What will we be eating in 50 years? If you ask a group of Derry, Ireland schoolchildren, the answer might just be seaweed pizza.
Pupils from Bready Jubilee Primary School have buried a time capsule under the towering 20-metre dome of the new Acorn Farm Project in St Columb’s Park. Inside? Their predictions for the future of food, including the idea we might swap out mozzarella for something a little more oceanic.
The Acorn Farm Project isn’t just about growing food, it’s about changing the way we think about it. Backed by £6.2 million in funding, this urban farm is designed to tackle weather change and teach families in Derry and Strabane how to grow their own food. With supply chains looking increasingly fragile, the project aims to make homegrown food a way of life, not just a trendy hobby.
Shauna Kelpie, Fund Officer for the project, sees it as part of a bigger shift: "Through the COVID-19 pandemic, people have become more aware of how important a sustainable food supply is."
As for the time capsule, it’s a snapshot of today’s hopes, fears, and wildest culinary guesses. Will future Derry residents be harvesting microgreens from their windowsills, eating 3D-printed steak, or tucking into seaweed-loaded pizza?
Whatever happens, one thing’s for sure: these kids just planted a conversation about food that’s set to resurface in decades to come.
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