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Edible Schoolyard Project Reaches into the Community


Students at Orlando Junior Academy understand the connection between food and health quite well. For the past several years, they've been learning to garden and then prepare their bounty under the guidance of Orlando Chef Kevin Fonzo. They are now sharing their knowledge with the community

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[A lot at King Street and Musselwhite Avenue in Orlando is the site for the Give Back Garden]

Once a week, K Restaurant owner and Chef Kevin Fonzo, along wth raw foods chef Sarah Cahill teach a Nutrional Science Lab at Orlando Junior Academy. The foods they cook were grown by the students as part of Fonzo and Cahill’s Edible Schoolyard curriculum. Eighth grader Konnor Settie says he loves it.

“It’s a really good class and I think all schools should have it,” he says.

Out in the schoolyard, fifth graders water seedlings they started themselves. Fonzo says fall is the most exciting season for gardening.  

“Right now we’re doing a lot of squashes, pretty soon broccoli, kale,” he says. The success of this program earned Fonzo an invitation to the White House in 2010.  Now his students are tending a second garden off school grounds.

“We have a Give Back Garden growing across the street, we’re pretty much teamed up with Whole Foods and Florida Hospital promoting the garden,” he says.

Fonzo says the Give Back Garden is an open community effort that he hopes will lead to a new Kitchen House or kitchen classroom for the school, with the Give Back garden right outside its doors. K Restaurant is gathering notable area chefs for a Sunday Supper fundraising event October 20th to benefit both the Edible Schoolyard and the Giveback Garden.  

 

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