Healthy Kids = Better Learners = Healthier Life = Stronger Communities

This week Garden2Table made an amazing connection with a group who's values about food, kids, and education align perfectly with ours! 

ActiveChefs is a non-profit organization committed to promoting and sustaining healthy living for school-aged children. They have developed a program that incorporates multicultural cooking, physical activity and community partnerships. 

After looking through their website, ActiveChefs is an inspiring group. The programs that they develop are set at an affordable price, even free. Cooking demonstrations, recipe creation, and grocery store trips are just a few of the educational activities these kids can experience. 

Some exciting highlights for ActiveChefs are:

ActiveChefs by the Numbers:
2011    Founded
2,875   Participants
 116     Programs
  31      Locations
 92%    Spending on Program Activities
  39      Volunteers & Instructors

After starting in 2011, ActiveChefs has made a huge impact all throughout Southern Ontario. Working with their sponsors and through grant funding, they have been able to support youth education on food and healthy lifestyles. After all, food is what sustains us. Why not set up future generations with the right tools and information to make healthy decisions? 

Check them out in the news here: http://www.insidehalton.com/photozone/1371588

“We’ve had the pleasure of working with ActiveChefs on three extremely successful school events focused on increasing parent involvement in our school while promoting healthy lifestyles for children.” -- Catholic School Council, St. Joseph School, Oakville, ON

Food Tube

As many of us know, Jaime Oliver is a bit of a food education "pioneer". His Food Revolution gained interest globally, and he has even started a Food Revolution Day to "stand up for real food".

More recently, on January 21st 2013, he launched Food Tube. A youtube channel specifically designed to showcase recipes that can easily be made at home. The channel presents chefs from all around the world making their favourite recipes.

Viewers are encouraged to ask questions on the channel and he will answer them throughout the show.

Check it out HERE!

As always, we encourage you to keep learning, discovering, and eating great food!

Cheers,
Emily

2012: A Year in Review

This year was an amazing year for Garden2Table. A new team formed, establishing new goals and bringing together people passionate about food and education. We all come from a different background, and each of us holds a different relationship with food. The goal of Garden2Table - at it's core - is to help people, youth especially, build a relationship with food. 

The fall semester was busy with frequent visits to the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming and PJs in the Atrium. Students got the chance to see food in it's raw form, straight from the earth. They had a chance to harvest and taste fresh vegetables, fruits, and berries and learn how to make simple, delicious snacks. Each student was also given the opportunity to create their own cookbook with the recipes they tried and tested that day to bring home to their families.

With the semester coming to a close, we hosted a Charity Dinner in celebration of what has been accomplished so far. On Sunday November 18th, Garden2Table partnered with several leaders in Wellington counties gastronomic community. The charity dinner, "Gastronomy through Generations", was a huge success. Guests filled PJs in the atrium to share an experience we will never forget. Food has brought our community together through the recognition of the importance of food sustainability and children's growing relationship with food. The evening celebrated the success of brining 1000 children through Garden2Tables community outreach program. The program brings local students to the Guelph Centre for Urban Organic Farming to learn where food comes from, learn about land and harvesting and how to prepare healthy snacks with the vegetables they harvest from the garden.

Local ingredients were used to make a fantastic meal prepared Court Desautels and John David, Simon Day, the Screaming Avocado, and several student volunteers from the University of Guelph along side our own Garden2Table team.

 

The continued support of the community is what allows us to bring students to the garden and engage them in the food they eat everyday. 

2013 will be a great year for all of us, and the Garden2Table program. Our next big project is College Royale; check back to find out more as March approaches!