Imagine if we could eat every meal knowing these few simple things: What it is we’re eating, where it came from, how it found its way to our table, and what it really cost.
Michael Pollan, in The Omnivore's Dilemma
Food is a basic human need. Despite this, many people know precious little about the interwoven supply chains responsible for providing the food they eat, or the social and environmental ills those supply chains contribute to.
This course aims to change that.
Every morsel of food we eat has a story behind it.
The food system—the collection of food supply chains and the people and industries that keep them running—has a past, a present, and a future. We know some of the stories that make up food's history, and many that make up its present. We do not know for certain what the future of food will look like, but an understanding of its past and present can help us, at the very least, put boundaries around what that future might look like.
The Story of Food will make some of these stories more visible.
If you are interested in learning how food systems work, how modern food systems came to be the way they are today, and what the future of food might look like, consider applying to attend this course. Admission will be offered on a rolling basis through the first day of class, with an approximate cap of 100 students.
Below you will find more information about this course's schedule, facilitator, expectations, and registration process. Email eric@futurecurious.org if you have further questions.
schedule
This course begins on Sunday, November 15. Subsequent meetings are scheduled for the following Sundays: November 22 and 29, and December 6, 13, and 20. All meetings will be facilitated using Zoom conferencing software, and will begin at 14:00 hrs (2:00 pm) US Eastern Time. To find out what time this is where you live, type your city, town, or time zone in the "Add locations' box at this link. All meetings will last around 120 minutes (2 hours). Read below for details about our schedule.
Meetings on November 15 and 22 will cover topics in Modules 1 and 2, respectively. Our November 29 meeting will be a question and answer period in which participants can explore earlier topics on more depth. Meetings on December 6 and 13 will cover topics on Modules 3 and 4. Our final meeting on December 20 will be another question and answer session, which will also be used to wrap the course up more generally.
instructor
This course will be facilitated by FutureCurious.org's founder, Eric Garza. Eric has taught graduate and undergraduate food systems courses at various colleges and universities since 2012. He has a PhD, and currently holds an appointment as part-time lecturer in the University of Vermont's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. His current course rotation includes Complexity in Food Systems, a mid-level undergraduate course that invites students to study current food issues through the lens of complex systems, and The Real Cost of Food, an upper-level undergraduate course that introduces students to the many social and environmental impacts associated with food production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. Eric lives in Burlington, Vermont.
expectations
When you sign up for this event, Eric Garza will provide a structured virtual space for you and other participants to explore the topics and themes presented in this course. This space will include a section of the FutureCurious.org website dedicated to the course where participants can access Zoom links, recordings, lectures, study questions, and other resources. Eric will also send reminder emails 2 days before, and the day of, each meeting, so Zoom links and study questions are easy for you to find. All meetings will be recorded. Recordings will be made available to participants within a few days, and will remain available for at least 60 days after the course’s end. Participation in meetings is encouraged, but it is not required.
This course will be facilitated in English, and will likely attract participants from across the English-speaking world. To create a supportive container for this event, Eric will expect participants to abide by the following agreements during our meetings:
If you are not willing to abide by these agreements, this event will not be a good fit for you.
registration
Admission to this course will be offered on a rolling basis. To apply, click this link and fill out the Google Form. Eric will review your application within a few days, and provide a link to register for the class if you seem to be a good fit. Because this is a pilot version of this particular course, enrollment will likely be capped at around 100 participants.
One goal of FutureCurious.org is to make university-quality educational opportunities accessible to as many people as possible. To this end, our courses are offered on a sliding scale with financial aid available to those who need it. Our pricing tiers are differentiated based on how easily people can meet their basic needs for shelter, food, water, and transportation. Read more details in the graphic below. (Click on the graphic for a larger version.)
This pricing model is not perfect. You might fit in one tier based on your access to income or wealth, a different one based on the debt you carry, and a different one still based on the support you can expect from friends and family should you need it. We invite you to chose the tier that fits you best. No one will attempt to verify the information you use to pick your tier, and it is our sincere goal that no one be turned away due to lack of funds. Tiered pricing is listed below. If you need a full or partial scholarship to make this course accessible, please note that in your application and arrangements will be made upon your acceptance. All prices are in US dollars.
Tier 1: $69
Tier 2: $139
Tier 3: $279
Tier 4: $599
Participants can receive a full refund of their registration fee if they cancel their registration via email on or before Friday, November 20, 2026. After this date no refunds will be given except in extraordinary circumstances.