Want to Teaching Kids How Food Gets From the Farm to the Table? Volunteer at Days of Taste

Bags, boxes, cartons, pouches, wrappers.    This is the state of food today as the majority of our CHILDREN know it. For the last 14 years, I’ve have the important job of educating 4^th and 5^th graders in our community about how food gets from the farm to the table…which is a difficult concept for kids, as well as adults, to grasp today. In the beginning, my first thought was to teach these kids about nutrition.  But after spending time with them, I realized that the first teachable moment needed to be about real food.

The stories I hear from the kids are always the same:

·      There are other berries besides strawberries? 

·      Carrots grow in the ground?

·      That’s asparagus? I thought it was celery!

·      I’ve never been to a farmer’s market before. It’s so cool!

·      I’m going to ask my Mom if I can cook with her in the kitchen now

·      I was proud of myself when I tried my very first salad that I ever made!

·      This food tastes so GOOD! How can I get more of it?

As a new mom myself, its that last comment that breaks my heart. I’m reminded daily of my responsibility to feed my child well. Not right, not wrong, but well. For some of us, this comes very naturally. For others, it's completely foreign.

Take time and volunteer your time and expertise with those who need it most. To find out about a Days of Taste Program in your area, go to www.aiwf.org. In Dallas/Ft. Worth, just contact me directly! I promise you it will be the most rewarding 4 hours you've ever spent.