this summer, a number of d.c. elementary and middle school students sold pickles they prepared themselves that came from a garden they worked on together as part of a program hosted by local nonprofit kid power inc. these kids are part of a young and growing population of urban farmers in washington, d.c. this developing community may be key in tackling the district\u2019s issues regarding local health and its food delivery system.<\/p>\n
in the district of columbia, over 35% of children<\/a> are considered obese or overweight and 13% of families experience food insecurity<\/a>. a number of nonprofit community gardens in the area that offer young people access to green spaces could be the answer to this growing problem. these organizations, such as kid power, offer youth opportunities where they can learn how to lead healthy lives. urban gardening also provides this community access to fresh produce. educating young gardeners in the district could be a major step towards lowering local rates of childhood obesity and food insecurity.<\/p>\n
kid power<\/a> is one of several nonprofit organizations in the district that offers local youth the opportunity to try their hand at gardening. kid power offers free afterschool programs to its participants. one of its greatest successes is the veggietime program<\/a> \u2014 which provided students with its unique pickle opportunity this summer. students learn about nutrition, portion control, and, of course, gardening. programs like kid power\u2019s give young people and their families access to fresh produce.<\/p>\n
the washington youth garden<\/a> and city blossoms<\/a> are also among local organizations that use green spaces to teach local children lessons in environmental stewardship and healthy eating while effecting change concerning childhood obesity and food scarcity. programs like these are grooming the next generation of urban farmers. as a result, d.c. could see major improvements in its food delivery system, childhood obesity rates, as well as access to fresh produce.<\/p>\n
buying local produce has seen major gains in popularity in recent years. according to a usda report to congress<\/a> on trends in american food systems, the number of farmers markets in the united states increased 180% between 2006 and 2014. local harvest lists 80 farmers markets<\/a> in the district alone. these markets can provide tangible opportunities to budding urban farmers, like those who participate in programs similar to kidpower\u2019s veggietime.<\/p>\n