Debra Eschmeyer
Debra Eschmeyer, food justice and school food maven, promotes access to healthy food for all.
Fresh Ideas 2010
Ideas carry such significance because they provide inspiration and focus action. And innovation, a necessity for future economic growth and creating a better world, almost always starts with an idea. Five years from now, some of these Fresh Ideas might appear to have been too idealistic, while others might become accepted doctrine. But the importance of taking the time to stretch our thinking and reflect on better paths for achieving our goals is always of value.
It seems to be a paradox: One in four U.S. children struggle with hunger, while one in three is obese or overweight. Yet the root cause is the same: lack of access to healthy food. Give children nourishing food in the cafeteria; nutrition education in the classroom; and hands-on learning through school gardens; and a lifetime of healthy eating can take root.
Enter FoodCorps.
An AmeriCorps Farm to School and school garden program, FoodCorps members will work in school districts suffering disproportionate rates of childhood obesity. The program will serve vulnerable children, improving access to healthy, affordable school meals, while also serving its AmeriCorps members by training them for careers in food and agriculture. Serving your country will take on meaning beyond fighting on foreign soil. It can also mean farming American soil as a food soldier on the front line in the war against obesity. www.food-corps.org
