Students dig up lessons in healthy eating

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Cape Fear area kids are digging deep for some lessons in healthy eating.

It’s the last week of school for these Town Creek second graders but the work isn’t quite done. There are weeds to pull and plants to water.

But Kristin Lee, second grade teacher, says students can’t wait to get out to the garden.

“I just think they are mainly excited, they do get their energy out doing the physical things so it’s good for them all the way around,” Lee said.

Elin Amundson, Foodcorps service member, says this garden is part of a Foodcorps program.

“Foodcorps is a nationwide team of Americorps leaders who serves in low resource communities to help connect kids to real food and help them grow up healthy,” Amundson said.

“We are a grantee of AmeriCorps, which means that we are ‘part of the AmeriCorps service network’. This means that we get roughly 20% of our funding from them, with the rest coming from large foundations, family foundations, corporate sponsorships, and individual donors,” Amundson said.

According to the Foodcorps website one and three children born in 2000 on the track to Type 2 diabetes, healthy eating lessons are important.

“It’s been really powerful to see their knowledge about food grow. I mean I love food and I love to see kids get excited and light up about things that are going to benefit them in the long run if they can form these healthy habits now,” Amundson said.

Town Creek Elementary School received a $5,000 grant from Lowe’s Home Improvement store for the garden.

Seven other schools in Brunswick county and New Hanover County have gardens through Foodcorps.