Planting the Seed

-

Planting the Seed

              Gardening has always been a hobby of mine and when I think back to my experiences, I remember beautiful weather, quality time spent with the family, and plates full of color and fresh fruits and vegetables. After living in an apartment through the spring and summer months, I truly miss being able to grow and harvest my own produce. I have been interested in community gardens since hearing about how they began to pop up in different communities, but there are no community gardens near my area at this time.

              There are so many benefits to community gardens including increasing the access to fresh and healthy foods, providing opportunities for physical activity, improving soil and water quality, creating a sense of community and an area for community members to interact, and creating the opportunity to teach people about nutrition and agriculture.

              Most of these community gardens are found in urban areas where there are very little areas to grow crops and community members are able to rent a spot to grow their own crops. However, community gardens are different everywhere and some gardens may be started and maintained by a non-profit or other organization as a source of fresh foods for those in need.

              In 2014, it was noted that 17.4 million households were identified as being food insecure. Food insecurity can be long term or temporary, but is often due to income, employment, location, race/ethnicity, and disability. Community gardens can help many people who are food insecure because often times they are located in areas where many people have access to in an urban city and all people are welcome. Also, as mentioned above, some of these gardens are maintained by non-profit organizations and provide food for those in need.

              I feel that every community should have a community garden in order to increase access to fresh produce for families. Many school districts also participate in a backpack program where food is sent home with families in need. I think it would also be a great option for school districts to implement community gardens in order to provide families with fresh foods to send students home with. This would give students experience with agriculture and create the opportunity to learn about nutrition while also providing them with nourishing foods.

 

 -MF

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2011/04/28/lets-move-grow-more-community-gardens

https://foodandnutrition.org/blogs/stone-soup/dig-4-inspirations-community-gardening/

https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/food-insecurity#:~:text=Food%20insecurity%20is%20defined%20as,2

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are All Sugars Created Equal?

-
Image
Are All Sugars Created Equal?  I think one of the most confusing nutrition topics for people is sugar. With so many conflicting stories out there, it’s difficult to separate the facts from the fiction. Not to mention, the types of sugars are endless. How do we know what’s best for our bodies? White or brown sugar? Cane or raw? Should we just go with Stevia instead? Is it even okay to consume artificial sweeteners? Should we avoid foods with high amounts of natural sugar in them? Each answer only seems to lead to another question!  Let’s start off with distinguishing the purpose of sugar in the first place. Do our bodies even need it? The short answer is yes! Sugars are carbohydrates (what we commonly call “carbs”), one of the three main macronutrients that our bodies need for fuel to function and survive. One of the major ways to categorize sugar is by separating the “natural” sugars from the “added” sugars. Natural sugars are, well, naturally found in foods. They give us the energy th
Read more

Do you struggle with pre and post exercise nutrition?

-
Image
What should i eat before and after a workout? First things first…carbohydrates, proteins and fats are important for the body before  and after exercise. Exercising muscle preferentially uses carbohydrates from stored glycogen, but fats are also an important fuel source for energy production during exercise. Fats and carbohydrates are the two major fuel sources during exercise. Fats must be translocated and broken down from their storage form before they are used. Typically there is enough carbohydrate stored as muscle glycogen for exercise but as muscle glycogen stores decline, the skeletal muscle will then use some amino acids (basic components of all protein). More specifically, the amino acid leucine is used for energy.              It is important to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates exercise to delay fatigue and minimize gastrointestinal distress. It is also important to consume enough fluids to prevent hypohydration. Now, lets talk about pre-exercise me
Read more