Laura Dewell is the amazing founder of Green Plate Special, (GPS), a cooking and food-growing nonprofit program working with middle school youth.
Here is a recent interview.
Why did you start GPS?
I started GPS to be part of the country’s tiny (but hopefully growing), focus on educating our youth about where their food comes from and the vital importance of having the proper tools to care for themselves and their families. We educate by teaching basic cooking techniques and the pleasures of fresh, whole foods. We include small amounts of meat and sometimes dessert!
I started GPS because we have a health crisis of rising obesity and chronic disease rates. A lack of access to raw foods or basic whole products; the absence of a living wage for families working two jobs but still without enough money to buy basic foods; a lack of time and resources and sometimes a lack of interest, (for lots of different reasons) all add up to a situation that keeps low income families and children always in stress. Being introduced to cooking fresh foods, learning where food comes from and digging in the earth it grows in, all improve a child’s brain and body energy. While learning the growing of food is very important I feel that combining the experience of growing and cooking food translates into children LEARNING TO EAT IT.
I also started this because I’m passionate about food and cooking and love kids, particularly middle school. I felt I could introduce cooking and growing skills in a way that would be fun, interesting and empowering to youth. This kind of learning spans the spectrum of vital life skills and everyone should have the opportunity to participate in this kind of learning and mind expansion.
What has worked out the best?
So many things have worked out well! Our location is incredible with four neighborhoods converging at our corner. During our three years on the property the challenges and struggles have been huge but our networking and partnering, our serious integrity in creating curriculum, being open and flexible to the needs of those with whom we are working and partnering has really paid off. Because of the huge support of the neighborhood, on so many levels, some core volunteers and part-time employees we have come farther than most other organizations in a short time.
The garden has really been successful as we have worked with our youth by building with them and not for them. Through the use of cloches and inside growing we are able to farm all year. Making the program fun and incorporating art and projects into cooking and food growing ensures that all of the youth can find a “hook” and a deeper connection to things they thought they wouldn’t like or be interested in.
We have also found vital the the opportunity to partner with the Madrona Presbyterian Church and use their kitchen to do both pieces of our program. We have a great design from Environmental Works for a perfect kitchen classroom and expect to have that built next year.
Lastly the rain garden has been interesting and our new covered gathering space, built with the help of Sawhorse, is AWESOME.
What are you growing this year?
We are growing so much: potatoes, carrots, scarlet runner beans, radish, lettuce (lots of different kinds), turnips, collards, cabbages (lots of different kinds), peppers (lots again), tomatillos, herbs, (basil, mint, tarragon, thyme, oregano, etc.), tomatoes, flowers (including sunflowers), kale, ground cherries, cucumber, squash, winter squash, onions, garlic, peas, beans, artichokes and cardoons (mostly for decoration), raspberries; just about everything that is possible to grow here….which means I’m forgetting stuff!
If you could snap your fingers and fix the food system what would you do?
- I would take subsidized funding from our four top agribusiness crops, (wheat, soy, corn and rice) and instead subsidize small organic or local farming.
- Make fresh foods less expensive and make our huge corporations RESPONSIBLE for the processed health damage they sell (have them pay all our health care costs).
- I’d put a food garden and teaching kitchen next to EVERY elementary and middle school in the country (starting with Washington), and REALLY revamp our school lunch program (not just talk about it).
- I’d make cooking, growing, woodworking/metal working and basic electrical understanding MANDATORY in all our schools –part of the curriculum.
- I’d make sure EVERYONE had access to healthy whole foods in their neighborhoods and because they were learning basic cooking skills in school they would be in the position to choose for themselves how they eat and what they eat.
- I’d create vertical growing farms and do more growing close to cities (on a bigger scale) with vertical farms…..economize our land. I’d ban pesticides…….
I'd love to hear from you!