Everyone knows I have a penchant for food — wow, that’s an understatement for you — and the best way to insure my coming to any occasion, event, meeting or happening is to include these words in the invitation: “Refreshments will be served, or Food!”Hearing that P.S. 216 will be hosting a walk-through of their proposed Edible Schoolyard (ESY), the magic word “edible” drew me to the school’s location at 350 Ave. X like a moth to a flame, a bee to honey, a fly to garbage. With the help of my former CEC21 colleagues Mr. Eng and Dr. Law, we transported this 300-pound hulk to P.S. 216 to partake in eating the Edible Schoolyard.
I said to myself, “Don’t be silly, Carmine, we’re not going to eat a schoolyard, the asphalt is totally indigestible.” However, I later learned that part of the asphalt-covered lot behind the school will be replaced by a quarter-acre organic farm, a kitchen classroom, and a mobile four-season greenhouse, all combined in a newly designed state-of-the-art, self-sustaining educational building. The kids will grow healthy food, like spaghetti, I hope, and by engaging children and their parents in discussions of nutrition, health and sustainable planting. The new ESY at P.S. 216 will promote healthy eating and a sense of responsibility for the environment, while growing fewer fat kids.Obesity is getting to be an epidemic everywhere!
Imagine educating children by having them plant, grow, harvest and cook the healthy food they’ve produced. This soon will be happening under the fervor of P.S. 216’s Principal Celia Kaplinsky, who traveled to Berkeley, California to gain approval for this ambitious project. The Edible Schoolyard at P.S. 216 will be the first four-season ESY and the first in New York City, creating a space where schoolchildren plant, harvest, prepare food, and eat together the fruits of their labor, while studying and using a comprehensive interdisciplinary curriculum tied to New York State “Learning Standards that connects food systems to academic subjects such as literacy, science, social studies, math and the arts.”
P.S. 216 in Gravesend is the perfect location for the Edible Schoolyard which will become an official affiliate of the Edible Schoolyard (ESY) program started by renowned chef and organic food activist Alice Waters at the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California.
Principal Kaplinsky has done all her homework to make P.S. 216’s Edible Schoolyard a reality and joins a distinguished cadre of experts such as John Lyons, President of Production at Focus Features, Brett Williams, Director of Production at Harp Sharp Entertainment and Sharp Entertainment, Amale Andraos and Dan Wood founders of WORKArchitecture Company, Erica Lowry and Jane Weider, Level Strategic Advisors, LLC who are committed to bringing P.S. 216’s Edible Schoolyard to New York City.With enthusiastic interest, encouragement and support from Borough President Marty Markowitz, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Community Education Council 21, Community Board 15, the NYC School Construction Authority, NYCDOE, Acting Superintendent District 21 Ann Marie Lettieri-Baker, City Councilman Domenic Recchia and Assemblyman William Colton.
The Council on the Environment of NYC (CENYC), where this columnist and Big Screechers first started, through its Executive Director Marcel Van Ooyen, will provide support through their five programs: Greenmarket, Open Space Greening, Environmental Education, Recycling, and Youthmarkets. CENYC has the experience, expertise and know how needed for such an ambitious, innovative, educational undertaking.Principal Kalplinsky, I salute you, your staff, your parents and yours kids and when they finish cooking the food they’ve grown, I volunteer to be the first food taster! Bon appetite!
Screech at you next week!