Gardening and composting: a solution for instilling active lifestyles and eating habits in children.

By Bernadette Winslow

“Gardening requires lots of water – most of it in the form of perspiration.” ~Lou Erickson

A disturbing fact: America’s children are less active and eat unhealthy high calorie foods.  Obesity is running rampant in America’s youth.  First Lady, Michelle Obama’s Campaign, “‘Let’s Move’ Initiative Battles Childhood Obesity,” is a step in the right direction towards changing the future of eating habits in America. Among many solutions the Initiative proposes is community gardening. “A vegetable garden is great way to engage members of your congregation and community around healthy, local food. The garden will also serve as an educational tool to teach children that healthy eating can be fun and taste good.” ¹ This has come under some scrutiny in urban areas, due to a belief of lack of space in the neighborhoods or communities.

There are a few factors to consider. Firstly, the obesity of American children. Studies show that children are eating less nutritious foods and snaking on junk food more often. Obesity in children has increased, and today, one in three children in America are obese. A shocking fact, a third of all children born in 20 00 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives. Many others will face obesity-related health related problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma.

Secondly, space in urban areas. Creating mini community gardens, the space can be small. Proposing community gardens takes some diplomacy and some hard work with local officials, but can be done.  There are other solutions for lack of space, such as rooftop gardening.

Thirdly, composting. This is essential to bringing a community together in their waste management. This takes education and the initiative from the community to reduce their carbon footprint on the environment.

Fourthly, drive and exercise. The community needs to motivate themselves their youth to make a difference not only in their community, but also for themselves.  Kids just need to get outside! Play and be part of the community. Everyone knows or should know that regular physical activity is important. According to the “Let’s Move” website, “the average American child spends more than 7.5 hours a day watching TV and movies, using cell phones and computers for entertainment, and playing video games, and only a third of high school students get the recommended levels of physical activity.” Gardening and composting are great sources of exercise and it will get the children out of the house and working on something that has a good outcome and will build self-esteem.

All of these factors are challenges. The challenge of education, motivation and breaking bad habits will take a community to overcome.

Childhood obesity is on the rise. A recent study by professors at University of North Carolina, along with analyzed governmental data, shows that children are consuming 168 more calories from snacks than kids did in 1977. Children today snack an average of three times a day and when they do, they are indulging on sugary beverages, cookies, cake, candy, salty snacks and other high-calorie food, the new study shows. In fact, the findings confirm previous studies that indicate snacking may be out of control in the United States, and it may be contributing to the rising rates of childhood obesity as well as the lack of vegetables and fruit in their diets.

Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina, analyzed government data on the eating habits of more than 31,000 children, from the ages of 2-18 from 1977 to 2006. The results are reported in the March issue of Health Affairs, show that children are consuming:

• About 586 calories a day from snacks, compared to 418 calories in 1977.
• An average of 2,111 calories for the entire day, up from 2,000 calories in 1977.
• A greater percentage of their snack foods from sweetened beverages, juice, salty foods, candy and cereal than kids did in 1977.

The First Lady is on the right track.  Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative is comprehensive, collaborative, and community-oriented that addresses all of the various these factors that lead to obesity by engaging the community in eating healthy, learning good habits and getting the communities involved. 

A community that grows their produce saves money, eats healthier, beautifies and reclaims spaces and reduces its carbon footprint. It can be lots of fun and a great learning experience for kids. Harvesting meals directly from the community garden can provide the neighborhood with the healthiest and most delicious produce available.

Gardening and composting in urban communities will change how children get exercise, but also teach them a social responsibility in growing their own organic food and feeding their community.  The complaint has been space. Some areas of cities and communities have very little space however when there is a will, space can be found.  Community Centers, Museums, Restaurants, Parks, have all donated patches of land for community gardens.  If there are no spaces available, any space that gets six hours of light will be sufficient for gardening.  When there is no land, box gardens can be made.  There are many websites with a complete “how to” on making box gardens.  Encouraging the youth and the community to be creative in farming often results in wonderful outcomes.

If space is limited, a container can be a garden. For example, tomatoes, cucumbers, salad greens and herbs in a single container as long as that container is approximately 3 feet wide and two feet high; you could build a box that size and have a mini-garden. Recycling large plastic containers that could be used as large garden containers.  These gardens can be scattered all over a community or neighborhood.  Going even smaller, there are cherry tomatoes and miniature varieties of cucumbers squash and fruit trees that are ideal for small space gardens.

Another way to garden with limited space is on the rooftop of a building. Rooftop gardens are an ideal way for urban gardeners to expand their space. But it is very important to find out how local ordinances; rental property rules or homeowner association regulations view a rooftop garden.  But a roof provides alternative to looming space problems and ideal conditions for gardening.

An example of community gardens giving back is Tricycle Gardens in Richmond, VA. They have done a wonderful job with the community outreach with gardening.  They have set up “Learning Gardens” with local museums.  Some of these gardens donate their vegetables to the Central Virginia Food Bank.  They educate the area schools on gardening and composting.  Children volunteer their time in growing the vegetables.

One item that goes hand and hand with gardening is Composting. Composting is the decomposition of plant remains and other once-living materials to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that is excellent for adding to houseplants or enriching garden soil. It is the way to recycle your kitchen wastes, and is a critical step in reducing the volume of garbage needlessly sent to landfills for disposal. The use of composting to turn organic wastes into a valuable resource is expanding rapidly in the United States and in other countries, as landfill space becomes scarce and expensive, and as people become more aware of the impacts they have on the environment. In ten years, composting will probably be as common as recycling aluminum cans is today, both in the backyard and on an industrial scale.  Companies like ECORM (Environmental Composting & Organic Recycling Management), provide pre and post consumer organics waste composting services to restaurants and businesses to reduce their waste and meet their sustainability goals. Many states in the USA have stated goals or legislative mandates to drastically reduce the volume of waste being sent to landfills. Communities that utilize yard and kitchen wastes (which make up about 30 to 35% of the waste stream in the USA ²) is a big part of the plan to minimize waste overall. 

There are many options for containing your compost. Some people choose to go bin-less, simply building a compost pile in a convenient spot on the ground. But if space is limited, building bins from materials such as recycled pallets, or two-by-fours and plywood. And, of course, there are many commercial bins on the market. In any case it is great fun for kids. Children enjoy collecting food waste and making compost.

Compost requires a formula. It makes science fun! Good composting is a matter of providing the proper environmental conditions for microbial life. Compost is made by billions of microbes (fungi, bacteria, etc.) that digest the yard and kitchen wastes (food) provided for them. If the pile is cool enough, worms, insects, and their relatives will help out the microbes. All of these will slowly turn yard and kitchen wastes into earth friendly compost. However, like people, these living things need air, water, and food. Composting requires some minor training and kids see the results in just a couple of months.  Adding the compost made from the community’s yard and other organics waste not only reduces the community’s carbon footprint, but also allows the vegetables grow nutrient rich. These kids work their own space, reduce the waste, make compost and grow food their community will share.  It is all part of the Full-Circle Solution.

Gardening is fun and great exercise. Gardening can be excellent exercise. Planting veggies and turning a compost pile can be as beneficial as an aerobics class. Various health professionals and university studies show that gardening and yard work are more than just enjoyable activities.  Gardening for 30-45 minutes most days of the week has significant health benefits, such as decreasing the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as contributing to healthier bones, muscles and joints. Elements of gardening such as digging, weeding, trimming shrubs and mowing the lawn can require the same energy requirements as other physical exercise activities such as walking, cycling, swimming and aerobics. Iowa State University claims that women can burn up to 300 calories with an hour of moderately strenuous gardening activities cultivating or using a spade. Men typically burn around 400 calories per hour while doing these activities.

Only good can come of getting children out of the houses, learning to grow vegetables, learning about composting and the science of composting and getting much needed exercise. But is there more? Yes.

Local and community gardening and farming efforts have helped raise money for the growers and the community. When you buy local produce you boost the vitality of the community and the local economy while minimizing your carbon footprint. In the United States ³, 90% of domestic produce is transported by truck. In 2002, transport of agricultural goods by truck was responsible for an estimated 1% of emissions generated by American freight trucking.  Next to air, freight, moving produce by truck is the least environmentally friendly. "Higher energy prices may – refocus local economies in unexpected ways. For generations most Americans have been buying their food from distant corporate providers.  But with shipping costs — and our food-safety concerns — the trend to buying local is moving into the mainstream.” ⁴ And more often than not, the produce bought at your local food stand is better for you.

Changing bad eating habits, eating healthier, getting more exercise, making a difference in the community and changing the world. As Farm Team members, we are active in our communities and know a lot of local elected officials.  Urge them to talk with local officials about dedicating local land for these projects. It is all part of the full-circle solution.

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^{2 – BACKYARD COMPOSTING, Harmonious Press, 1992}

^{3 – Science News Online – Local Foods Could Make for Greener Grocers}

^{4 – Washington Post 10/19/08}