New York City Girls Fight Obesity with Organic Farming Sabrina Young, Yahoo! Contributor Network Jun 15, 2011 If you are interested in changing what your kids eat and stopping the high rates of obesity in the next generation, I highly recommend checking out this great kid-friendly documentary ""What's on Your Plate?" The film's synopsis (from Whatsonyourplateproject.org): "WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE? is a witty and provocative documentary produced and directed by award-winning Catherine Gund about kids andfood politics. Filmed over the course of one year, the film follows two eleven-year-oldmulti-racial city kids as they explore their place in the food chain. Sadie and Safiyah take a close look at food systems in New York City and its surrounding areas. With the camera as their companion, the girl guides talk to each other, food activists, farmers, new friends, storekeepers, their families, and the viewer, in their quest to understand what's on all of our plates." These girls are making a difference in their hometown by bringing organic food and CSA's to their local NYC neighborhood. The film is also available through instant streaming on netflix. African-Americans and Hispanics have the highest instances of diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity in the US. We can change that by teaching our children how to avoid the snares of the big food companies. Eating well will protect them from the sicknesses that have affected our generation. I wish I had known as much as these two girls when I was younger. I would have avoided serious blood sugar problems today. Enjoy the flick! And take care of your kids! Source: What's on Your Plate. Whatsonyourplateproject.org

Story by Natalie Shepp “This is the best field trip I have ever been on!” Those words frequently slip from the mouths of the children who are fortunate enough to visit the Tucson Village Farm (TVF). During their two hours at the farm, they will pick and plant vegetables, prepare soil, see numerous veggies growing, milk a ceramic cow named Gertie (while learning about the benefits of eating dairy), view grains in their whole state, discover the importance of worms to our food system, take a hay ride to pick a pumpkin or learn about agricultural science projects, and munch on a bag of fresh-popped popcorn (not the kind that hides in a bag in the microwave). Tucson Village Farm is the brain-child of Leza Carter, a very determined woman who wanted to offer programs that reconnect young people to a healthy food system, teach them how to grow and prepare fresh food, and empower them to make healthy life choices. The University of Arizona (UA) and Pima County Cooperative Extension graciously invited TVF to join them and they worked together to secure a visible location for the farm at the UA’s Agricultural Extension. Leza then teamed up with Elizabeth Sparks and Cheralyn Shmidt, two like-minded women from the Extension’s 4-H program and the Arizona Nutrition Network to design a “seed-to-table” program. They wanted the children to not only learn about growing their own food, but also learn ways to prepare fresh food that is both healthy and tasty. This year, TVF welcomed over 4,000 kids to the farm. The state-standardized field trips are offered to grades K-12. In addition, there are family workshops, designed so children and parents can learn side-by-side, and a week-long summer Farm Camp for greater immersion. In the last several months, the Tucson Village Farm has teamed up with the local branch of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Arizona Kids Food Revolution, to host a Kid’s Chef Demo Dinner and a Documentary. Participants enjoyed a local chef demonstration and a complimentary healthy dinner provided by the Arizona Kids Food Revolution creator, Charmaine Thomas, owner of Island Eats Catering. After dinner, kids and adults alike viewed a documentary movie entitled “What’s on Your Plate?” - a film, created by kids, which discusses food politics. TVF and the Arizona Kids Food Revolution plan to continue their collaboration into the future. The Tucson Village Farm broke ground in January 2010 and since then has grown from one woman’s dream into a dynamic agriculture and nutrition education program for youth. It’s clear that getting kids outside and engaged in physical activity and empowering them to develop healthier eating habits are the key ingredients in fighting childhood obesity. The Tucson Village Farm is proud to be a partner in the Food Revolution! About the author: Natalie Shepp is the mother of two food revolutionaries and a proud volunteer at the Tucson Village Farm. She is also the creator and Site Coordinator of her neighborhood community garden.

When two eleven-year olds pursue the source of their daily bread, they unearth the complexities involved in modern food production. Soon they are talking to neighbors, classmates, school administrators, farmers, food experts, and even local politicians to find out more about the most basic human need: healthy and nutritious food. Gund follows the success of her documentary film of the same title to bring this timely resource to a wider audience. Loaded with vivid graphics and health conscious recipes, What's On Your Plate? is a terrific primer on eating right and a reminder of how hard it is to make good choices in grocery aisles and school cafeterias.

As a quintessential part of any day, our meals deserves a lot of thought. America’s crisis of obesity and food-related medical problems like diabetes is reaching staggering proportions, making this the first generation that has a lower expected lifespan than their parents. This statistic, and other befuddling concepts like school lunch menus have spurred Catherine Gund, mother of four, to ask some tough questions.

Guest Blog:What's On Your Plate?