The Food Project: Youth sustaining the movement

Youth at The Food Project's Farmers Market are responsible are selling produce they've spent the morning harvesting. Courtesy: The Food Project

The loss of a founding staff member and longtime director would be enough to crumble any nonprofit organization. But The Food Project, a Boston-area program that enlists youth in the farming and distribution of healthy foods, has viewed this predicament “as much an opportunity as a challenge,” says Assistant Director Jen James.

With a secession plan and a new management structure, the 15-year-old sustainable food and youth leadership organization is reorganized and ready to move forward in 2007, not only with a future new director but with new direction. In 2006, its ambitious five-year plan was completed.

“This plan lays out the framework for expanding our youth programs, acquiring more land in cities and suburbs, hiring and training more staff, building new infrastructure, and reaching out into new communities,” explains James. To be better informed and to better plan growth, The Food Project has initiated a longitudinal evaluation to gauge the impacts of its work.

A highlight of the past year was the mentor program at last year's Food and Society conference in North Carolina, where 50 young people from The Food Project were individually paired with a FAS project director. The pairs took field trips in and around Asheville and shared experiences and ideas about food sustainability.

“We'd prepared ice breakers,” says Anim Steel, director of national programs and the coordinator for the youth at the conference, “but the buzz in the room was immediate and irrepressible.”

While the impact on students and directors was clear, the event also reflected the type of inter-generational and inter-cultural experiences that The Food Project believes is needed to propel the movement forward.

“It represented a spirit of mutual respect,” says Steel. “It was an affirmation that our collective vision has a strong future.”

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