“Planting Seeds for a Lifetime of Healthy Eating”: An Interview with Lauren Judd

What is the Cornucopia Project and how would you explain your role in relation to it?

The Cornucopia Project is a nonprofit organization that delivers a continuum of  “edible education” programming to students in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire.   Planting seeds for a lifetime of healthy eating, we teach the joys of growing food in school gardens, get kids cooking after school and offer a range of agricultural experiences on our educational farm.

Planting seeds for a lifetime of healthy eating, we teach the joys of growing food in school gardens, get kids cooking after school and offer a range of agricultural experiences on our educational farm.

What is something that worries you?

I’m concerned about societal loss of traditional horticultural knowledge, including food preparation, and the resulting damage to ecosystems and cultural heritage.

What is something that inspires you?

I’m inspired by the curiosity, ingenuity, and joy embodied by people of all ages, in the farming, gardening, and cooking experiences that Cornucopia Project provides.

When did your passion for health and nutrition take root?

As a child, I spent many weekends with my grandma Gene, preparing her family recipes. I remember the stories of my Great Grandma who lived with my grandparents, fermenting vegetables and beers under her twin bed, sometimes leading to epic messes. I would stay with my other Grandma, Erna, who was from Vienna, during the summers. She taught me how to make schnitzel and told me fantastic stories of her childhood summers in the Swiss Alps, catching fish, pickling eggs, and wandering mountainside farms. These stories and experiences of food are the stories of my family, and are an ongoing part of how I feel connected to those I’ve loved, lost, and brought into the world. 

I remember the stories of my Great Grandma who lived with my grandparents, fermenting vegetables and beers under her twin bed, sometimes leading to epic messes.

Do you have a favorite season based on what crops you can harvest at that time of year?

Is there a specific reason for why the Cornucopia Project is based in Peterborough, NH? 

Kin Schilling founded the Cornucopia Project in 2006 after learning of skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity across the country.  Her vision was to provide children access to healthy food through school gardening education. It all began on a small spot of triangle-shaped land near her home in Hancock, NH.  As Kin tilled, children and adults started showing up, asking if they could lend a hand.  Soon Susie Spikol, Program Coordinator for the Harris Center, joined Kin and they began offering gardening classes for children and CSA shares.  Shortly thereafter, Kin began teaching edible education, first at Hancock Elementary School and then at Dublin Consolidated School. More than a decade later, the Cornucopia Project has grown from a tiny seven family CSA to a non-profit that touches thousands of community members every year.

Kin Schilling founded the Cornucopia Project in 2006 after learning of skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity across the country.  Her vision was to provide children access to healthy food through school gardening education.

What is your perspective on New Hampshire’s nutritional intentionality in comparison to that of other states? 

New Hampshire is doing a great deal to not only address the nutritional needs of children and the community overall, but also to support the farm to school movement and protect the agricultural industry. Supporting the nutritional needs of New Hampshire continues to be a massive effort that includes the government, the United States Department of Agriculture, Universities, non-profits, schools, and grassroots organizations. Working with so many dedicated people throughout the state has been inspiring and encouraging. While I can’t speak on what other states are doing, apart from acknowledging the fantastic work happening with our network partners and next-door neighbors in Vermont, I can confirm that Cornucopia Project is committed to developing programs that are replicable for the benefit of all. 

Why do you focus specifically on educating young people about nutrition and what leading a healthy lifestyle looks like?

The world asks a lot of children. All the while they are busy doing the hard work of rapidly developing in all ways. Teaching nutrition through experiential learning gets children out of their desks and off of their couches, exercising and exploring the living world that they will come to lead. We’ve recently seen the powerful youth movements brought to us by Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg. Cornucopia Project strives to empower youth and highlight our individual responsibility as part of the circle of life, the ecosystem. 

Teaching nutrition through experiential learning gets children out of their desks and off of their couches, exercising and exploring the living world that they will come to lead.

What is one thing you would like the person reading this article to know, if nothing else?

Anyone can grow food, and anyone can cook. 

What steps can our audience take to contribute to the Cornucopia Project’s mission?

If you are interested in staying up-to-date on the work of Cornucopia Project, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and sign up for our E-news on our website! You can also make a donation to support our scholarship fund, educational farm development, and school gardening. If you’d like to explore the possibility of starting a garden at your local school, arranging a field trip to the Cornucopia Project Educational Farm, or volunteering, please email me at Lauren@CornucopiaProject.org.