by intern Heather Teige
Slow Food USA will profile a number of our 2008 Slow Food in Schools Micro-Grant recipients in the coming months. Look out for these profiles, along with best practice suggestions for Slow Food in Schools projects from our 2008 Micro-Grant recipients.
The Cornucopia Project, based in New Hampshire, is a mentorship program for third graders that provides students with a hands-on, learning experience from the garden to the table. The project that first began on one acre of land as a small organic CSA, now works on five acres and involves students from three local elementary schools in an array of gardening projects.
The garden projects teach students to plan, plant, tend and harvest. This step-by-step approach allows students to see the different stages of the planting process, giving each student a tangible understanding of how food gets to their plates. The Cornucopia Project also works to supplement the student’s gardening experience by working with the schools to provide in-classroom curriculum, teaching the importance of eating healthy and locally.
The Cornucopia Project uses the support that parents and community members offer as volunteers and educators to provide a model of food sustainability that is accessible to everyone in their community. Project Coordinator, Kin Schilling affirms they actively work to “revolutionize the way people participate in the food chain”, and continue to expand the program’s reach and efforts.
With support from Slow Food USA’s 2008 Slow Food in Schools Micro-Grant, the Cornucopia Project built an outdoor oven to further the garden-to-table experience for the students. In true community-building spirit, they had students and local experts, mix the clay and build the now fully functional oven.
