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Food Systems Project
Photo of sunflower in Riddle school garden courtesy of Katie Olender
Without a full-service grocery store, northwest Lansing is considered a "food
desert." Many residents, especially the ¼ living in poverty, find it difficult to
access healthy food. The Food Systems Project works to increase residents'
access to healthy, affordable food while educating residents about the
importance of eating healthy. Click here for our brochure!
desert." Many residents, especially the ¼ living in poverty, find it difficult to
access healthy food. The Food Systems Project works to increase residents'
access to healthy, affordable food while educating residents about the
importance of eating healthy. Click here for our brochure!
| Food Systems Project Programs: School Garden Based Nutrition Education In School Nutrition Education Currently three elementary schools participate in our School Garden-Based Nutrition Education program. These schools are: Riddle Elementary School, Willow Elementary School and El Shabazz Academy. Students at these schools participate in our In-School Nutrition Education Program which makes monthly visits to each classroom in the school. During these 1-hour classroom visits students learn about a different fruit or vegetable, how it grows in the garden and its nutritional value. Students also prepare a healthy recipe using the featured fruit or vegetable of the month. When the weather permits, students are also able to get outside to plant seeds, tend to the plants and harvest fresh produce from their school garden! After School Nutrition Education Our After School Nutrition Education Program currently runs at three sites. These sites are: Willow Elementary School, Letts Community Center and Gier Community Center. Kids who sign up for After School Garden Club participate in a variety of fun activities. Students cook a new healthy recipe every week, exercise, play games and make arts and crafts! After-School Garden Club schedule is as follows: Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:15-4:30pm at Willow Elementary School, Mondays 4-5pm at Letts Community Center and Wednesdays from 4-5pm at Gier Community Center. For more information or to register please contact Terra at (517) 999-2894 or terra@nwlansing.org. Summer Garden Camp Program Even when the school year is over, the learning doesn’t end! The Food System Project also offers a summer garden camp program where students are able to continue learning and growing in the garden. Youth will cook a different healthy recipe every day, harvest fresh produce from the garden and participate in a variety of fun, interactive and educational lessons and activities. For more information or to register please contact Terra at (517) 999-2894 or terra@nwlansing.org. Adult Nutrition Education Our adult nutrition education program offers a variety of healthy food samplings and physical education activities at various locations. Our current locations include Letts Community Center, NorthWest Initative’s Emergency Food Distribution at First Presbyterian Church (510 West Ottawa St.) and at our Westside Farmer’s Market which runs from 3:30-7:00pm from June 17th- October 14th for the 2013 season. We also offer a “Money for Food” class that focuses on helping families with limited resources to learn how to budget for nutritious food for the entire month. The lessons are designed for use with the SNAP (food stamps) program but are applicable to everyone. Class size is small and interactive. Space is limited. For more information on this program please contact Terra at (517) 999-2894 or terra@nwlansing.org Community Gardens NorthWest Initiative also coordinates two community gardens at the following locations: • Grace Lutheran Church, 528 N. MLK (MLK/Lapeer) • Community Garden on the corner of Pine and St. Joe/I-496 We also have several affiliate gardens with space available. For more information on any of these programs please contact Terra at (517) 999-2894 or terra@nwlansing.org. Seeking Volunteers We are always in need of volunteers! Volunteer opportunities range from leading school garden activities in K-6 classrooms to garden planning, to simply helping to water and weed the gardens. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, reliable, timely and able to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. If you would like more information on volunteer opportunities, please contact Terra at (517) 999-2894 or terra@nwlansing.org. Donate - Our Gardens Need Your Support! This program is funded by the Michigan Nutrition Network, which covers staff time and food for nutrition education purposes. However, every hose, shovel and plant for the garden is made possible by community donations. These unrestricted funds support school gardens currently serving over 1,000 students at El Shabazz Academy, Riddle Elementary, and Willow Elementary schools. If you would like to donate, or if you have questions about our program, please contact Terra at (517) 999-2894 or terra@nwlansing.org. |
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| NorthWest Initiative - North Neighborhood Center 530 W. Ionia St., Suite D, Lansing, MI 48933 Phone: 517-999-2894 Fax: 517-999-2897 |
