Black Lives Matter.
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

NC Council of Churches

Strength in Unity, Peace through Justice

  • Voices
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Covenant Partners
    • Issue Statements
    • Governing Board
  • Programs
    • Ecumenical Immigration Alliance
      • Ideas for Action
      • Sign Our Statement
      • The NC Sanctuary Coalition
      • Immigration Bible Study
      • Contact
    • NC Interfaith Power & Light
      • NCIPL Overview
      • Faith in Action NCIPL
      • NCIPL Articles
      • NCIPL Resources
      • Upcoming Events for NCIPL
      • Contact NCIPL
    • Partners in Health & Wholeness
      • PHW Staff
      • Mini-Grants
      • PHW Collaborative Pledge
      • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
      • PHW Articles
      • FAQs
  • Priorities
    • Racial Justice
    • The Overdose Crisis: The Faith Community Responds
    • Gun Violence Prevention
    • Public Education
    • NC Sanctuary Coalition
    • Farmworkers
    • Legislative Advocacy
    • Christian Unity
    • Peace
    • NC No Torture
  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Events
  • Resources
    • Publications & Reports
    • Raleigh Report
    • Lectionary
    • Sermons
  • Donate
  • Council Store
  • Show Search

Search NC Council of Churches

Hide Search

PHW Book Club Discussion: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Chapter Nineteen

Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator · February 6, 2014 · Leave a Comment

Thank you for joining the Partners in Health and Wholeness Book Club. You can officially sign-up here. Through it, we hope to engage people of faith in discussions over why our health matters. Our current choice of reading is “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” by Barbara Kingsolver. Just look for the picture of the apple and the books and you will find past Book Club entries.

One thing I love about reading Barbara Kingsolver’s work is her ability to sum up complex problems in the world of food with zingers that cut right to the core. These one-liners add new perspectives that challenge me to rethink my own assumptions and my relationship with food. While the majority of this chapter is about heritage breed turkeys, in the middle she discusses school gardening programs, like the one at her daughter’s school. It is used to help the kids study for their state’s required testing. She points out that our values in schools may often be missing the mark. “…Our operating system values Advanced Placement Comparative Politics, for example, way ahead of Knowing How to Make Your Own Lunch…Many teenagers who could construct and manage a Web site would starve if left alone on a working food farm.”

Of course, this is not the fault of these children and teenagers, who are the product of a system which has progressed beyond the ordinary work of food production and is moving forward at an unsustainable pace. While it is a gift that we do not all have to devote our entire lives to putting food on the table, it is alarming to be reminded of how fragile this food system truly is. It is dependent on soil that is being depleted, land that is being developed, a diversity of species (both plant and animal) that is quickly dwindling, not to mention an aging farmer population and lack of knowledge of food production in the rest of the population. We may be setting ourselves up for a big fall if we have no knowledge of how to feed ourselves without the grocery, convenience store, or drive through.

One exciting aspect of school garden programs is they offer a both/and solution — students continue to learn the standards and subjects currently agreed upon in our school system through gardening. It is also a hands-on method to experience learning, from the kindergarteners studying colors in a flower garden to a colonial herb garden used to teach the older kids history. As Kingsolver points out, it is also a plus to have kids studying for a test when they think they are just playing in the dirt, being physically active on top of it all. Sounds like a win-win to me.

  1. Did you learn about gardening in school? How did this help prepare you for state standardized testing, even if the test did not cover gardening?  Do you have children who have experienced gardening curricula?
  2. What wild plants grow near you? Would you know how to identify them or prepare them if you needed to?
  3. Would you like to read more about school garden programs?  Here is one resource.  Some counties also have a school garden through the County Cooperative Extension Office, like this one.
  4. Are you involved with a school that has a garden?  Please share your insights below!

Partners in Health and Wholeness is an initiative of the North Carolina Council of Churches. PHW aims to connect health as a faith issue. Please visit our website to sign your personal pledge to be healthier, and to find out about grant opportunities for places of worship in NC.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Food, Health

Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator

About Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator

I get so excited about the many aspects of the faith and health, particularly the food and faith, movement. I am honored to be a part of it through the work of PHW. I love travelling, cooking, eating, writing and preaching. I am an aspiring gardener, artist, and half-marathoner. My deepest joys in life involve my 8th and 9th grade girls small group, wonderful family, dear friends, husband Robert and puppy Benny, and the amazing blessing of figuring out this journey of life together.
Learn more about PHW and our efforts to improve the health of God’s people: healthandwholeness.org

Reader Interactions

More Like This

Because of Jesus
Partners in Health and Wholeness Mini-Grant Cycle Now Open
Politics of Eating

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Anonymous comments or comments that target individuals will not be posted (please include your first and last name). All comments must be on topic and respectful. Comments will not be posted until they have been reviewed by a moderator. Comments do not reflect the positions of the NC Council of Churches.

Footer

Contact

NC Council of Churches
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org

Facebook

Partners in Health and Wholeness

Featured

PHW Book Club Discussion: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Chapter Nineteen

Latest Tweets

Moving away from fossil fuels is vital to loving our neighbor! Say so during the public hearing on the @DukeEnergy IRP on March 16th. Register today: dukesenergyplan.org/… pic.twitter.com/FD9u…

About 2 days ago

The #ForThePeopleAct (#HR1) just passed in the #House! We are one step closer to: ✅ Protect the freedom to vote ✅ Ensure the integrity of our elections ✅ Hold elected officials accountable ✅ End the era of big money in our politics pic.twitter.com/Mkhb…

About 3 days ago

"One day when the glory comes It will be ours, it will be ours" - John Legend, "Glory" Read our resolution at the link >> ncchurches.org/2021/… pic.twitter.com/y9Vs…

About 3 days ago

"Our knowing that divine reality exists gives us permission to be humble, gentle, and kind." Read more from Susannah Tuttle and her reflection for the third Sunday in Lent. >> ncchurches.org/2021/… pic.twitter.com/cEzo…

About 3 days ago

Read or listen to this article from @PNS_News about a new data dashboard in North Carolina that would help local county officials better allocate vaccines to where they're needed most. Follow the link to find out more >> publicnewsservice.or…

About 4 days ago

Follow @ncchurches

Latest Tweets

Glad to be on this journey with you! Another workweek in the books and another reason to be proud 💪 twitter.com/StampSti…

About 2 days ago

#harmreduction is love. twitter.com/HarmRedu…

About 4 days ago

RT @WakeMed Today marks one year since our state’s first #COVID19 case. #WakeMed staff, visitors and patients observed a #momentofsilence to honor the legacy of those we've lost and reflect on the strength and compassion of every essential worker, patient and family as we begin to heal. pic.twitter.com/E92V…

About 4 days ago

Dr. Satcher questioned the structures that have upheld health disparities in our communities. By laying the foundation for this work, we can continue taking meaningful action towards promoting a society where we can all thrive. #BlackHistoryMonth @HHSGov @Surgeon_General pic.twitter.com/zrw2…

Last week

Amen! #MindfulTogether twitter.com/cornerpr…

Last week

Follow @healthandfaith

Latest Tweets

RT @CUREriver The bankruptcy filing by Brazos could destabilize the entire REC systems. The U.S. need to take action to avoid this in other places. We need to make investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, and grid modernization right now. #RuralPower ow.ly/6Erz50DMYPJ

About 3 days ago

RT @greenthechurch Be sure to read Green The Church's COO Kim Noble's op ed, "#EnvironmentalJustice in Focus this #BlackHistoryMonth", in the Texas Metro News! @Kimrenay22 #Austin #DFW #Houston #Texas #SanAntonio #EJ ow.ly/mOtw50DGQnN pic.twitter.com/IPOO…

Last week

RT @ActionAidUSA To build a truly just, equitable & sustainable world, we need to fight for a new #socialcontract. That means: ✔️ Defending democracy ✔️ Fighting for climate justice ✔️ Building equitable food systems ✔️ Supporting women’s leadership. Learn more: bit.ly/2M8xT40 pic.twitter.com/fEWv…

Last week

RT @interfaithpower IPL is proud to be a signer on this letter. The U.S. must provide bold and socially just leadership to protect our communities from the impacts of climate change, including the threats to our economy- @sbhendershot twitter.com/RealBank…

Last week

RT @interfaithpower "This is all of our country, this is our mother. It's difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land" - @DebHaalandNM with a powerful reminder of what she believes in. Her passion is exactly what we need right now; the Senate must #ConfirmHaaland! #ConfirmClimate

Last week

Follow @ncipl

Latest Tweets

Copyright © 2021 NC Council of Churches · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design · Hosted by WP Engine