Class Act
Weekly column that highlights innovative and interesting food and food education and advocacy programs around the world.
Farmer Foodshare: Class Act
Farmer Foodshare is a non-profit organization that donates healthy, local food to those in need. It is nearly all volunteer and farmer/community run. Its core mission to strengthen the way communities get their food with a sole emphasis on local farming. It’s not only a huge benefit, but it also bonds communities. This organization has a pure heart [...]
Acterra: Class Act
A California-based nonprofit, Acterra works to get local people in the Silicon Valley to become environmental change agents. From recognizing corporate environmental leaders to development future environmental leaders to training homeowners to be more energy-friendly, this organization is working hard to make individuals aware of their part in how the environment affects everything. Check them [...]
African Community Development Project: Class Act
The African Community Development Project focuses on poverty alleviation and social justice in impoverished communities in developing nations in Africa and the Caribbean. They accomplish this by focusing on economic self-reliance through microfinancing of community projects and sustainable agriculture projects. Based in Toronto, Canada, ts breadth of work has included supporting livestock rearing in Cameroon [...]
Cool Kids Cooking, New Zealand: Class Act
Based on a children’s television show, Cool Kids Cooking is partly sponsored by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service in New Zealand. With recipes, games, and cooking tips, this group makes eating 5 fruits and veggies a day fun and inventive for children. Their chef, Marco Kouch, also brings Cool Kids Cooking to classrooms, in [...]
Second Harvest Japan: Class Act
Japan estimates that 5-9 million TONS of food is thrown away each year. That is, food that is actually edible. With 16% of people living in poverty, Second Harvest Japan delivers almost 2 million meals a year to over 200,000 people. The national food bank of Japan, it offers various programs to address food insecurity [...]
Nutrir Baranquilla Foundation: Class Act
Children in Colombia, South America face many of the same food issues as in other parts of the world: the dual problems of food insecurity and obesity. With over 30 years of experience, the Nutrir Barranquilla Foundation has worked to battle malnutrition through food and nutritional education programs for underprivileged mothers and children. Interestingly – [...]
Semperviva: Preserving Biodiversity in Bulgaria: Class Act
Karakachan breeds are known to be some of the oldest domesticated animals in Bulgaria. Not only are these breeds integral to Bulgaria’s traditions and culture, but they are important to its ecosystem. The Karakachan sheep’s wool is supposedly the most primitive and course type, and the sheep are adapted to the rough mountainous terrains. The [...]
The Children’s Lunchbox: Class Act
The Children’s Lunchbox works to “feed hugry kids in safe community environments” in Anchorage, Alaska. It works to address children who are food insecure through community centers that provide at least one healthy and consistent meal a day, whether with its early morning snack program, lunch program, or weekend food program. Not a flashy organization, [...]
Connolly Ranch: Class Act
Napa Valley is known throughout the world as wine country. It is also hope to the Connolly Ranch Education Center, a 12-acred, hands-on environmental education program. From organic gardening to ecological sustainability to animal husbandry, school and individual programs allow children to experience pioneer life, farming, and the outdoors, while their parents can take workshops [...]
Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program: Class Act
The New Mexico Farmers’ Market manages 64 markets through New Mexico. Including its WIC, EBT, and CSA programs, the Market works to ensure the state’s elderly residents also have access to fresh produce. The Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program is open to seniors age 60 and over who live at or below the Federal poverty [...]
