We are the Fabrication Four. Our ENGR205 group was tasked with designing a herb-drying rack for the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab on campus.

Background

The Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab is a one-of-a-kind facility that emphasizes decolonizing food education and recognition of Indigenous knowledge; the facility encourages education through hands-on learning, community, and stewardship of the land. The Food Sovereignty Lab is entirely student-run and self-funded through donations, grants, and other community contributions. They have expressed the need for an herb-drying rack within the lab and graciously trusted us as ENGR 205 students to develop and build the project for them.

Objective

The Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab is currently facing difficulties with a lack of space for all ingredient processing. Locally gardened and collected indigenous flora are processed and prepared for drying inside the lab, then left to dry on the west-facing stainless steel lab tables, occupying valuable workspace in an already occupied space. With the facility already processing acorns and salmon, facilitating Native American food festivals and events, and hosting classes and educational laboratories, it has become apparent that a better system is necessary for drying herbs in the facility.