We spark instincts already in kids: the desire to get outside and wander, wonder, dig and climb. Kids are curious and we aim to keep it that way long enough to let them bond with, and gain inspiration from, nature. Einstein knew, “Nature teaches us everything we need to know,” and creatively applying nature’s principles leads to brilliant design and a world of abundance.… Read more!
2012 is the year I’ll spend less time plugged in and more time outdoors. After too many hours cooped up indoors, I walk outside and my mind says, “what took you so long?” So, I often hesitate recommending visiting yet another website. That said, the trick is to find the sources that save you from spending time on other sites. Is the content engaging, valuable, diverse and concise?
With that in mind, I find myself repeatedly … Read more!
Farm A: 1000 acres of corn and soybeans managed by one part-time farmer (with help from lots of subsidized oil, chemicals and a couple big machines). The harvested crops feed livestock, cars and food processing centers. The farm poisons the water, erodes the soil and pollutes the air. The fraction of their crop that enters our bodies as ‘cheap’ corn-fed meat and junk food makes us sick and raises healthcare costs. And this farmer gets … Read more!
Humans spent the last 10,000 years struggling to obtain enough calories, often just squeaking out an existence. Here we are in the 21st century and we grow far more than enough food to provide adequate calories to every man, woman and child on earth. Consider that the population at the advent of farming was 3M (rough estimate) and we’ll hit 7B this year and the feat’s even more remarkable. So, when talking food, why is … Read more!
I love Einstein quotes. Here’s one of my favorites: “We can’t solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” It comes to mind when I hear, “We’ve got to get the economy going again.” Yet, if there’s no longer a correlation between the USA’s growing GDP with quality of life (we’re less happy now than forty years ago and easy to see why: we work longer, for … Read more!
Truck Farm Chicago’s inaugural tour is nearly four months in (now powered by biodiesel from Loyola University) and we’re giving away cherry tomatos to anyone who asks.
During a Truck Farm visit the other day, a young grandmother asked, “If you don’t sell anything from your little farm, what do you do with it?” So, while her grandkids sampled produce and painted veggies on the truck, I explained our mission: connecting kids to food & … Read more!
Props are good. I like props, so I knew Truck Farm Chicago would work. With a ‘farm-on-wheels’ that lets kids harvest and eat food, it’s easy to engage in conversations about health. I just wasn’t sure the plants would like being on the bumpy road day after day. Well, from the kale to the onions and spinach, to the chard and broccoli, we’re growing food. And yesterday we harvested the first fruit from our strawberry … Read more!
I have dirt under my fingernails and it feels great. The sun rises higher and our crops grow taller. We visit kids and laugh. Life is good. Check out the latest project- A Green Sugar Press and Seven Generations Ahead collaboration: Truck Farm Chicago.
It’s about engaging kids in conversations on food; how it grows, where it grows and why it matters. From toddlers to teens, our programming runs the gamut, from planting seeds … Read more!
I’ve yet to meet a teacher that believes existing standardized tests are a fully adequate measure of student performance. And I’ve yet to meet a business executive that hires (for careers that pay well) based on how well applicants do at rote memorization and linear thinking.
So, how should we spend time in schools and how do we measure student performance?
I’ve written about Whole Child Education before, but here’s a great site, here. And … Read more!
I’ve been a big fan of TED talks. TED conferences happen all over the world and the brief talks/presentations are available for free at ted.com. Listening to them while in my car makes me immune to Chicago traffic. Why mention it here? There are a number of TED speakers with great insight into children and education.
