After eating a delicious dinner tonight, I came to this insightful Rose Scholars talk that opened my eyes as to where the food I am eating comes from. As a West Campus resident, I am able to swipe into any of the dining halls and eat food already prepared and waiting for consumption. Getting access to food seems so simple. Until today, I have never really thought about who the farmers who grow the vegetables and fruits that I am eating are, and what their lives are like.

I never thought about the fact that around half of the farm worker in the U.S are undocumented workers who work long, strenuous hours on the farm to cultivate the crops that we eat now. I never thought about the fact that these migrant workers have to live a life in hiding because if they are caught by government officials, they risk being deported back to the country they just left. Thus, government immigration policies can have a big impact on our agriculture and our food. It was really amazing to gather insight today into how food is so connected to different aspects of our lives, from our health to even government politics and the upcoming presidential elections.