It was back in September, when I received an email from Nicole Calmels, a sixth grade science teacher at Hill Middle School in Northern California, asking for parent volunteers. The school's garden had been neglected for the last 3 years and she wanted to resurrect it with her class. I told her I'd come by once or twice to lend some of my master-gardening advice, but I wasn't going to be conned into a long-term parent-volunteer commitment. I'd been around the block. “I'm from New York. I can smell a rope-a-dope operation two zip codes away,” I told her.
Sigh … I've been helping out weekly at the school garden now for the last 5 months. How can you leave when sixth-grader, Emily Weston says, “My experiences in the school garden have been some of the greatest times of my life.” You can't leave. You're stuck. Sucker-punched by a sixth-grader.
I had no choice. I had to stay, so I decided to make it my goal to turn those kids into tree-huggers and flower enthusiasts for life, just like the junk food and video game companies aim to do. Imagine children addicted to something good that won't kill brain cells, clog arteries or make them sick, obese and clueless? But what is necessary for this cradle-to-grave gardening indoctrination is a passionate teacher and a visionary school principal.
“I couldn't bare to see the garden neglected any longer. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to share what made me so interested in science in the first place; the outdoors,” said Nicole Calmels. “Luckily our school Principal, Chona Killeen, was very supportive of the garden. The administration's support can rally teachers to work together on such projects, while lack of support can crush the desire to go the extra mile.”
Thanks to Sonoma Compost, Dugdale's Landscaping and a group of determined parents and students, a Sunday afternoon in November was spent building 6 raised beds and filling them with soil and compost. After that, a small group of Master Gardeners, organized by Robi Aragon of Sloat Garden Center, came to help out once or twice a month. As student, Julianna Jochumson so eloquently put it, “The thing I like most about the garden is being able to have hands-on projects instead of sitting in a big, boring classroom all day.” The Master Gardeners supervised groups of 4-6 students in various gardening tasks such as pruning roses, creating a compost pile and a worm bin, weeding, watering, dividing perennials and planting flowers that attract beneficial insects. Key science concepts like plant anatomy, food webs, decomposition, pollination and soil organisms were also discussed. Rows of flourishing broccoli, cauliflower, peas and kale, which were organically grown throughout the winter, were harvested just last week and a meal was served in the classroom. “I liked watching our school garden go from awful to amazing!” said sixth-grader, Jenna Hollander.
At the beginning of the year Miss Nicole, as her students fondly call her, asked the students to fill out a survey about their views on science. Over half the class said science was their least favorite subject. After a few months of the outdoor classroom, many of those same students now say it's their favorite subject. “I learned about photosynthesis and how growing an organic garden helps the environment,” said student, Sammy Maher. “When we get to go out to the garden, it's always the best part of my day.” Calmels says the garden has opened up so many opportunities for class discussion about home gardens, organic products, healthy foods, waste management and sustainability. She witnesses the students relating their lives outside of school to the school garden, instead of her trying to draw connections between the textbook content and the rest of the world. “I learned that I work better when I am doing or seeing what is trying to be taught to me rather then reading it out of a book,” said classmate, Francesco De Pablo.
In the late fall, a class trip to Star Route Farms in Marin County was made possible by Marin Organic and Miguel Villarreal, Director of Food and Nutritional Services for the Novato Unified School District. The class gleaned heads of lettuce, which would have been tossed out, but instead were harvested by the students and donated to the local food bank. “When we got to go visit the farm we all got to hang out together and learn about nature at the same time, ” said science student, Josue Diaz. “We all just got to be ourselves. It was like having a perfect day.” This visit to an organic farm not only showed the class how food for many can be grown without harsh chemicals and the various weather challenges farmers who grow our food have to endure, but where real, healthy food that's not packaged, processed, laden with salt, corn syrup and so-called natural flavors comes from. It comes from the SOIL. Not from a box? Say what!
The Centers for Disease Control states “the academic success of America's youth is strongly linked with their health.” Children who eat well are more likely to perform well and have fewer behavior problems. This outdoor learning, away from sitting at a desk (pretending to look interested), encourages students to explore and problem-solve, while also building their self-esteem, nourishing their bodies and spirit, and offering them an appreciation for the gifts of the natural world.
According to Dr. Michelle Ratcliffe, farm-to-school program manager for the Oregon State Department of Agriculture, “School Gardens are not a fringe element anymore. I must have received 1,000 calls this past year from people asking me to help them start a school garden or farm-to-school program.” There are now roughly 4000 school gardens in California alone.
“There are other things that are even more important than the academic value of the garden; its effect on our children. In a world full of TV's, video games, online chat rooms and cell phones, the garden has instilled the intrinsic value of caring for our Earth and each other,” says Nicole Calmels. “The friendships and camaraderie built from the hours turning the compost pile, taking soil samples, witnessing heads of broccoli grow from tiny seedlings, and learning botanical names cannot be measured. The feeling of self-worth from contributing to such a project as part of a team cannot be tested. Our garden has raised a 'science family' in the classroom. As a teacher, I couldn't ask for anything better than that.”
For tips on incorporating outdoor classrooms into the science curriculum, visit the California School Garden Network. A guide to garden-based education using existing curricula in grades 2nd through 6th is available at www.csgn.org. The National Gardening Association also has a plethora of information on how to incorporate gardening into the school curriculum. Visit: www.kidsgardening.org.
For more pep talks on organic gardening, visit www.dirtdiva.com (where critics will be composted.)
Because I said so!
The Common Sense Guide to "Organic" and Other Food Labels
Everywhere you look, food is trying to impress you with how natural it is, but the message is vague and often misleading. What does “organic” actually mean? What separates “grass-fed” from “free range”? We're separating real, meaningful labels from eco-hype.
Photo by greenblog.
Even if you couldn't care less about the growing media presence and consumer curiosity around food sourcing and handling, it helps to know what you're getting when you're forced to pay more for certain goods.
If it was just one government agency that offered semi-descriptive labels, a la the USDA's meat grades, there wouldn't be much to talk about outside the shop talk of butchers. But meat and produce carry a lot of labels and statements these days, ranging from very official imprints to generic terms. Here's the Cliff's Notes version of what you should look for.
The Word “Organic”
This is the biggie among food labels, and one of the most controversial. It's a word that sounds black and white—either it grew up naturally and was brought to you without chemicals, hormones, pesticides, or radiation, or it didn't, you'd think. But under federal law, any product with “organic” anywhere on its packaging or display materials must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients.
To qualify as organic, those ingredients can't contain, or be produced with, any of the following: chemical, additives, synthetics, pesticides, or genetically engineered substances. That's the stated law, but, as you might imagine, those criteria can be subject to interpretation, and the USDA's regulation of the “organic” label has come under questioning. Photo by Tim Psych.
That said, there are different grades of organic labeling in the U.S. Here's how the Washington Post breaks down the differences:
“100 Percent Organic” products must show an ingredient list, the name and address of the handler (bottler, distributor, importer, manufacturer, packer, processor) of the finished product, and the name and seal of the organic certifier. These products should contain no chemicals, additives, synthetics, pesticides or genetically engineered substances.
“USDA Organic” products must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. The five percent non-organic ingredients could include additives or synthetics if they are on an approved list. The label must contain a list that identifies the organic, as well as the non-organic, ingredients in the product, and the name of the organic certifier.
“Made With Organic” products must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The label must contain a list that identifies the organic, as well as the non-organic, ingredients in the product, along with the name of the organic certifier.
“Natural,” “Grass-Fed,” And Other Labels
When it comes to concerns and criteria that the USDA and other government or state bodies don't regulate, the path to knowledge gets a lot more twisty.
In my research, the most comprehensive resource I've found to determining what a label really means comes from Consumer Reports' Eco-Labels verifier, a search and index tool that covers a wide variety of labels. From generic labels applied in spirit to state-specific co-op certifications, there's a really good chance anything you're looking for is in there.
But most people don't want to head to the store, write down labels, research them at home, then head back out again with a verified shopping list. So, with Consumer Reports' permission, I've taken one of their food label report cards, and broken down the more widely seen labels into categories. You'll find far more label-specific footnotes, research, and explanations at their full chart, but these labels, as applied to meat and other foods, have been vetted by Consumer Reports' researchers and broken down by how meaningful, verifiable, and free of marketing double-speak they are.
Note: If these label ratings sound harsh, it's because they are. They're based on universal, verified labels, so use your good judgement when all else fails. If a trustworthy local rancher tells you his meat is free of antibiotics, hormones, and was raised naturally in humane conditions, he may be telling the truth, but not have federated labels to prove it. You should still buy that product. All the rest of this is related to larger-market labels you'll find in bigger stores.
Weak or vague labels:
- Antibiotic free
- Free range
- Free roaming
- Hormone free
- Natural
- No chemicals
If the food you purchase carries one of the labels above, keep in mind that most of them don't offer strong verification and sourcing chains, are used with inconsistent criteria, and don't make plain-English standards widely available. In most cases, they were also developed without public or industry input.
Better, but not conflict-free labels:
- No antibiotics administered
- No hormones administered
- Raised without antibiotics
These labels are backed by organizations that have a consistent methodology and clear conditions for their labeling, and make their standards publicly available. In all cases, though, they weren't developed by groups outside the selling chain, and lack for public input and examination.
Consistent, if flawed, labels:
- Grass fed (USDA)
- Salmon Safe
In the “grass fed” case, it's held up by the USDA, but many have criticized the inconsistency of application, and the lack of outside review. Salmon Safe is mostly consistent and has set standards, but was similarly developed “in-house.”
Certifications with clout:
- Aurora Certified Organic
- Certified Humane Raised and Handled
- Certified Organic, Inc.
- Demeter Certified Biodynamic
- Food Alliance (FA)
- Global Organic Alliance (GOA) – Certified Organic
- Guaranteed Organic Certification Agency
- Integrity Certified International
- International Certification Services, Inc.
- NMOCC – Certified Organic
- OneCert
- Quality Assurance International (QAI) – Certified Organic
- Quality Certification Services (QCS)
- USDA – Organic
Consumer Reports considers many of these food labels to lack for consistent meaning, but otherwise finds them certain, controlled, and developed by groups with both separation and public accountability. The USDA “Organic” certification is, as mentioned previously in this post, divided into sub-sets.
Other tools
We've previously mentioned the Beef Label Decoder as an interactive tool to help you figure out what the label on your USDA Organic beef label is trying to tell you. If you're interested in finding out more about your milk, Where Is My Milk From? can answer exactly that question, if you type in the stamped code off the top of your carton.
Not included above are many state-wide and regional certification labels, which are, as previously mentioned, covered more in-depth at Consumer Reports' big label chart and search tool.
That's our take on slightly simplified food labels. We're not farmers, ecologists, or food inspectors, but we gave it our best. If you've found another guide that's easy to grasp and full of helpful detail, do share the link in the comments.
Send an email to Kevin Purdy, the author of this post, at kevin@lifehacker.com.
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