In this special episode of GridgeFridge—and the last episode of season 5—we examine an issue and hot topic amongst students at UW-Madison—food insecurity.

As housing becomes more expensive, and tuition costs rise, food access has become a prevalent concern for students on campus. Reduced access to nutritious food has been shown to impact physical and mental health, student GPA, class attendance, and even graduation rates.

This narrative-style episode features voices across campus, including student voices, ASM student leaders, UW faculty and staff. Listeners will learn about the results of the Basic Needs Survey, the impact of food cost on campus, administrative support and more.

Addressing food insecurity requires collaboration—between students, administrators, and the wider campus community—and we’re going to unpack it all in this special episode of GridgeFridge.

In this episode of GridgeFridge, Dr. Jennifer Gaddis shares her journey discovering the world of food labor, her commitment to equitable access to nutritious meals, and the deeper systems behind how school food programs operate.

From the politics of lunch lines to the potential for collective care infrastructure, Dr. Gaddis examines what it truly takes to nourish a nation.

Dr. Gaddis is an associate professor of civil society and community studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research uses critical feminist and ecological lenses to examine how food systems operate within schools and communities, uncovering the social, political, and economic forces that shape daily life.

Beyond academia, Dr. Gaddis is an active public scholar—her work has been featured in major outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, USA Today and Teen Vogue.

She also serves on the advisory board of the National Farm to School Network and is an active member of the Healthy School Meals for All Wisconsin coalition.

And if that wasn’t enough, Dr. Gaddis is also the author of The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools and Transforming School Politics Around the World.

Tune in to gain insights into Dr. Gaddis’s impressive career, school food in the U.S. vs other countries, and how we might reimagine food as a pillar of collective care.

In this episode of GridgeFridge, we sit down with Ryan Dostal, the programs and events lead at Madison’s Allen Centennial Garden. With an undergraduate degree in history from Nebraska Wesleyan and a master’s in horticulture with an urban food systems emphasis from Kansas State University, Ryan brings a unique blend of historical knowledge and horticulture expertise to his work.

He’s also worked at George Washington’s Mount Vernon and George Mason’s Gunston Hall, two historic house museums located in Virginia, and is passionate about sustainability, local agriculture, and the simple beauties of horticulture.

Throughout this conversation, it is apparent they’re not just growing plants—they’re growing community too, with events like the Harvest Festival and Plant Adoption Day. In this episode, we’ll dig into how public gardens can bring people together, boost knowledge about horticulture and food science, and explore how college students can better support local food systems.

The Allen Centennial Garden is a 2.5-acre public garden open year-round from dawn to dusk, dedicated to fostering relationships between people and plants. Through events like guided meditation walks, the Harvest Festival, and Plant Adoption Day, the garden offers interactive opportunities that allow individuals to connect with nature.

Tune in to learn how public gardens can bring people together, boost your knowledge about horticulture and food science, and explore how college students can better support local food systems. It's the perfect dose of feel-good content for the springtime.

If interested in attending events, volunteering, or supporting the Allen Centennial Garden, head over to the garden website to learn more.