Alice Waters is something of a God in the food world. In the Northern Californian food world, I'm pretty sure she eclipses even God. Words like 'organic', 'local', and 'sustainable' are automatically connected to the legend that is Alice Waters and her restaurant Chez Panisse. The Edible Schoolyard's mission is make food and the act of growing your own food a part of every child's education. Walking around the garden- looking at the bright hand painted signs, the little pots of rosemary and thyme, and the small indications of hard work and care in each bed, I couldn't help but wish that this had been my childhood! Though maybe I'm making up for lost time now : )
The Edible Schoolyard Project is our future. We are finally understanding that our relationship to our food needs to change. That we need to reconnect with the process of growth, that we need to remind ourselves of the magic of sunshine, water and a little earth. We need to remember that food is about communion, and nourishment. In the past few months, food has become my cause of choice, and so for me, visiting the Edible Schoolyard was a beautiful connection to something I strongly believe in.
Here's also a fantastic TED talk by Ron Finley (a badass like no other) about guerilla gardening in L.A. - "Don't call me if you wanna sit around in cushy chairs and have meetings where you talk about doing some shit. If you wanna meet with me come to the garden and plant some shit."