Food is so plentiful for so many in the United States that it’s easy to take for granted, and difficult to get the message across of the importance of reducing waste. As with most lessons worth learning, the earlier the message can be put across the better.

“It’s good for shade, sitting with friends and talking or play games. Or you can sit by yourself and write something personal in your diary,” said eight-year-old Gabby while talking about her experiences in the River Garden at Seaton Elementary School.

Warren County FoodCorps wrapped up its services here with a celebration last Thursday after seven years of teaching students that locally-grown foods are not only delicious, but also fun to grow.

Countless seeds have been planted and produce harvested since Mary Grace Stoneking arrived in Van Buren two years ago. Assigned as the first-ever FoodCorps service member with the Van Buren School District, Stoneking’s arrival signaled a shift in the way VBSD approached nutrition education and ushered in a new way of thinking about food and its origins for Van Buren students.

CONWAY — Sarah Lane was cheering for the carrots in the Ida Burns Elementary School learning garden in Conway. “We have some carrots that look like they’re going to be ready next week, so I’m crossing my fingers that we can use them before the kids leave for the summer,” she said before school was out. May 24 was the students’ last day, and the carrots “looked good,” she said.

Students gather around tables early in the morning in the Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary auditorium, enjoying yogurt parfaits on one of their last days of school. Not so long ago, many of these students would not have entertained the idea of eating yogurt with fresh fruits and granola. 

MacQuiddy Elementary students were given a special treat Friday when local farmer Javier Zamora visited during lunch break to teach them about strawberries.

Jared is wrapping up his first year as a FoodCorps AmeriCorps service member. Serving a community not far from his hometown, he has built deep connections with local sites and fellow service members—and made a difference in the cafeteria and classroom!

Elizabeth Quintero is a FoodCorps Service Member with Edible Schoolyard NYC. She teaches elementary school kids how to cook healthy meals and the importance of fruits and vegetables.

TUPELO – Local volunteers met Friday at Barnes and Freeman streets to begin rebuilding the Park Hill Community Garden in order to get the surrounding neighborhood and area students involved in the urban farming project.