Louisville Competition
Aetna Voices of Health Competition

Food Literacy Project

 

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Food Literacy Project



The Food Literacy Project's mission is youth transforming their communities through food, farming and the land. Our programs are based at Oxmoor Farm and our farm in south Louisville. In addition our mobile Truck Farm, travels across the community promoting healthy lifestyles and increase knowledge about our food system.

Piloted in 2005 to test the idea of exposing young people to working models of urban agriculture, the organization was formally incorporated in 2006 after positive feedback from the community. We offer the only farm-based education program in Louisville. For the past 12 years, we have been working to create a just and sustainable community food system, making fresh foods more accessible and easier to embrace for Louisville residents.

Since our inception, over 45,000 participants have empowered themselves with farming and cooking skills and have become agents of change, addressing issues of hunger and food justice in underserved Louisville neighborhoods. We engage participants in hands-on learning-by-discovery with healthful foods, enabling youth to farm, cook, communicate and break bread together (as well as with their families and neighbors), directly impactingtheir experience of place, relationships in the food system, wellbeing, sense of community and ability to succeed.

Our Experiential Education Programs invite students to experience hands-on activities, taste new foods fresh from the field, and get involved in the work of the farm.

Field-to-Fork Club is a 10-12 week after-school program overseen by The Food Literacy Project in partnership with area schools. The club is offered to students in 3rd to 5th grades, covering all aspects of the food system, from field to fork. During each club meeting, students prepare their own healthy recipe using fresh, seasonal produce and explore all aspects of wellness.

The Youth Community Agriculture Program cultivates a new generation of leaders by engaging youth and teens in growing, cooking, and marketing fresh foods, and exploring the food system. Using food as a vehicle for personal growth and social change, we inspire young people to take an active role in their food system and create a healthier community.

Truck Farm is a mobile, edible, educational garden that allows the Food Literacy Project to "bring the farm" to schools and community events, such as farmers markets, and community fairs and festivals. Truck Farm is a unique community resource and a tool used to encourage collaboration and exploration of our local food system.

The Food Literacy Project provides farm-based experiential education and entrepreneurial youth development programs that bring the Field-to-Fork experience to life for local youth.

In a time of great concern about the safety of our food sources, rising obesity and diabetes rates, as well as the cultural disconnection between our food and the earth, the Food Literacy Project offers experiential education programs that foster healthier children, healthier communities, and increased respect for the land.

Our plant, agriculture, and food education programs are available to public and private school classes, community groups, youth and after-school programs, and special needs groups. We also offer professional development for educators, focusing on ways to infuse themes of food and nutrition into curriculum. The Food Literacy Project offers a rare opportunity to engage in a sustainable food system, and to share in the pleasures and rewards of farming.

Our contact info:

Food Literacy Project

https://foodliteracyproject.org/
9001 Limehouse Lane, Louisville, KY 40220
502-491-0072
rebecca@foodliteracyproject.org