Third grade students enthusiastically raised their hands to share what they knew about compost and food waste before breaking into small groups to participate in activities. After the lesson, everyone was all smiles as they helped themselves to healthy snacks such as carrots, bell peppers, orange peppers, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and hummus.
“We teach students how to reduce food waste by using leftovers, composting, and growing carrot tips and green onions. We want to spread this throughout the community. , we hope to encourage more children to use food scraps,” said Jen Kempinen, health education coordinator for the CalFresh Healthy Living Program at the Nevada County Department of Public Health.
This was the fifth and final visit to 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classrooms at Lady Springs School this school year as part of a new pilot curriculum program to teach young people about food waste and healthy eating. . Students learned that reducing food waste is good for the planet and their bodies, and saves money and valuable resources.
“They love it. They eat so many vegetables. We're really excited about this,” says nutritionist and nutrition educator contracted with the Nevada County Department of Public Health's CalFresh Healthy Living program. says Shawna Schultz,
“They're at an impressionable age, and I hope the idea sticks with them and takes the message home to their parents. That's my hope to make a difference somewhere,” Schultz said. Told.
According to https://calrecycle.ca.gov/, more than 6 million tons of food waste is thrown into the trash in California each year, contributing to methane gas, a climate superpollutant 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. It has become. . However, much organic waste, including food waste, can be composted and turned into soil. Plans are underway in Nevada County to provide curbside collection of food waste to meet state standards for diversion required by SB1383. According to Waste Management, it is estimated that 10,182.60 tons of food waste can be collected in Nevada County.
A total of 278 students in just two schools in the state, Nevada County and San Diego, are participating in a new educational opportunity about food waste using the Leah's Pantry curriculum. Leah's Pantry is a California nonprofit organization that conducts training for her California SNAP-Ed program called CalFresh Healthy Living. The program's vision is to ensure that all people have access to healthy food, regardless of their socio-economic status.
“Our plan was to partner with local schools on food waste prevention, recovery and redistribution efforts,” said Toby Gevin, program manager for the Health and Human Services Division at the Nevada County Department of Public Health. “Starting with direct education classes to generate awareness and interest makes sense and aligns with the schools' existing efforts.” Nevada County's goal is that through this program he will reach out to CalFresh-eligible people. is to reach.
“I think it was exciting for the kids. They learned where their food comes from,” said Claudia Piner, a third-grade teacher at Lady Springs.
This class will help students already do things like compost in the schoolyard, separate recyclables, create a new scratch-cooked meal program, and run an on-campus store stocked with food donated by local food banks, churches, and Rotary. It complements the activities we do at school. group.
“Ready Springs is very enthusiastic and excited about this initiative, and it also complements many of their existing efforts. Therefore, we view this as a multi-year project and are working with other We hope to encourage schools to do the same,” Gevin said.
Schools are already leading the way when it comes to food waste.
Three years ago, former school employee Linda Garton founded the THRIVE (Together Helping Rise Inspire Value and Empower) store on campus to provide free healthy food to students and their families who need it most. supported.
“I really wanted it to be a store, a community hub, a school hub where all kids felt welcome. I didn't want to feel stigmatized. It’s a success,” Garton said. She continues her volunteer work even after her retirement, coordinating her food deliveries and collecting data.
The school has 50 percent of its students identified as low-income and eligible for Title 1 funding.
“We have families that are really struggling,” Principal Chrissy McCune said.
Now, the community has come together to support the THRIVE store, and students are helping run it. The Nevada County Food Bank, Interfaith Food Ministries, Penn Valley Rotary, United Way and Whispering Pines Church donate food and volunteer time to keep the store open.
In the lunchroom, students are diverting waste that goes into the trash cans. They recycle unused plastic utensils and seasoning packets, pour unused milk into 5-gallon buckets and dump it down the drain, feed lettuce and fruit to chickens, and recycle completely unedible items. We donate delicious food to THRIVE stores.
“We're seeing a lot of waste going on,” said Brandy Carter, Sierra Harvest's school liaison and farm educator, who also serves as a teacher's aide. She runs her two gardens on campus and has started a composting project.
“Part of my goal for this garden is to provide food for the THRIVE store,” she said.
Older students can enroll in an elective cooking class where they create recipes based on ingredients found in the THRIVE store and provide prepared meals for their families to take home. The school will soon add a new salad bar and scratch cooking to further reduce plastic packaging and food waste.
Surveys conducted throughout the CalFresh Healthy Living Team curriculum will be reflected in future programming for the coming school year. Youth who complete this program will teach others as youth ambassadors.
“All of these things are connected. It's all part of a cycle,” Carter said.
Laura Petersen is a freelance writer living in Grass Valley. This article is one in her series written on behalf of Nevada County. Contact her at laurapetersenmedia@gmail.com.