TEENS FOR FOOD JUSTICE
Editor's Note: In this article, Diana S. ('17) and Gabriela H. ('17) explain how they became involved with the organization Teens For Food Justice and describe what the organization is for and what goes on there.
Last fall, we got an email from Mr. Lord, the community service coordinator, about a program called Teens for Food Justice. This is an organization located at the Bedford Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School, and its purpose is to “grow fresh food for families in a Brooklyn school, using state-of-the-art hydroponic farming technology, and explore key food justice and sustainability issues facing NYC.” We decided to apply to this program because we were looking to learn more about sustainability and ways to help the community around us. Since September, we have been going to this school once a month, and we work together with teens from all over New York City to plan Community Outreach events. These events involve different nutrition and fitness workshops to try and entertain kids and their families, while informing them about nutrition and how to conduct a healthy yet inexpensive lifestyle. Many of these families live in “food deserts”, areas where affordable and nutritious food is difficult to obtain, and so TFFJ’s purpose empower local families to take charge of their own health.
TFFJ runs a greenhouse in one of the science labs, and they use a hydroponic farm system to grow fresh produce. Hydroponic is the process of growing plants without soil but in sand, gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients. This greenhouse is inside a classroom, so the environment is easily controlled with artificial lighting and temperature regulators. The benefits of hydroponics include:
Recently, Packer’s Earth Club has been looking into building an outdoors greenhouse at Packer. This project has been approved by the school’s administration and should be in the works by the beginning of the 2015 school year.
TFFJ runs a greenhouse in one of the science labs, and they use a hydroponic farm system to grow fresh produce. Hydroponic is the process of growing plants without soil but in sand, gravel, or liquid, with added nutrients. This greenhouse is inside a classroom, so the environment is easily controlled with artificial lighting and temperature regulators. The benefits of hydroponics include:
- Reduced water usage. Plants can be provided with exactly the right amount of water necessary. A properly designed hydroponic system uses 10% of the water needed to grow plants in soil outdoors.
- Prevent attack of pests and disease-causing organisms. The controlled environment indoors makes it easier to avoid them.
- Less land surface required. Plants can be stacked (or even placed on multiple-story structures) and moved around with efficiency. A hydroponic greenhouse can produce as much plant as a field ten times its size.
- Reduced shipping costs. Hydroponic farms can be located wherever power and water are cheap, and can be placed in close proximity to the demand for the crop.
Recently, Packer’s Earth Club has been looking into building an outdoors greenhouse at Packer. This project has been approved by the school’s administration and should be in the works by the beginning of the 2015 school year.
"Why Teens for Food Justice?" Become a Teen for Food Justice. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2015. <http://www.studentsforservice.org/volunteer/make-an-impact/>.
"Alex Tiller's Blog on Agriculture and Farming." The Benefits of Hydroponics: Good for Farmers, Good for Consumers. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2015. <http://blog.alextiller.com/BlogRetrieve.aspx?BlogID=2729&PostID=54470>.
"Alex Tiller's Blog on Agriculture and Farming." The Benefits of Hydroponics: Good for Farmers, Good for Consumers. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2015. <http://blog.alextiller.com/BlogRetrieve.aspx?BlogID=2729&PostID=54470>.
