CORRECTED HEADLINE: Delaware Valley University Announces Participation in Project with the Lexicon of Food and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions

The story produced for DelVal features Department Chair Dr. Jacqueline Ricotta and Recent Graduate Charlee Silfee '25

Doylestown, PA (01/28/2026) — Delaware Valley University is excited to announce its participation in Unearthing the Future, a new branded content series presented by The Lexicon of Food and produced by BBC StoryWorks for series participants. The series meets farmers being supported to access and steward land of their own, educators championing seed-to-table learning, and food scientists using experimentation to revive and reimagine traditional practices. DelVal's strong presence in the agriculture industry and its unique Experience360 program for hands-on learning are what resulted in BBC selecting DelVal as one of only six organizations worldwide to feature in the series.

Food sits at the heart of human existence, sustaining life while shaping culture, community and identity. Yet despite its central role, many of us remain disconnected from the complex systems that produce and deliver the food we rely on every day. Unearthing the Future explores the challenges surrounding how our food is grown, moved and consumed, and includes stories from individuals, organizations and communities who are rethinking long-established models and aiming to create more sustainable outcomes.

Dr. Jacqueline Ricotta, chair of the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture spearheaded DelVal's participation in the project and took on a prominent role in the feature itself. In the six-minute video, she and recent graduate Charley Silfee '25 tell the story of DelVal and highlight the unqiue opportunities for hands-on learning future farmers have right on DelVal's campus.

"It was very meaningful contributing to a project that reflects the work I have dedicated so much time to," said Dr. Ricotta. "It has been deeply rewarding to help students learn by doing over the years and to see their skills and confidence grow through hands-on experiences. I hope this project inspires future agriculture students to get their hands dirty and seek out experiences like the ones we offer here at DelVal."

Other participants in the series include The Farmers Land Trust, GEA Group, Chef Ann Foundation, Organic Valley Lexicon of Food and the Culinary Institute of America.

DelVal's video can be found at delval.edu/BBCStoryWorks.

The entire Unearthing the Future series can be found at https://lexiconoffood.com/short-films/unearthing-the-future/

About Delaware Valley University

Delaware Valley University (DelVal) is a private, comprehensive, nonprofit university educating students with a curriculum that emphasizes and requires experiential learning. Located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, about 32 miles north of Philadelphia, the University offers 27 undergraduate majors in business, arts and sciences, and agricultural and environmental sciences; 12 master's degrees; and a doctorate in education. Founded in 1896, DelVal has been cited by the National Society for Experiential Education as having the country's top experiential learning program, by Princeton Review as one of the best colleges in the Northeast, and by College Factual as having one of the top 20 animal science programs in the country.

About The Lexicon of Food

The Lexicon gives people the language to pay closer attention to what they buy and how they move through the world, anchored in a shared responsibility for creating a better planet. The Lexicon of Food is a not-for-profit organization that has been mobilizing changemakers across the food system for 20 years to do more good rather than simply do less bad. Through storytelling and shared language models, The Lexicon works with companies to deepen the understanding of sustainability across the food supply chain with principles foundational to improved biodiversity, regenerative agriculture, reduced single-use packaging, viable aquaculture, women farmer collectives, seed preservation and sovereignty, and plant-forward diets.

About BBC StoryWorks

BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions is the commercial creative content studio of BBC Studios, with teams on theground in New York, London, Dubai, New Delhi, Beijing, Singapore and Sydney, ensuring accessto a global network of creative excellence as well as expert regional knowledge. It works with clients to develop and deliver commercial branded content campaigns

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