AmeriCorps is one of those programs that everyone should do. Think Peace Corps but domestic. In 1993 President Bill Clinton passed the National and Community Service Act, which among many things, created AmeriCorps.

The premise is simple: Our nation suffers from rampant poverty. This historically complex dilemma causes a vast multitude of problems. Think institutional racism, and a whole lot of concerns come to mind: housing, employment, education, crime, pollution and even food. It’s not that Clinton started the program to overcome poverty, per se. The opportunity to participate in AmeriCorps enables young and old to directly serve the populations in need. From this well-intentioned need for public service, there is news of an emerging potential on the food front.

A breakthrough idea rumbles beneath the layers of sluggish USDA policies. As many activists believe, sustainable movements begin from the bottom, the grassroots. In the case of AmeriCorps there is a certain irony to the situation. Since a strong grassroots movement requires resources (i.e. money) here comes the government to fund the movement. The irony is that if other branches of power changed certain policies, this grassroots effort would be unnecessary. In the end, it’s rather absurd actually.

But. On a happier note, let us consider this emerging proposal - Food Corps. If the problem of healthy food choices is affordability and accessibility, it follows that school food could rightly tackle the issue. When thousands of schools start demanding locally grown foods – fruits and vegetables no less – there will be more incentive to support local farms growing real food. Beside the economic boosts to rural communities and regional family farms, there is the added benefit of long-term community health, i.e. lower medical bills and healthier families.

The affordability of healthy food choices comes at a steep cost. As any viewer of Jamie Olver’s Food Revolution will know, the time it takes to prepare whole foods is expensive in and of itself. But again, this can be overcome with an increased school budget – just hire more experienced cooks! The issue of accessibility is where Food Corps enters the scene.

Food Corps volunteers will serve three different roles (or maybe just one of these):

1. School Garden Coordinator
2. Farm-to-School Coordinator
3. Healthy Food Educator

To bring healthy food choices to public school, a healthy food culture must be introduced. Parents, students, teachers, kitchen staff and administrators must stand behind healthy food. With the support staff to alleviate the pressure and navigate the local food politics, a Food Corps member could establish a new and sustainable system for the school and the farming community.

I think this idea is rather excellent. But it should be noted – this is still an idea. The proposal came forth this past January, and the hope is to hash out the kinks of the program so that it can begin next year, January 2011. If I hadn’t done the AmeriCorps VISTA program myself (several years ago,) I would definitely jump on this wagon. Ultimately, be in an idea or a reality, the Food Corps shows just how strong and meaningful the food movement has become.

Related posts:

1. Critical Food Literacy and a Sustainable Food Movement
2. A Future Food Project (or) An Idea is Born
3. News to Be Proud Of (if you live in Oregon)
4. The Food Curriculum Project (part V) “Lesson Plan 3″
5. Losing Faith in Nutrition (Part 2)

Tags: education, Food Politics, local food movement, USDA