It is certainly no secret that this wonderful nation of ours is producing more than its’ unfair share of “fat” or “obese” or “unhealthy” cittizens. What is really alarming is the astonishing rate at which our children are showing tendencies toward obesity. Take a look around you today, and you wiil see an alarming number of obese adults, myself included! Thing is, we didn’t start that way! I was a skinny kid that could and would eat almost anything put in front of him and never gain weight! That is the same story for an overwhelming number of us. We didn’t spend our childhood over weight. it is a fact that over time, poor eating habits and lack of activity have turned a great many of us into sedentary overeaters. The scary fact now is that far more children are starting their young lives overweight and sedentary. So what does that hold for their future? We are learning so much about the science of weight control. We have learned that processed fast foods have turned us into a nation of impatient fat and sugar overconsumers. Now we are discovering that the artificial versions of sugar and fat are probably responsible for tricking our bodies into storing even more fat and improperly burning the sugars. I have watched myself turn from a skinny teen into a chubby adult and the doctors say all of that isn’t good for us including the lack of activity. At what point do we get away from what is good for us, and start embracing the bad?

This all leads me to a simple concept I have called “Seed to Feed”. In it’s purest form this is a concept that takes food all the way back to the seed. I would like to introduce programs in our elementary schools that would call for individual schools to have a space set aside for a garden. I don’t care if it is outdoors or indoors, although out would be healthier for the kids. This effort would involve the talents and skills of a great many individuals to assist with the start-up and maintenance of the garden. A local nursery or hardware store could donate the seeds, tools, soil, fertilzers and if necessary irrigation equipment to start a small garden. Local chapters of Master Gardeners could be called upon to donate time to educate the children in the whole process of planting, nurturing, and harvesting a garden. In extreme examples if enough produce was harvested, perhaps a purveyor could be called upon to certify the results as organic, and possibly used for consumption. I see this starting in kindergarten (I know there are already many pre-schools doing this as well as Montessoris) and continuing as far as a system is willing to take it.

This process, I believe will restore an understanding and appreciation of whole foods, and the “slow food” concept. It would teach the children so much more than just how to plant a seed. By following through on the process they discover the science, the mathematics, the patience, the nurturing, the loving, and after the harvest, the business end of bringing food to the table. I could go on and on about how much a child could learn from all of this, and this is the type of thing they could carry with them forever. The saying goes “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life”. Through this whole process, i can see our future generations gaining a greater understanding of what it takes to eat healthy and continue to do so for the rest of our lives.

The side benefit to all of this is the involvement of adults. Whether it is the teachers, or those who donate time, services, or products, good is to be gained from and for all. Can you imagine the school lunch program at a school that has learned to emphasize and expect healthy? Perhaps it could have a trickle back effect to all of the overweight parents which have developed such bad habits and ever-expanding waistlines. I have already approached our local school system in Fountain Hills, Az.  I have been met with two different viewpoints already. First was that our current program is excellent (offered by the existing food service provider for the district)! And the other by the administration of the district acknowledging that changes need to be made. I have received their blessings…now I need their backs!

I invite you to respond with your thoughts on this! For now, Bon Appetite and Ciao!