This food studies program begins with some culinary intensives in Bellingham, then moves to Florence, Italy, where students study traditional food cultures. The program includes cultural immersion with an Italian family homestay, Tuscan countryside excursions, cultural tours, cooking classes, and hikes. Museum visits include The Academia (where Michaelangelo’s David is housed), Uffizi art galleries, and the Boboli Gardens. The cost of this program provides all breakfasts and dinners in Italy, including country and palazzo – dining in the Tuscan countryside, as well as most lunches (approx. 50 meals), as well as conversational Italian at the Istituto Galileo Galilei and introductory art/science history to understand food cultures. Additional meals and instruction are available based on student interest. A central part of the course is focused study at an economic collective and farm cooperative at Camporbiano, in the Tuscan countryside. The Camporbiano project is a unique study in a resilient and integrated farm. Students will have the opportunity to work with biodynamic agriculture and related projects.

– Delivers 105 hrs of instruction (approx 20 hrs of which is field experience)

– Preliminary Meetings [spring quarter]: Pre-departure meetings begin as soon as students commit and pre-departure readings will be assigned