AnOasisinChicago’sFoodDeserts
Food activist Gary Cuneen cultivates nutritional awareness in urban middle schools
Fresh from the Farm, a farm-to-school program administered by Seven Generations Ahead, is teaching students about farming, gardening and gives them tips on making better eating choices.
as an urban garden in the Ames courtyard. Basil, tomatoes, parsley, peppers and peas are just a few of the fresh herbs and vegetables budding outside the classroom.
“Even in a food desert, finding organic, healthy food options can be as convenient as your own back yard. That’s the point we are trying to make with the bucket gardens,” says Melissa Tobias, a Fresh from the Farm instructor. “The students really enjoy planting, tending and cultivating their plants each week. And in the process they learn valuable life skills. And of course, the kids’ favorite part – tasting the food they grow themselves.”
As an alternative to the golden arches and fatty snacks, simple cooking lessons were also on the summer curriculum. In a recent classroom session, the kids made an easy twist on a gourmet caprese salad, using toothpicks, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil leaves picked straight from the bucket garden outside. Tentative at first, the kids were surprised to find their skewered salad both fun and delicious. They even went back for seconds. What was for dessert? Smoothies. Made with just four simple ingredients, including fresh fruits, the sweet treat was a hit.
“Our food-mapping lesson was a real eye-opener,” Tobias adds. “The class used Google Maps to search for restaurants and grocery stores near the students’ addresses. What we found were fast food chains on practically every corner, but a lack of nearby produce markets. Families tend to shop where it is convenient and affordable. Fresh from the Farm is working to fill the knowledge gap for urban families on the role of agriculture and nutrition in a healthy lifestyle, and to offer simple alternatives.”
Fresh from the Farm will likely be back in the classroom this fall at Ames
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