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Why are sunflowers hairy? What is kale and how do you harvest it?
These are just a few of the questions answered by gardener and director of education for Somerville’s Green City Growers, Leilani Mroczkowski. The YMCA’s summer program to help children learn about gardening and cooking food, is taking root in East Boston YMCA’s “Urban Farm to Kitchen” program.
The children in this program mainly come from first- or second-generation immigrants from South and Central America, reports the recent article.
Mroczkowski says the kid’s in the program rarely have access to the “natural world”. Studies confirm that Latino children are less likely to have access to fresh fruit and vegetables and many live in food desserts.
So, how does this program help Latino kids change their diets?
The two-hour program at the Y’s summer camp consists of a gardening lesson and a cooking class. Chef Tallon helps kids learn how to use the harvest of the gardens to create tasty and bold dishes, like the pesto and pea quesadilla, letting the children cut, chop and blend new veggie recipes to their hearts desire.
Allowing kids to have this hands on approach, may help Latino kids enjoy and share these recipes and gardening skills with their families. Adlemy Baez-Molina, an 8 year old girl from the program tried pesto for the first time, and stated in the article, that she will make it at home, saying, “It’s the best thing ever.”
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By The Numbers
142
Percent
Expected rise in Latino cancer cases in coming years
