THOM 14 | Fall/Winter 2020

Innovator
“It’s good to see kids eat a cherry tomato
right off the vine. You can tell they’ve
never tasted anything like it.”
but we really wanted smaller farmers
to get access to restaurants and small
markets,” says Cox, who serves on Flint
River Fresh’s board. “Those smaller farms
produce enough to market, but they’re
limited by the existing supply chain.”
Everyone Is Invited
The teaching gardens and the programs
within the schools have resulted in
students teaching their parents about
backyard gardening. The Dougherty
County school system has partnered with
Flint River Fresh to show the community
what can be done with the fresh produce.
“We want people to understand that fresh
produce comes from the dirt, not from the
store, so we invite the students, parents
and our community partners to share
the harvest through taste-test menus,”
says Blaine Allen, the school system’s
nutrition director. “Fredo talks about how
agriculture equates to eating healthy.”
The system recently demonstrated uses
for kale, including kale smoothies, kale
salad and kale chips. But the item the kids
liked best was sautéed kale—so much so
that it will be added to the lunch menu.
Communities working together to
empower young people to grow their
own food, teach their parents and make
healthy choices? Now, that’s a future we
can look forward to.
Flint River Fresh
flintriverfresh.org
@farmerfredo
69