Episode 197: Planting Seeds of Justice: How Gardening Breaks Barriers to Food Access
About the Podcast
For today’s episode, Clancy speaks with Elizabeth Berkeley, Director of the Chicago Grows Food, focusing on her career in providing cooking, nutrition, and gardening education to individuals of all ages. You won’t miss their discussion on strengthening food sovereignty through gardening, reducing barriers to gardening, and the impact of historical racism in gardening.
About Elizabeth Berkeley
Elizabeth Berkeley began her journey as the Director of Chicago Grows Food in October 2022. With a Masters in Public Health, her career started by providing cooking, nutrition, and gardening education for all ages. Elizabeth also spent a few years in Colorado doing non-profit capacity building across the state.
Discussion Takeaways
- Americor is a federally funded opportunity to volunteer your time and receive a stipend. It is a grant that non-profits can receive to bring on additional support.
- Chicago Grows Food is a group of non-profits, individuals, and universities working together towards food sovereignty by reducing barriers to gardening. They provide materials, education, support, and tools for people to grow their own food.
- Many people don't understand that food is a human right. In that human right, it is fair for people to ask for what they want and not expect to eat what is given to them.
- Food sovereignty is not an individual journey, it is a community journey.
- Food dignity is to understand and give people what they want in the way they want it. It is also meeting people where they are and allowing people to have a say without judgment.
#1 tip to improve access to healthy food
Food sovereignty is a community journey about reclaiming ownership over what we grow and how it impacts our lives. It’s also about addressing historical barriers, transforming the perception of gardening from labor to empowerment and control.
Each week on the Food Dignity® Podcast, the Food Dignity® Movement's Clancy Harrison hosts a wide variety of hunger experts and other people making changes on the frontlines. Join us as we dive deep into conversations that will change the way you think about food insecurity.
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