Voices of the Movement

The Southern Appalachian region is disproportionately affected by national health patterns such as childhood obesity and diabetes. Though this area was once home to the largest coal camp in the world, the community now struggles with unemployment and a brain drain. Increasing levels of mountain top removal mining have damaged water supplies in the area and are also likely adding to general sickness in the area. Black Lung remains a prevalent disease for 10 percent of the population that is still employed by deep mining companies.

I come from a family of excellent cooks. My home town in Maryland was surrounded by local farms and I remember day trips to pick corn and apples. These adventures brought peace and closeness to my family. In my life now as a teacher, I sometimes feel more like a guardian of my students. I want them to experience the togetherness I learned growing up.

I met with a young professional this morning who had asked me if I could take some time to share what I know about the movement for garden-based education. He is hoping to move into the field and wondering what types of opportunities for professional growth and leadership might be available to him. After we talked about what drew him into the work, why he was interested in it, and what kind of jobs he was looking for, he asked me what the standard training requirements for a job as an educator or administrator in a garden-based nutrition program are.

In a three-part series, Melissa Infusino of the LA Fund reports on the introduction and progress of Food for Thought, a three-year "Breakfast in the Classroom" campaign to ensure that over half a million students in the Los Angeles Unified School District eat a nutritious breakfast every morning. This is her third and final story. Read her first two stories here.