This summer, with the support of Wesleyan University’s “Planting Seeds Program”, I had the opportunity to spend eight weeks working at the wonderful organization of New Britain ROOTS, a food justice non-profit organization located in New Britain, Connecticut.  While working at ROOTS it be came abundantly clear to me that other cities around Connecticut, and throughout the rest of the country, need support in terms of food security. All around America, families, children, and entire communities are facing the negative impacts of food insecurity. To address this challenge, federal, state, and local level systems must empower organizations like ROOTS– ones committed to thoughtful, caring, community-based change. It is imperative that this kind of work is implemented everywhere in order to encourage health and well-being throughout the country.  Specifically, ROOTS has a mission to “cultivate community connections and equitable access to quality food through empowerment and learning with the people who grow, prepare, and eat food in New Britain.” Their vision is promoted throughout the New Britain community via three key concepts: food access, urban agriculture, and education.  Earlier this fall, ROOTS was able to run school-based farmers markets with 3rd and 4th grade classrooms. This was possible thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain and to partnerships formed with the New Britain school district.   Program Manager Jenna VanDonselaar expressed what a “joyful experience [it is] to see young people shop at the market” as ROOTS is deeply committed to “immersing children in gardening, cooking and nutrition literacy at a young age”.  Lennon Favreau Jenna also gave insight into the community that ROOTS works with as many of their students face food insecurity and were happy to bring market food home to support their families in a time when the SNAP program is at risk due to decisions being made at the national level under the current administration.   It is unfair to expect a child to carry the burden of providing this kind of support for their families, yet so many children throughout the country face this challenge. Jenna emphasizes that “decisionmakers… owe it to our young people” to prioritize food security at the federal and state levels– it’s all a big puzzle, and Jenna says it best: “School food is a big piece of that puzzle”  Based on these goals and strategies, ROOTS is part of the larger, national effort to build farm-to-school initiatives. Another special part of ROOTS that helps execute these goals is school gardens located at schools around the city.  ROOTS Community Project Manager, Alex McHardy, acknowledges that children come from diverse backgrounds and that there is importance in “helping them reconnect with their own culture through conversations centered around produce and dishes”. A large part of this goal can be done through school food.   Farm-to-school missions ensure that students are receiving access to fresh, healthy, local, and culturally relevant food through stronger partnerships between education, agricultural, and community-based systems. In order to achieve farm-to-school goals, there has to be thoughtful collaboration amongst students, parents, school staff, nonprofit organizations, and farmers to prioritize an empowered, sustainable system in which children can thrive.  When students face food insecurity firsthand, and are challenged with the expectation to grapple with its effects, it becomes impossible for students to learn, socialize, and maintain health. They need support from federal, state, and local systems to relieve some of this pressure. ROOTS is a huge step in the right direction in terms of mitigating the harmful impact of food insecurity. That is why we need more ROOTS, everywhere.  In Middletown, Randall Mel Jr., the Director of Food, Nutrition and Wellness Services in Middletown Public Schools is doing an extensive amount of work to increase students’ access to fresh and nutritious foods. Randall notes that he “would love to see a similar program” to ROOTS “in Middletown–one that uplifts students and the community while leading the way in farm-to-school initiatives.”  The love that community members and farm-to-school advocates have for ROOTS is abundantly clear. It is time that federal and state decisionmakers realize food insecurity in the United States is an issue that cannot be ignored any longer. This state and this country needs to support, uplift, and empower more organizations like ROOTS in order for our nation’s students to grow into healthier, happier, and more connected individuals.   Lennon Favreau is a junior at Wesleyan University, majoring in Government and Environmental Studies with a Civic Engagement Minor   ...read more read less