Teaching Children How to Plant a Seed

by Anthony Geraci · 2010-01-13 06:41:00 UTC
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Anthony Gerasi is part of Change.org's Changemakers network, comprised of leading voices for social change. Change.org asked Mr. Gerasi to respond to questions to provide context for his work and the causes he supports.

Change.org: What cause or causes would you most like to promote as a Changemaker and why?

National Farms to School because teaching a child to plant a seed and watching that seed grow into something that he or she can harvest, cook, and eat forever changes the way a child looks at food. It is no longer about consumption – a more profound lesson is learned.

Change.org: If you could ask 1 million people to all do 1 thing to advance your cause or causes, what would it be?

Plant a garden with a child (whether that garden be a flower box on a windowsill or a vegetable garden in the backyard.)

If I could have two things, the second would be to cook what you planted with that child.

Change.org: What are the greatest obstacles to change on your issue?

Sourcing local, fresh food for the school lunch program is not as hard as it may first appear to be. The biggest obstacle is the understanding that it can be done. There needs to be an awareness of local food systems and how to access them. This obstacle can be the greatest opportunity for a community to rally around a common goal – that goal being putting healthy kids in front of educators and ready to learn.

Change.org: What organizations are doing particularly effective work right now when it comes to your issue(s)?

  • National Farms to School which encourages schools and farmers across America to connect.

  • Public and Private school food service directors who are going out of their way to source locally and who are developing creative and healthy meals for their students.

  • Chefs and cooks who volunteer their time to support our children in identifying career opportunities and a greater awareness and understanding of real food.

  • Children who are willing to take a chance and try something new and fresh.

Photo credit: John Pavelka

Anthony Geraci
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