Eating Healthy at the Pro-Vision Urban Farm

According to USA.gov, eating healthy food is one of the top ten New Year’s resolutions that Americans make. Clearly, many people understand that how we fuel our body has a significant impact on our overall well-being both now and in the future. Sources like Choosemyplate.gov note that a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables has numerous benefits including:

• Reduces the risk for heart disease
• Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
• Reduces the risk of obesity
• Has the potential to reduce blood pressure
• Helps to decrease bone loss
• Helps to lower caloric intake
• Helps make people more productive and focused
• Helps moderate the stress hormone called cortisol
• Improves the signs of aging due to antioxidants
• Makes you feel full for longer because the body doesn’t burn nutrient-rich food as quickly

These are just some of the benefits provided by a healthy diet. Indirect benefits also include saving more money on health costs and a potential increase in life expectancy. Diet has also been shown to be an important factor in reducing the risk of a number of health issues and diseases, including cancer.

For children, a healthy diet is particularly important. The CDC states that healthy eating helps promote growth and development while creating good habits those children will continue to have as they enter adulthood. Furthermore, unhealthy eating can have adverse affects on a child’s energy levels and increase the likelihood of certain cancers in the future.

At Pro-Vision Academy we’re committed to helping our students and community live healthier by eating healthier. That is why the Urban Farm program was initiated on the campus grounds.

How the Pro-Vision Academy Urban Farm is Encouraging Healthy Eating

The Urban Farm is a unique feature of Pro-Vision Academy. A portion of the school’s 21 acres is dedicated to the Urban Farm, which is overseen by a certified horticulturist, along with beehives and an orchard. Here are just a few ways that the Urban Farm is helping people eat a healthier diet:Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

• Teaching students in the Manhood Development Program about nutrition and having them play an active role in cultivating and caring for the garden. The students learn about plant life and food growth from start to finish, which has given them the ability to recognize and value processes.
• Teaching students and volunteers the wicking bed method. This is a new method of self-watering, soil-based gardening that can be very robust even in the harsh Texas climate. This is a great, time saving, food growing system that can help produce high quality organic veggies and fruits that will in turn provide a source of income for Pro-Vision. Many individuals are learning this form of horticulture and not just walking away with a new skillset, but also learning about the plant and earth process and its care.
• Getting students and community volunteers involved in harvesting the garden three times a year.
• Working with local restaurants to provide fresh produce for their customers. The academy is currently partnering with Benjy’s Restaurant and provides them with “boutique” and special items for their menu at their request.
• Extra produce is donated to elderly members of the Sunnyside community.
• Selling produce from the Urban Farm at the Pro-Vision farmers market. Not only are community members getting access to fresh produce, but part of the proceeds from the sales are donated to the community as well.
• The Community Garden Science and Outreach Program is another way that the Urban Farm is teaching the benefits of healthy eating. The program is aimed at educating mothers about how to prepare and use fresh produce.

The return on the investment of the Urban Farm project is not only educational, but life changing because we are investing in lives. It’s our belief that some students and participants who learn new skill sets will become more marketable and might even continue as professional horticulturalists. This will take them out of poverty and make them contributing citizens of our community.

Want to help Pro-Vision Academy spread the word about healthy eating? Then sign up to volunteer at the Urban Farm!

 

Original Source: http://www.provision-inc.org/farm-work/eating-healthy-pro-vision-urban-farm/