Food for Thought

The Intersection of Gardens, Education, and Community at Edible School Yard New Orleans

Abstract

This field report describes Edible Schoolyard New Orleans, a school gardening program created as part of the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort. This field report draws on interviews and observations to illustrate the program’s impact on the food security, environmental knowledge, and emotional and social well-being of the students involved in the program. It also describes the program’s unique role in children’s recovery from Hurricane Katrina. The report details the benefits of adopting aspects of New Orleans’cultural tradition into the program, as well as the impact that the program has had on the surrounding community.