 "Promoting a kitchen garden in every school and a thriving localfood economy."
Sonoran Kitchen Gardens (SKG) was born when Nicole Christine, Janet Loeb, and
Lindianne Sarno undertook to develop a kitchen garden program at Hermosa Montessori School. Inspired by Alice Green Grannies realized school kitchen gardens could help prevent obesity and diabetes, teach self-reliant life skills, spread permaculture ethics, grow out native seeds, and bring communities together while greatly improving regional food security and quality.
SKG developed momentum when members of Heartz Foundation, a student-based service organization, met Lindianne at a Sustainable Tucson meeting. Adding youthful energy and a commitment to SALLE, Sonora Arizona Local Living Economy, the Heartz Foundation allied with SKG to form an independent 501c3 non-profit corporation. Sustainable Tucson and Sonoran Kitchen Gardens enjoy tabling together at events, because our community services are different and complementary.
SKG has a strong board of directors, excellent business advisors, permaculture consulting staff, and a fledgling website. Among many exciting objectives, SKG is now working with diverse schools to build kitchen gardens, organize community support, develop a visiting faculty program, and promote rainwater harvesting and permaculture infrastructure to support three sisters gardens (corn, beans and squash) among other crops. SKG accepts dried mesquite bean pods as an alternative form of payment for their services from schools or organizations with limited funds. High food prices and increasing hunger in southern Arizona and around the world make this work extremely urgent. Gardeners/chefs/cooks/educators/health professionals: |
