November was a busy month for Youth Programs at Growing Hope! We started afterschool programming at Washtenaw International Middle Academy (WIMA), Ypsilanti Community Middle School, and Adams STEM Elementary School.

Our garden based nutrition education classes have been focusing on creating a sense of community within the classroom while learning about where our food comes from and the nutritional value of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables. We have been starting our classes with a “Taste Test” wherein we try a new, diverse fruit or vegetable, along with preparing a recipe together and eating together.

 

Students have enjoyed getting to know each other, getting to know the Seed2Plate facilitators, and being a part of the process of cooking healthy, tasty foods. Focusing on seasonality, we have been preparing food such as savory mashed root vegetables, pumpkin pancakes, and baked sweet potato fries.  We have done “Taste Tests” of fresh carrots from our urban farm, pomegranates, and persimmons