On behalf of the Burning Kumquat, I am writing in response to the article “The Problem of Buying Local,” which ran in the March 9 edition of Student Life. The author argued that buying local is inefficient, economically unsound and creates a “sub-optimal society.

A new green initiative called the Student Sustainability Fund is on the ballot for the upcoming Student Union elections. Ellie Cooper, Emily Averna and Rachel Zemke, three sophomores in the College of Arts & Sciences, are the sponsors of the initiative, which seeks to dole out $11,900 each year for the next two years to students seeking funding for their projects dedicated to inspiring sustainability on campus.

The October harvest is under way, and with it has come a burst of student farming activities, both on campus and off. Members of the Burning Kumquat, the University’s student-run farming group, have been working to engage the student body and St. Louis-area community in all things agricultural.

While many Washington University students spent their summers taking classes, working jobs or vacationing, members of the Burning Kumquat continued their efforts at the University’s student-run cooperative organic farm. Seniors Jen Swanson and Katie Anderson said they each came up with the idea for the camp after participating in study abroad programs in sustainable eco-villages. [...]

Students at Washington University will compete with campuses across the country during the next two months to see which school can be the most efficient at recycling. This year, 510 schools are participating in the competition, which started on January 18 with a two-week preliminary period. These two weeks give schools time to prepare for [...]

For the students who belong to the Burning Kumquat, a Washington University cooperative and organic farm, autumn has ushered in a harvest ready to be used for student meals and cooking.