Dear Maren,

I have one working solution for getting young people into sustainable food systems.

 I am with a group call Ceres Community Project.  We began 18 months ago teaching High Schoolers how to cook organic, locally grown meals for critically ill community members.  You can check our website out at www.cereproject.org. 

The project works.  We have over 100 teens working a cooking shift an afternoon a week and we prepare foods that has been harvested from local farms, farmer markets or participating markets.  After the food is packaged our volunteer drivers from the Rotary Clubthe community , and a local Church  delivers the food to the clients in need.

tFor me his is the ultimate in a community supporting its families and folks in need while giving youth a foundation in nutrition and sustainable practices. 

To date the High School teens have prepare over 20,000 meals.  Our community is better for it.  The farmers are happy to see the food being used.  The stores love having the "older" produce put to work.  The volunteer adult base is thrilled to be of help.  And we even have cooking classes for the clients and adults which start off in a permaculture garden with a bit of harvesting, so that  we learn to reconnect with the source of our health, the earth.

Check us out!

JoEllen