My integration project is on fermentation. 

​

Fermentation is a biological process, a health regime, a food preservation technique, a form of activism, a community building effort, a locavore philosophical ideal, and a spiritual path, all encompassed into one.  The rhythms of my life have become structured around my fermentation projects.  I have discovered a deeper interconnection between my self, the yeast, and the bacteria that exist all around us.  For my primary introduction into fermentation I used 80-90% local ingredients -- cabbage, apples, carrots, daikon radishes, radishes, whole wheat flour, garlic, onion, herbs -- to produce sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and sourdough starter (for making bread).  This project integrates my lifestyle choices, moral ideals, study abroad experience (living in an eco-village in Northern Scotland), and courses taught at IC on sustainable communities, plant and human connections, systems thinking, and independent research.