Some people are surprised by what they find when they first visit Green Charter School in New Orleans: a beautiful and productive organic garden overflowing with a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables tended by public school students in grades K-8. 

Changing the way urban kids eat, live and learn is the primary mission of The Edible Schoolyard NOLA (http://www.esynola.org/), based on the original program in Berkeley, Calif., founded by Alice Waters. The program integrates organic gardening and seasonal cooking into the curriculum, culture and food programs at Green Charter School.

The Edible Garden is thriving and has hundreds of seasonal vegetables, herb, flower and edible tree varieties. The garden is approximately one-third of an acre and current spring crops include okra, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, strawberries, blueberries, ground cherries, citrus, spinach and squash. Over the past year and a half, the garden has produced more than 500 pounds of produce that is used in the program’s cooking classes. In the garden, students learn how to grow their own food organically, while science and math lessons are reinforced at the same time. In the kitchen, students learn how to prepare and enjoy nutritious and delicious meals using garden-fresh ingredients.

Real Food for Real Kids is one of the program’s main mantras. We believe that all people should have access to “Good Food,” which is food that is healthy, affordable, green and fair. In addition to the garden and kitchen programming, ESY NOLA is spearheading the transformation of the cafeteria feeding programs (universal breakfast, lunch and snack programs) at Green Charter.

Over the past two years, we’ve added a daily salad, fresh fruit and vegetables, and whole grains to the cafeteria offerings.

Think kids won’t eat their vegetables? Think again. As Alice Waters says, “If they have a hand in growing it, and cooking it, they will eat it.” We are literally creating the demand for fresh, healthy foods from the ground up, and it is working.

If that’s not enough, the program also works with families and the larger community through its Open Garden Days and special events. This year, ESY has added Family Food Nights to its programming, teaching whole families how to cook nutritious, fresh foods on a budget. To address issues of community food access, middle school students bring extra produce and seasonal transplants to a local farmers’ market, providing fresh, organic produce at an affordable price to the larger neighborhood.

Taking care of ourselves and each other, through the growing, sharing and enjoying of food is our way of rebuilding our community. Never underestimate the power of food and those who grow it and prepare it for others. It has changed our world for the better.

– Guest column by Donna Cavato, director, ESY NOLA, published in the May 2009 issue of Foodie News.