Environmental Studies Capstone Projects

In partnership with The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison & supported by The Morgridge Center for Public Service

Read more about the course in the featured article “Farm-to-Table, UW-to-Community”!

Historical Timeline of Brix

Through a visual timeline, this project contextualizes the local food system of Brix Cider within a historical narrative of Wisconsin farming and agriculture. We hope that individuals who explore this timeline will see the connection between Brix’s local food system and the history of farming in Wisconsin, particularly the history of how the land and farming have changed throughout time and space.

Seasonality at Brix

This project explores the enviromental, economic, and cultural connections made possible through Brix’s model of seasonality. Through interviews and images, we highlight just a few of the people and farms that make this seasonal menu possible. We also showcase a few of the creative meals that rotate throughout the year!

A Social Investigation of Cider

Our project aims to motivate and inform people about the rich cultural history & context of cider in Wisconsin. This blog post shares the cultural history of cider within the US and Wisconsin, the cultural contributions to cider by different groups of people, how Brix fits into that context through their production of cider (including their impacts on the local food system and the environment), and concludes with investigating beer as a way to expand on your own personal knowledge of cider.

Brix the Board Game

Recognizing the importance of Brix Cider as a family- and community-oriented space, we created an all-ages educational board game to showcase the role of Brix in the local food system. From the apple tree to Brix Cider to the pigs who eat the apple pulp, we trace the steps that an apple takes to become a cider drink. This game applies our research on whole-cycle food systems in a fun, interactive, and family-friendly way!