Ivanhoe Community Garden

In preparation for feed the hungry, we started reading about what types of foods low income families have access to and what foods are harder to afford. What we found was that families have a harder time affording and preparing fresh fruits and vegetables. For one, it is more expensive to buy a pound of produce than it is to buy a pound of mac and cheese at the grocery store. Also, if families are unfamiliar with ways to prepare the produce it might be less appealing than the mac and cheese. Last, if food preparation takes longer parents and kids are more likely to settle for a faster meal. So we decided that if we could find a way to give families free access to fruit and vegetables through the construction of a community garden, planted and kept by the kids of Ivanhoe Community Center, then we cut out the upfront cost for the vegetables. We also thought that getting the kids involved in the excitement of tending for the garden would give them a sense of ownership for the end results. Hopefully, making the kids more interested in foods that were prepared with their garden's produce. The Ivanhoe Community Center have decided to run classes every Tuesday and Thursday from 4-6 that will to teach the kids the importance of organic gardening and healthy lifestyles. The overarching concept is to equip the kids with information needed to think critically about their food choices. At some point during the program we plan to show them fast and tasty recipes that they can make with the produce they grew. This is our way of teaching families how to cook and garden...as apposed to just giving them fruits and veggies.