Inspirational Little Foodie, Birke Baehr

Check out this AMAZING little foodie, Birke Baehr! Birke is doing his part to make a difference in our food systems, "one kid at a time".



So, next time you see a little foodie on the bus, at your own dinner table, in your classroom or at a family gathering, see them with different eyes and ears. These kids are the future of our food systems and they will be the recipients of the food culture we create in our lifetimes. Plus, they are obviously way smarter than we may think!

Think about Birke Baehr next time you're tempted to pick up the "sparkly cereal" for your little one at home, and challenge your little foodies to try new, healthier options!

Check Out These Little Foodies in Hawaii!

Allow me to introduce you to the beautiful folks of Akamai Backyard in Kauai, Hawaii! Akamai Backyard is a home schooling project that teaches kids how to grow their own food, appreciate what the land provides, and learn about their community and the world through their natural surroundings.

This is all an exercise in permaculture, which is defined as "A unique approach to the practice of sustainable farming, ranching, gardening and living, by designing constructed ecosystems that serve the needs of human populations without degrading the natural environment. Permaculture sites integrate plants, animals, landscapes, structures, and humans into symbiotic systems while requiring a minimum of materials, energy, and labour to maintain". This definition came from Green Destinations.

In short, permaculture is "an agriculture style that mimics nature". Not only does it cut down on food miles considerably, permaculture also restores the connection to the land that has been lost through modernization, and decreases the reliance on outside sources for food.

In addition to growing food and raising animals, the kids also learn about science, the environment, politics, current events, music, Hawaiian culture, public speaking, mathematics, yoga, cooking and other life skills.

What they are doing is so inspiring! I hope you enjoy learning about it as much as I did.

CLICK HERE to check out their amazing video!

Could Farmville Be More Sustainable?

My farm in its early stages...

For those of you who are on Facebook, chances are you've heard of, or even become addicted to one of its games: Farmville. Growing up we never had video games, and I definitely don't recommend countless hours of video game or computer game play, but Farmville has shown me that you can actually learn something from a computer game, and this can translate into more of a connection to your food!

The object of the game is to develop your own farm and gain as many coins and Farmville dollars as possible, while also gaining XP: experience. As you continue to gain coins, dollars and experience, opportunities to purchase different crops, animals and decorations for your farm increase.

I have to admit, I'm pretty addicted to this game! At least I'm not the only one, I believe it's Facebook's most popular game with users from all over the world building simulated farms online. Yes, we should all really be getting outside and visiting real farms, growing our own veggies in the backyard or on the balcony, and connecting with nature in a real way; but during the winter months or as part of our daily computer checking routine, I don't think there's anything wrong with a little Farmville play.

As I continue to play this game, I keep thinking to myself: could they make Farmville more sustainable? They have introduced cooperative farming and they are advertising their upcoming feature, "Farmers' Markets", but I think players should be rewarded for more sustainable practices while simu-farming. I know that sounds ridiculous because, hey -- it's a fake farm -- but if more of us use technology to learn about food and farming, I believe it will motivate us to get outside and discover farms and farmers' markets more in our everyday lives.

Right now in the game, you get rewarded by planting many rows of the same crops, and I'm guilty of feeling great when I get a new sign representing a crop I've harvested in large amounts. However, how about rewarding us for planting different varieties instead? That would teach kids and adults about diversity on the farm and how it is a more organic, healthy way to plant crops.

Or, what about rewarding those who plant trees and crops based on the seasons? It's fun to have lemon and lime trees, but we could also teach kids who play this game that based on where they live, certain veggies and fruit are available during certain seasons.

Farmville has actually taught me about some plants I didn't even know existed! I know that is quite sad, but it also proves that even your average foodie is still somewhat disconnected from some of the foods, trees and plants that grow in the world, so I thank Farmville for introducing me to the durian tree and the gulmohar tree!

What do you think? Do you play Farmville? Do you think they could do a huge service to thousands of Facebookers by promoting sustainability in their game? Share your ideas!