Durham, N.C., Teens' Inner-City Organic Garden Feeds Their New Demand for Vegetables
In 2005–06, South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces (SEEDS) in Durham, N.C., expanded Durham Inner-City Gardeners (DIG)-a program that teaches teenagers about organic farming and healthy eating habits.
The organization also launched a companion project—Youth Are What Youth Eat—in which members of DIG performed skits about proper nutrition for other youth and children.
Key Results
The number of teenagers involved in DIG doubled to 20 in summer 2006 from 10 in summer 2005.
The teenagers tried planting nine vegetables and many herbs for the first time, including squash, kale, chard, leeks, golden cherry tomatoes, hot peppers, eggplant, spinach and leaf lettuce.
Ten of the teenagers altered their eating habits, and 19 changed their attitudes toward eating vegetables.