Curbing Hunger Through Sustainability

Multiple staggered harvests through the spring, summer, and fall season

All wastes get returned to compost or to the bioreactor compost

Parterre Herb Garden Update 2022

First full harvest

Harvest Storage Through Winter

Curbing Hunger Through Sustainability Is a multi step goal. It isn’t just one thing, a monolithic action, it’s a series of intentional actions and systems and ways of thinking about the world. We are so obsessed and a resource hungry world I’m thinking of food as one thing. That is unsustainable and the very worst thing you can do to curb hunger.

I tie this simple truth of where food comes from and what food is to games and projects so they can see all food has an origin story — and it isn’t a grocery store-y.

Jim Bruner

part of the issue with hunger is access to food obviously. Another problem arises when you don’t have space to grow food. One of the best ways we can get around that problem is technology and vertical growing and hydroponics.

Food is complex, and has a short shelf life

Food is a cultural phenomenon, as well as a critical need. At Mezzacello I take food very seriously. For me is a complex web of nutrients and varietals chosen because they’re hearty, nutritious, and they store well.

To reach a sustainable goal of ending hunger we need to stop treating food as a magic resource. I am completely aware that that’s easy to say and even harder to do. That’s why I’m committed to education around what food is why it’s important and why it’s more than just one strategy.

In my programs and camps, every kid and teacher knows that the whole goal of an ecology is to maximize nutrition life and diversity in terms of food, nutrients, and water. This is easy to do when you start thinking about food as a gift and not as a tool. The very best way to do this with kids is to make it relevant to them and fun while still showing them why food matters.

I have compassion and empathy and I remember what it was like to be a kid where everything was mysterious because the adults did everything. Kids don’t know how unsustainable our food systems are in the world today. So I tie this simple truth to games and projects so they can see all food has an origin story — and it isn’t a grocery store-y.