Publisher’s Letter: Fall 2015

On our visit to the education- and gardening-focused juvenile detention facility, the Grow Academy, the teens accompanied us on a tour of the grounds. During the introduction, they listened carefully and quietly (though with some typical teenage fidgeting, of course) as the staff explained how the academy came to be, how things work there, what life is like there, and the staff’s ultimate goal of making meaningful, longlasting connections with the community to truly support the teens as they move on with their lives—including job placements.

They remained pretty quiet as we moved through the main building to look at their kitchen, computer, game and cognitive therapy rooms. It wasn’t until we walked outside that the teens really came to life.

As we entered the garden, the teens transformed into our tour guides. They called out vegetable names, grabbed weeds and pointed out their team plots and individual plots. They beamed with pride, and rightly so. They work hard in the garden, and the payoff is not only fresh vegetables and life skills, but also the feeling of success—an experience that is critical to their healing and growth, and foundational for their self-perceptions and futures.

I know it’s not easy for the staff or the teens, but the people behind the Grow Academy are thinking outside the box to change lives for the better, and the positive ripple effect into the community is beyond measure. The subject of our cover story, Mark Shepard of New Forest Farm, is also thinking outside the box. He has long considered what the impacts of a changing climate will have on our food system (regionally and globally). Mark is prepared to deal with what is to come and is already helping us “Eat Climate,” a term I like to use to refer to the next stage of responsible food consumption.

“Eating Climate” is aligned with the concepts of “eating local,” “eating organic” and “eating sustainably”; it just adds a game-changing focus on “climate-friendly eating.” It encourages us think about how the food we choose to eat impacts the climate.

This may seem like a tall order for us eaters, but here’s an example of a small action that has a big impact: when we eat pasture-raised meat, we are “eating climate” by supporting a farming system that sequesters carbon, thus reducing the overload of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

Or when we eat at a restaurant like Osteria Papavero, we support their efforts to eliminate food waste, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions. (To quote National Geographic, “If food waste were a country, it would be the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind the U.S. and China.”)

The leaders at the Grow Academy, New Forest Farm and Osteria Papavero have some things in common. They are forward-thinking. Their decisions are driven by the needs of the future. They are pushing past the norms and demonstrating new ways of dealing with the challenges we face.

Once again, I’m struck by the amazing work going on in our region, often quietly and behind the scenes. We hope you are inspired by these stories and feel empowered knowing that the seemingly small food decisions we make every day add up to something big.