Time To Say Goodbye

So the time has come too quickly to say farewell - I'm reminded of the scene in the movie Dead Poet's Society, when Robin Williams says goodbye to all of his students for the last time, and you can tell by the glances between all of them that there is a bittersweet feeling they all have - this is kind of how I feel about this blog but perhaps not quite as dramatic or heart-wrenchingly. Since the end of the semester at UT is looming, our professor is no longer going to require us to write blog posts as a graded assignment. On one end I'm really happy because this means I'm not going to have to come up with something to post every week or worry about the quality of my writing - but on the other hand, I'm kind of sad because this blog has served as a way for me to both stay informed and tell the world about sustainability and food issues. I've actually quite enjoyed searching different news websites for the latest stories or browsing search engines for cool new online sources.
So as a result, I've decided that I'll try to keep up my blogging - don't expect a bunch of posts all the time - but I will try to update it occasionally (maybe like once a month?)...

Anyways, even if my attempt to continue blogging falls flat on its face, I hope the time that I have spent writing on here has conveyed the importance of sustainability, not just in food, but in all aspects of our lives. In this new and changing modern world that we're all living in, issues that many of us are not aware of are becoming ever increasingly important - population numbers, climate change, food availability, and new sources of energy are just a few. Apathy is a trait commonly found in our society; people think "if it's not affecting us right now then why does it matter?". But it does matter - just doing your own small part to try to be sustainable, whether as I've suggested throughout my blogs, it's something as small as looking for sustainable and local companies to purchase food from or eat food at (Jones Soda, Ben & Jerry's, Chipotle), utilizing composting to reduce waste, or watching documentaries and reading the news to stay aware, every small act and every person doing that small act can make a difference. You just have to make your mind up to do it.

Since my future blog posts will probably be few, far between, and largely dependent on the amount of class work I may be encountering next semester, here's some other websites and blogs you can follow in the meantime in order to keep updated on food sustainability issues:

http://www.wastedfood.com/
An awesome blog by food waste expert, Jonathan Bloom, about food waste and how we can prevent it

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/
NPR's food blog, The Salt, is a great source for reading about food in general, but many of the posts deal with sustainability issues as well (if you read my post within the next day or two just look at the first article posted on the blog page - all about food waste!)

http://www.grist.org/food
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/food
Grist's and The Guardian's section of their news websites devoted to food will definitely keep you updated on current issues

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/
Though this blog doesn't always feature food related items - it definitely is a valuable resource about energy and environmental issues

http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/Default.aspx?type=default
Last but not least, when you need a laugh (just watch one of their videos or read through their website) or plain just need a delicious burrito and guacamole - come here and all of your needs will be met. Mmm.

So for now, goodbye, (or at least until after finals)... Keep stayin' sustainable.  :)