These are often the very communities that are disproportionately affected by the unhealthy and potentially deadly consequences of an unhealthy food system. Low-income urban areas especially often have limited access to health fresh food and physical exercise. Studies show: African-American and Mexican-American children have exceeded Caucasian children in obesity rates as much as 12%. While about 15% of Caucasian boys were considered obese between 1999 and 2002, 19% of African-American boys were and almost 25% of Mexican American boys were. For girls, these numbers were 13%, 24% and 20%, respectively.

Obesity rates for low-income children are also far greater regardless of ethnicity, and statistics show that this gap is increasing. In Colorado, a study found that 25% of children from low-income households were obese, compared with 8% of children from more affluent households. But when a $3 fast food menu can feed a family, the 1,000 calorie meal with a day’s worth of fat with no fruit or vegetables is not a deterrent. One must eat.

Statistics show that the rate of childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and 12-19 years in the last three decades. For those children 6-11, this rate has tripled. Approximately, 9 million children (6 and up) are considered obese. That is 16% of children.

We know the long-term implications about childhood obesity. According to the Healthy Eating Guide, an estimated that 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in their lifetime. They have higher risks of asthma, sleep apnea, bone problems, gastro-intestinal diseases, early puberty, and psychology problems. This will affect the healthcare system, the Earth…the list goes on and on.

What can we do about this? One movie you MUST watch about the current industrial food system to give you some ideas. I missed it in the theaters and finally got it on DVD: the much-acclaimed Food Inc.

Many of you have seen it. If you haven’t, SEE THIS MOVIE. I knew I wanted to see it but since I am already a Michael Pollan and Polyface Farms fan (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, I URGE you again to read this book

(there’s a young reader’s version) AND watch this movie), I didn’t think it was as urgent that I see this movie. I was wrong. I am glad I saw it and I recommend you watch it as soon as possible.

There have been many reviews about it and the movie’s site has great information on how to support healthy foods and a much-needed change in our current industrial food system.

Rather than summarize the movie or talk about how we all need to really know where our food comes from here (the movie was a vivid reminder of why this is so important), however, I’m going to focus on something that I realized as I watching this movie.

There were only two stories that reflected people of color in the movie.

In the first example, it was about a family who know fast food is unhealthy but cannot afford the healthier options. In the second example, it was about illegal migrant workers working in industrial feedlots.

Is the issue of eating organic/healthy divided along a color line? A class line?

There have been numerous local and regional programs to address this issue within low-income and minority communities, from The Food Project in Boston to SEEDS in Durham. But more must be done. More attention must be given to those communities who have historically been overlooked. We cannot be so focused on debating local versus organic versus conventional that we forget that everyone should have a voice in these discussion and in the reform to make our food systems healthier and more accountable.

We are all hungry for change. We all have a voice.

This time I volunteered at SEEDS in Durham, NC, a wonderful non-profit that focuses on teaching the young people of the city to “care for the earth, themselves and each other through a variety of garden-based programs.” About 12 high school students from the Durham Public Schools receive small stipends to work after school, learning to farm, run a food business, and participate in leadership development. They learn about issues of social and economic justice, food safety and security, and environmental sustainability.

On this day, they served as impressive tour guides for visitors from around the state.

SEEDS is more than a urban garden for youth, however; they actually sell their produce at the Durham Farmer’s Market every week. From giant peppers to luscious lettuces to succulent eggplants, these youngsters grow, harvest, and sell their produce grown from their own Durham Inner City Garden located right across from their educational garden space. The students even manage their own bee apiaries to make their honey.

Every Friday evening, instead of hanging out at the mall or watching TV, these young gardeners also share their week’s lessons and discuss issues of relevance at the fire pit. A program called SEEDlings reaches out to even younger children with an afterschool program that teaches them how to care for the earth, grow and enjoy food. There is even an outdoor clay oven where the youngsters make their own pizza with fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs grown with their own hard work.

In a time when we hear about the terrible, horrible state of our youth, it is so heartening to know that if the young people of SEEDS are the stewards of our Earth, we might be OK after all.

Grown by the young men and women of SEEDS, a non-profit organization focused on developing youth leadership and urban gardens.

Never fear.  I managed to buy some miniature plant pots, some paints/paint brushes, a tiny watering can (for tiny hands), some soil and seeds (for growing flowers).  On a random Saturday a few weeks back, we sat on our kitchen floor, laid out some paper bags and pimped out our plant pots.  We dumped in some dirt, added the seeds and watered (actually, almost drowned) our newly planted seeds.

So much for our gardening project.  The entire project took less than 5 minutes!  I broke out a pair of gardening gloves for no reason!  The oldest child lost complete interest after 5 minutes and the baby tried her best to eat some acrylic paint.  Disaster.  The worst part is that, after two weeks of watering and watching, NOTHING sprouted!  The only thing we had after two weeks was two pots of WET DIRT!  Sad, Sad, Sad.

But you know what?  Within those five minutes, we created instant memories.  I know, it sounds cheesy, but when these kiddies are in their 30’s and looking back through the photo albums, they’ll fall over laughing at our sad attempt to introduce them to our fragile, but incredibly vital, ecosystem.  There will definitely be other opportunities to teach my kiddies a few things…. perhaps next time, I’ll see about renting a plot of land at our local neighborhood garden and recruiting the help of a green thumb!   Here’s to creating memories!