Tiffany Knight could also be a first-time gardener, however the seeds she is planting in Van Buren might be harvested for generations to come back.
Knight serves as a FoodCorps service member at James Tate Elementary and Oliver Springs Elementary, alongside Rebecca Christie, who serves at King Elementary and Central Elementary in Van Buren.
“I’m a metropolis woman, so I’ve by no means gardened a day in my life,” Knight mentioned. “Actually, the youngsters have been educating me tips on how to backyard.”
Studying goes past college partitions for the elementary college students Christie and Knight work with in FoodCorps, as they dig, plant and harvest in campus gardens.
“We’re chargeable for maintaining the gardens, working with the youngsters … educating the youngsters the place meals comes from, introducing them to completely different meals that perhaps they haven’t tried earlier than,” Christie mentioned. “… Additionally, a part of it’s being chargeable for sustaining the backyard, planting the seeds in order that, ultimately, when FoodCorps leaves, the faculties will be capable to proceed the backyard programming.”
FoodCorps, a member of the AmeriCorps Service Community, locations service members in colleges the place 50% or extra of scholars obtain free and lowered lunch. Service members educate classes on cooking, gardening and vitamin to advertise a school-wide tradition of well being.
In Arkansas, service websites are situated in Cedarville, Conway, Helena-West Helena, Springdale and Van Buren.
Planting a seed
Together with educating youngsters in regards to the progress cycle of vegetation and recipes utilizing recent produce, each Knight and Christie emphasize having a optimistic, wholesome relationship with meals.
“I feel a very huge factor for us is that we’re ensuring we’re not telling youngsters, ‘Don’t eat this,’” Christie mentioned. “… It’s extra of we wish to be sure they know like typically an apple tastes actually good or ‘hey, let’s strive some lettuce.’ … Generally they could go for the cucumber over one thing else, simply increasing their palates and getting them to strive new meals.”
Working with communities impacted by meals insecurity includes addressing the obstacles they face, whether or not resulting from restricted retailer choices, excessive costs and even extra challenges like well being inequities and a scarcity of reasonably priced housing.
In Crawford County, the place Van Buren is situated, the general meals insecurity charge for 2019 was 16.5%, based on Feeding America.
Whereas college students work hands-on within the backyard, Knight mentioned this system acknowledges the challenges confronted by households exterior of faculty with accessible, reasonably priced meals.
“I perceive that typically they’re not capable of get recent fruit and veggies, so like canned and frozen fruit and veggies are additionally okay,” Knight mentioned. “I don’t wish to reduce or diminish their emotions towards ‘that is what my household can afford.’”
Each service members additionally use a culturally and socially acceptable strategy to their classes. For Knight, this implies exploring completely different cultures via meals.
“I like to speak about how various things are utilized in completely different cuisines,” Knight mentioned. “So, perhaps how cilantro is utilized in Latin cuisines or basil in Italian cuisines – simply various things like that so the youngsters are acquainted with how completely different cultures use completely different substances.”
Cultivating neighborhood relationships
Over the course of their service yr, Knight and Christie have planted deep roots in the Van Buren neighborhood and colleges.
Knight laughed as she recalled college students’ responses to seeing her on the colleges.
“We’re like celebrities on the campus,” Knight mentioned. “They see me from a mile away, they usually’re simply operating up and hugging me.”
The affect of the gardens reaches far past the varsity grounds, with Christie and Knight cultivating relationships with the neighborhood.
Christie labored with Tristin Bolton from the Crawford County Extension Workplace to deliver a bike-powered blender to Central Elementary and King Elementary colleges. College students pedaled the bike to make spinach smoothies as part of celebrating Farm to School Month in October 2021.
“The youngsters nonetheless discuss spinach after they see me, like ‘When are we going to make one other smoothie?’” Christie mentioned. “And I’ve had youngsters inform me, ‘Hey, I made that smoothie at dwelling, and it was actually good once more.’”
Knight developed relationships with households via parent-student days, the place the neighborhood works collectively to plant produce within the backyard.
“I feel that it’s actually vital for not solely issues that we’re educating the youngsters, but in addition for the mother and father … that means the educational continues exterior of the varsity,” Knight mentioned. “Involving mother and father, gardening with them and studying with them and from them simply ties every little thing collectively.”
Private {and professional} progress
Knight was launched to the FoodCorps program by a good friend who served within the Peace Corps. Whereas the Peace Corps locations service members internationally, AmeriCorps members work in communities throughout the USA.
FoodCorps was an awesome match for Knight, a scholar at East Tennessee State College graduating in Could with a grasp’s in public well being with a focus in neighborhood and behavioral well being. She moved from Orlando, Florida to Van Buren, Arkansas in August 2021.
“Previous to this, I used to be at Second Harvest Meals Financial institution of Central Florida and dealing with communities who’re coping with meals insecurity and who’re predominantly Black and Latino,” Knight mentioned. “So, this was up my alley.”
Christie got here throughout FoodCorps after graduating from Arkansas Tech College in 2020 and in search of jobs within the nonprofit sector. She moved to Van Buren from Fayetteville, Arkansas in August 2021.
“I grew up gardening, so I knew how pleasurable it was, and I believed it will be nice to have the ability to join youngsters with that and get to see of the completely different features of a non-profit, so far as grant-writing, working with administration and youngsters all on the similar time,” Christie mentioned.
For each service members, this system is a chance to function a task mannequin whereas creating new abilities.
“I’ve realized a lot personally, professionally,” Christie mentioned. “I really feel prefer it’s made me develop.”
How you can be a part of FoodCorps
For these enthusiastic about this system, purposes for the full-time paid positions are due March 31, 2022. Go to foodcorps.org/apply.
“I do encourage others who’re enthusiastic about public well being or enthusiastic about communities, who’re passionate gardening … [and] college vitamin or who’re enthusiastic about rising the following technology undoubtedly to use,” Knight mentioned.
For extra info on FoodCorps in Arkansas, go to www.foodcorps.org and the FoodCorps Arkansas Facebook page.
