Food Security
Earlier in this series, I mentioned the introduction of school-yard green space integration and its tie to the healthy eating movements of the early 2000s. At this point in time, the impact of engaging with greenery was directly tied to farming, which is why it was a popular solution to expose adolescents to healthier food production. Despite the additional factors of these movements impacting lunches provided in cafeterias and extended recess hours, implementation of hands-on gardening activities had many positive impacts.
For example, a study performed in Texas to observe differences in young students’ preferences and knowledge on healthier food choices showed positive results stemming from a summer garden seminar.
(below; journal cover for Koch's work published in HortTechnology)
The study suggested there are social implications behind who, where and what we choose to eat, as well at the importance of teaching such information in a familiar environment. Four different counties within Texas were chosen to participate in the study and, to allow for fair application, they were allowed to administer the program in their own way – whether that was a 1-week intensive program or a 6-week course. The consideration held for economic, social and educational status was very promising, and proved that the researchers were interested in identifying how each different environment could take this system and apply it how they see fit.
Although this all sounds encouraging, it’s difficult to extrapolate the results to larger school gardens because of the volunteer basis for the program, and because it took place off school grounds.
Of course you will have better disposition to healthier eating if you are randomly selected or volunteered by involved cohorts that suggested you for a program.
There is not much information here as to how this method can impact all students, from all places, within their daily school curriculum. Interestingly enough, I mentioned earlier how the authors suggested the importance of inter-weaving this type of program into familiar spaces…just for the education to take place in unfamiliar spaces!
Once again, I would hope you are thinking what I’m thinking, but one of these days I will find out that mind control just doesn’t work that way.
As a child at the ripe age of 8, food was simple for me. If it did not look good, smell good, and I did not see another 8-year-old eat it to prove that it would not kill me – then why should I eat it? The concept of bringing foreign vegetables and fruits to a location where kids can interact with them in a raw fashion will promote many positive outcomes. However, do we care that our children know that eggplant is not actually made out of eggs? Or, are we more concerned about welcoming children into the world of rationalizing information and making informed decisions?
If eating more vegetables is all we are counting on students to do to determine their success, then perhaps we are defining success in the wrong way.
Koch, S., et al. “The Effect of a Summer Garden Program on the Nutritional Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Children.” HortTechnology, vol. 16, no. 4, 2006, pp. 620–625.