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Tag: food insecurity

“The American Dream Game,” 2014 David Horsey cartoon
What kind of environment?

What kind of environment?

What kind of environment would enable all of my students to reach their full potential? In last week’s post I explained that I built my fictional Rana Station’s system on ideas garnered from decades of teaching, studying history, and observing our contemporary society. I first studied this question in grad school. Many of my projects centered on the question of what kind of environment students needed to support their success. How can students succeed? Schools traditionally have been held solely…

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Desert- and Swamp-busters: Community Gardens

Desert- and Swamp-busters: Community Gardens

The Artdog Image of Interest Last week’s Image of Interest focused on the problem of food deserts and food swamps. This week, I’d like to focus on one of the solutions that can be used to combat them: the growing movement to create and cultivate–in ALL senses of the word–community gardens. Community gardens are becoming increasingly popular for more very good reasons. Beyond helping lower-income communities stretch their food budgets and gain access to healthy food, which would be enough in itself, they:…

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Deserts and Swamps: a closer look at food insecurity

Deserts and Swamps: a closer look at food insecurity

The Artdog Image of Interest Do you know what a food desert is? What about a food swamp? Do you live near one? They exist in all kinds of places, including rural areas, where you really wouldn’t expect them–but viewing an area in terms of food deserts and food swamps is a way to key in on some root causes of food insecurity. We can join in the effort to fight this trend. First, support community gardens, and efforts to bring farmers markets to low-income areas near you. A quick…

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What is food insecurity?

What is food insecurity?

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest  November is the month of Thanksgiving, a traditional celebration of feasting in the United States (several other countries also celebrate Thanksgiving days of one sort or another). We traditionally think of this as a time of harvest, of feasting, and of plenty. But for much of the world, much of the time–including in our own USA–food on the table isn’t a “given” at all, and “plenty” is an abstract concept. My Images of Interest for the rest of…

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For Food Security

For Food Security

Day Five: For Food Security I feel more conflicted about this one than I have about my previous gratitude topics. Not that food security is not a marvelous blessing–it truly is, in every sense of the word.  But I’m aware that all around me–in my community, across my nation, and around the world, there are many, many people who do not share this blessing. To express public gratitude for it, in the knowledge of such widespread lack, almost feels like gloating….

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