Growing Minds in a Garden

A few weeks ago, Caitlin Flanagan published an article in The Atlantic about how programs like Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard are damaging the most vulnerable students in the US school systems. I’m not going to write my own rebuttal of the piece here, but I do like a lot of what was written at the Serious Eater’s website.

I bristle a bit at articles that try to explain the negative impacts of local food education (especially curriculums that integrate exploration in a school garden with the set subjects for a grade) because I credit Alice Waters with my wanderings into the local and sustainable food movement.

When I was a freshman at Yale University, a close friend and suitemate of mine was part of the team that first acquired the grant money and land in New Haven to start Yale’s very own on-campus farm. Our dining halls started serving local and organic greens and meat. We had lectures and seminars on campus with agriculture rock stars like Joel Salatin and Kelly Brownell. I’d never heard of organic agriculture or most of the issues involved in food production before making my way to university. I even remember a discussion in a supermarket near my dorm room that started like this:

“Why don’t we buy these strawberries? They’re bigger” I said picking up some regular super-sized conventional berries. I got a stunned look from my Seattle-ite friend and the start of a long conversation about organic berries which I remember to this day.

photo credit: yale sustainable food project

So, if not for Alice Waters and the educational program she brought to Yale, I definitely would not be living in Vancouver working for an organic grocery delivery service. Now I do sometimes fall into the trap of what many critics of Alice Waters and some aspects of the local food movement have called “the cult of Saint Alice”. But I agree with Ms. Waters’ underlying assertion of much of the work and speaking she does, that healthy, good food should be available and affordable for everyone. Elitist, I don’t think so, but perhaps idealist in some ways.

In Vancouver, the Growing Chefs! program is one of the local non-profit programs that spud! supports, and our customers can donate to through their weekly orders.  Local chefs are paired with elementary school classrooms for a 3 month program about growing vegetables, sustainability and nutrition. There is much anecdotal evidence to show that children in school garden programs are energized, excited and invigorated by the creative learning environment. And, there is also growing research to support these anecdotal observations. And at spud!, we’re always excited to be involved in educating the next generation of citizens involved in the local food system.

What do you think about the Edible Schoolyard or similar programs near you? Have you ever been involved with them? What’s been your experience? Leave us a comment and let us know!