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Get Food Education in Every School: Join the National Initiative!

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How does a garden grow? Through you!

​As an assistant teacher at a Montessori school I once asked a group of children how pizza was made. One child confidently exclaimed, “A box!”  To be honest, while growing up I had no idea that my hamburger patty was actually a cow. Somewhere, among the isles of processed foods, we’ve disconnected our self from the very thing that sustains us and gives us life- our food. We’ve not only forgotten where our food comes from, but we now assemble it instead of preparing it.

By helping children cultivate a connection to our  food early on through garden programs that are integrated into school curriculum, we create a whole child approach to education which promotes overall health and wellness. With the abundant environmental problems and health issues facing local and global communities (like diabetes, obesity, malnutrition and nature deficit disorder, to name a few), now more than ever, we need an onsite school garden to not only pique our curiosity but to foster intergenerational learning. School gardens facilitate a partnership with teachers, parents and community members. These hands-on, teachable moments aren’t limited to the garden but reach beyond into kitchen and the lunchroom.

​This of course isn’t to say that you still can’t or shouldn’t have a garden at home. One thing I learned working in the classroom was that if you grow it, odds are, the kids are going to eat it. As my children’s first teacher, I instituted this at home. I credit it to why my kids have adventurous palates and have always enjoyed a plethora of vegetables.  However, not every child has access at home to such opportunities. To ensure that every child shares in the magic of the garden, an onsite school garden is ideal.

The outdoor environment and school gardens of the first two schools our children attended greatly influenced our decisions to enroll them there.  While I gardened with them at home and encouraged them to help in the kitchen early on, it was important to us that the schools they attended valued the connection to our earth and food. While my children do not partake in the school lunch program, I remain an advocate for better nutritional standards in the national lunch program as well as access to organic, fresh produce. With organizations like the  National Farm to School Network leading efforts by empowering schools, children, parents and communities to make informed choices, I am hopeful that it will be a reality for all schools one day.

With so many online resources available, those that would like to start a garden at a school won’t be re-inventing the wheel, but rather connecting the dots. While we all can’t be Alice Waters, we sure can be inspired by her! As a matter of fact, yesterday I attended a webinar presented by Lilia Smelkova, Food Day Campaign Manager at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The event was co-sponsored by edWeb.net, the Edible Schoolyard Project, the National Farm to School Network, and Life Lab. This webinar focused on ways to inform people about the various resources available, ways to get schools involved and connected with the national Get Food Education in Every School initiative.

Every October 24 marks Food Day events all over the country. How is your school, organization or community participating? The Food Day initiative is a call for Americans to come together by celebrating and enjoying real food in addition to being catalysts for improved food policies.

The great thing about the programs that are already in place, like the Edible Schoolyard Berkley, is that it shows us all first hand that these programs really are applicable anywhere. For more ideas on how you can get involved in Food Day, online networks, resources for school gardens and professional development opportunities, visit these websites:

  • Food Day. “Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy,
    affordable, and sustainable food.”
  • National Farm to School Network. “Farm to school enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and preschools.”
  • Edible Schoolyard Network. “…connects educators around the world to build and a share a K-12 edible education curriculum.”
  • Life Lab. “Bring learning to life in the garden!”
  • California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. “Our vision is an appreciation of agriculture by all.”
  • Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. “IATP works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems.”
  • EdWeb. “We help educators share ideas to improve teaching and learning.”

Thank you to Lilia Smelkova, Food Day Campaign Manager at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, edWeb.net, the Edible Schoolyard Project, the National Farm to School Network, and Life Lab for the informative webinar on Food Day held on July 16, 2014.

Beauty Does.

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I admit I was a little shocked when I heard my youngest tell my oldest that “girls like to be called HOT.” I couldn’t help but wonder where he heard that or who shared that with him. After a bit of a discussion, I opened up the conversation to the idea of beauty.

What is beautiful? Can our ideas of beauty differ? Can both men and women be beautiful just as a flower, sunset or painting can? We see beauty but first we must feel it in order to give it meaning.

Is “hot” the same as beautiful? “Hot” leaves little regard to ones intellect, persona and talents. “Hot” is a limiting description of ones exterior being- a superficial definition of a persons existence.

How one acts or the things they do… not their physical traits, makes one beautiful. True beauty carries his or herself with a light in their heart that shines from within. It’s what you do and how you behave that defines beauty.

A week later, I was shopping with my boys. We were looking at picture frames. Inserted in one of the frames was a picture of a young, 20-something model. My youngest looked at me, gave me a hug and said, “You are more beautiful than her, Mama.”

Truth is, I’ve always felt beautiful. It’s always been a feeling that first resonates from within and is amplified by the beautiful company I’m blessed to surrounded by. I know an abundance of beautiful men and women. I bet you do too.

{Sing it! Everybody’s beautiful in their own way.}

GIVE TOGETHER.

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“The boys are transitioning really well and looking forward to making new friends,” I said. “How are you doing? Looking forward to making new friends, too?” I smiled, “I guess that will happen eventually. I mean, as the boys join things I’m sure I’ll met people too.” She continued, “I have a friend who was originally a client. She started this great organization…”

You just never know who will inspire you. I went out to get my hair cut and highlighted. I picked a random place online. Random, yet it felt like I was meant to be there. It was my first real conversation with someone in California. It was the first time I ventured out alone.

{Now, I have a little bit of California sunshine in my hair!}

Before I left, my stylist handed me a business card with the name of an organization called GIVE TOGETHER. “Give Together is a movement to create the next generation of philanthropic leaders. Our goal is to strengthen our community by empowering, inspiring and helping families give back together.” The founder created this organization based off her own love for volunteering and wanted to provide opportunities that include young children. 

“You’ll find your people,” she said confidently. I think I’m off to a good start. Thanks to my stylist at Raymond Marc Salon in Walnut Creek for the sweet new do…and great conversation. 

Snack Attack

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#TBT from another blog I use to write on (this was an excerpt of a paper I wrote for a class at the time) and a PSA I was proud to create:

Science, economics and politics all interact to affect our food choices. Scientists that work for food producers have figured out that we are hard-wired to have a chemical weakness when it comes to fats, sugar and salt. High Fructose Corn Syrup is 25% sweeter than refined sugar. When HFCS is added as an ingredient it creates a bigger chemical surge in our brain.

Things like candy and potato chips are not food. When we eat them they happen to taste great but set off our addictive cells and imbalance our endocrine system. “Instead of satisfying hunger, the salt-fat-sugar combination will stimulate that diner’s brain to crave more.” (Kessler, 2009)   “For many, the come-on offered by Lay’s Potato Chips — “Betcha can’t eat just one” — is scientifically accurate. And the food industry manipulates this neurological response, designing foods to induce people to eat more than they should or even want.” (Kessler, 2009) 

Government policies pertaining to agriculture have fed changes in our food supply which have lead to public health concerns such as obesity, disease and affordability of healthy foods as well as access to them. Regardless of what we purchase at the store, it probably has some form of corn in it. We have driven down the price of corn and soy so low, that these are staple ingredients in most processed foods. Food corporations are thriving with this concept. Not only are taxpayers subsidizing the corn and soybean crops, but we are paying for it again when we purchase from the food corporations that benefit from these low prices.

The taxpayer subsidies are simply a symptom of a broken system, so be careful not to place blame on the farmer. When prices are allowed to be driven so low, agribusiness is able to monopolize the industry and reap the rewards of cheap corn. With the Agricultural Bill affecting so many aspects of our lives, it’s important that we don’t glance over its significance. We must ensure representation in D.C. for not only the policies formed, but why they are formed, who they really benefit and how they are implemented.

Agriculture and our health are linked at the hip. Agriculture is directly linked to nutrition and public health. We can’t tackle one without affecting the other. The failure to address agriculture means we’ve also given stock to health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. “For the first time in American history, our generation was at risk of having a shorter lifespan than our parents. And it was because of what we ate.” (Curt Ellis, King Corn filmmaker) It is frighteningly apparent that this current system is literally killing us. Perhaps, instead of asking ourselves the question, “Does it taste good?” we should challenge ourselves to ask, “Is it good for us?”


We are not alone. Together, we can start a conversation early on with our children about food. We must refrain from assembling our food and prepare it. We must involve children in the process and thus allow for a natural connection to our food to occur. You are your child’s first teacher; teach them one of the most basic of all needs—nutrition that sustains a healthy, active, productive life.