Spicing Up Math & Food

College algebra took on a whole new face when Becky Schantz, co-founder of Garlic Earth, LLC, provided her students with real world problems that she was tackling in her food business. The St. Louis Post Dispatch showcased Becky and her accomplishments earlier this week. Below is part of the article.

Real-world lessons: I am a math instructor at East Central College in Union. The students, staff and faculty are wonderful there. I feel like I have the best of both worlds. There's a lot of overlap between full-time teaching and owning a small business.

"For example, the week I was teaching functions in a college algebra course, I was actually creating my cost functions for my business. That same week, a student asked that infamous question, 'When are we ever going to use this stuff?' I had to smile.

"I like to bring real-world math into the classroom. I taught a lesson on inequalities and geometry with the FDA guidelines for labeling a product because it mentions how the font must be between x and y if the label is within a certain area. Math is everywhere."

Seasoning inspiration: "A lifelong friend, Mindy Primm, is my business-development and financial adviser. After making garlic seasonings as gifts for friends and family for the past 10 years, Mindy told me it was time I turned this passion into a business.

"Mindy saw the demand for locally made organic products and the uniqueness of my seasonings. We started Garlic Earth, LLC in March. Italian Garlic Seasoning, Asian Garlic Seasoning and Southwestern Garlic Seasoning are being sold at Sappington Farmer's Market. A German seasoning will be out by September, and more are coming."

See the couscous castles Becky makes for her son by visiting the article in the Post. Very cool idea!

Garlic Earth, LLC is a new AgriMissouri member so I haven't gotten to try their products yet but I will, and you can too, at the AgriMissouri Market in Sedalia, Mo. on Wednesday, August 13 or visit their web site.

-Sarah