Organic School Project Audio Interview with Greg Christian, Chicago’s Concious Caterer

Jim Grillo, NBC5 Street Team

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The Organic School Project (OSP) seeks to help School-aged children become more mindful eaters, one school at a time.

 

What’s mindful? Imagine students sitting down to a school lunch. Not just any lunch – but a meal students have a hand in planning and preparing, full of fresh fruits and vegetables that they even helped grow. Imagine students more connected to the food they eat, and making informed choices about what goes on their plate.

 

What makes OSP unique?

 

It is the only organization bringing together hands-on gardening, organic food preparation and meal service with health-related curriculum and scientific evaluation.

 

This combination of interactive programs is designed to engage children – along with their families, school staffs and communities – in growing, learning about, and preparing the food they eat.

 

A unique collaboration of educators, public and private-area gardens, farms, food retailers and suppliers, parents, community organizations, cooking professionals and health care professionals, OSP seeks to reconnect the Chicago community with their food source.

 

The 3 Components of OSP Programs

 

Grow — Master gardeners, farmers, and green organizations lend their expertise to participating school students and community members in custom designed school and community organic vegetable gardens.

 

Teach — This educational component teaches children, families, food service staff, teachers and community members about all aspects of the food they eat: from the connections between food and health, food sources and preparation, to nutritional value, flavor and enjoyment. OSP teaching teams include culinary, agriculture/farming, gardening and health care professionals.

 

Feed — OSP works with schools and food service vendors to provide organic and all-natural meal service to students, including locally sourced foods whenever possible. Under the direction of OSP and participating food service staff and teachers, ingredients grown in the school gardens are often used in meal preparation or in food-based demonstrations held in the classrooms.

 

Visit their website to learn more about the Organic School Project

 

I would love to hear your comments.  Feel free to click on the comments button below and provide a comment on The Organic School Project interview.

 

Thanks for listening

Jim