring watermelon. Even though it felt like a healthy and local meal, these ingredients have complex global journeys and environmental footprints. Geographic origins of key ingredients Sweet potato: Most sweet potatoes in the U.S. come from North Carolina , which produces around 60% of the national supply according to the NCAGR. Other top producers include California and Mississippi, but North Carolina dominates both in acreage and output. Watermelon: The U.S. is one of the top global producers of watermelon, and Florida, Texas, Georgia, and California are the leading states for commercial watermelon farming. Watermelon consumed in Wisconsin during the summer likely comes from one of these states, particularly Florida or Georgia du...

 The meal I had today was prepared by two Milwaukee locals at a pop up event.  One person prepared fresh pressed juice and the other prepared a sweet potato stuffed with vegetables.  I had two juices one with watermelon, pineapple, and apple juice, the other with beets, sweet potato, apple juice, lemon, and watermelon.  The stuffed sweet potato had many different vegetables including broccoli, squash, carrots, onions, peppers, tomatoes, leeks, and possibly other vegetables that I do not recall.  It was a very healthy, nutritious, and great meal.  Juice will be served regularly this month and the next.  The instagram is in the picture I have posted if anyone is interested.