By Erin Timoney and John Field
On the weekend of July 6, youth from throughout California gathered at the Media Arts Center San Diego for a journalism boot camp hosted by The California Endowment. With the guidance of adult mentors, the youth produced blog, radio and video reports. This is one of those reports.
As obesity and other health issues are on the rise in America, many schools are taking the initiative to provide healthier meals for their students. On a local level, schools like Crawford High School in City Heights are doing their part to get students excited about eating healthy by starting gardening programs.
The school garden at Crawford helps students learn bout different food systems and methods of growing. Through that process, it exposes them to healthy food choices.
“We take it all the way through, from growing to harvesting to actually cooking,” said Michelle Raymond, the garden’s faculty advisor. “It’s very enjoyable for the students.
A couple of years ago, the student gardeners shared their harvest with their peers. They offered freshly picked daikon radishes in the cafeteria salad bar.
“They taste the freshness of the fruits and vegetables and really kind of light up. They usually very much enjoy the flavor more than in the store,” Raymond said.
Introducing the students to the fresh flavors and process of gardening opens up a discussion about nutrition. Studies show that eating fresh fruits and vegetables limit one’s chances of getting sick and developing diseases. Healthy eating also impacts mental performance.
“If we care for our bodies by paying close attention to what we eat, then it’s going to be reflected in academic performance,” said Keegan O’Neil, a food justice coordinator with the International Rescue Committee.
“It’s a constant battle. When students bring in the Hot Cheetos and Doritos, we look at the ingredients list and talk about what’s actually going into that food and in their bodies and making that connection,” O’Neil continued.
Some of these healthy food initiatives are not only taking place in schools, but within communities. Parents are now able to provide the healthier food alternatives their children are learning about in school.
“Now the rest of the families around here tell me, ‘You know, now my kids are eating more vegetables.’ So the parents come here to buy that produce,” said Antonio Fieros, a community gardener.
“My family used to eat a lot more meat before, but not anymore. Now we eat a small portion of meat and the rest is all vegetables and my family has not gotten sick,” Fieros said.
One of the most important parts of these healthy food initiatives is not only to provide healthy foods for their students, but to teach the students how to make healthier food choices in the future.
“In a way, we plant the seed here in the Crawford garden,” O’Neil said. “Then it’s up to the students later on to make their own food choices and hopefully go on to change policy in the way our food system is structured.”