Oxford’s Carrot Camp program teaches appreciation for nature and gardening

Published 6:00 am Sunday, June 18, 2017

It’s never too early to teach kids the importance of nutrition and fitness, and a camp in Oxford looks to instill these values in the most fun way possible.

Carrot Camp, a summer program run by Good Food for Oxford Schools, is more than ready to take on that task. The camp, which began in the summer of 2015, focuses on nutrition classes, fitness activities and gardening.

“One of the lessons included learning about the six plant parts and then making a plant parts pizza for a snack,” Eleanor Green, the Program Director of Good Food for Oxford Schools, said in an email. “Another taught the kids the importance of eating a rainbow with a Rainbow Garden on a Tortilla snack. Some were about gardens such as learning about worms and compost and how they help our gardens grow. We also added a new herb spiral to the Scott Center/OIS Garden during Carrot Camp this year.”

Fabian Villalobos, left, and Sebastian Davila plant a seed in a garden at Carrot Camp, in Oxford, Miss. on Wednesday, June 7, 2017. (Photo/Bruce Newman)

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FoodCorps service members help to run the camp and teach the classes. The children are taught various lessons like the importance of healthy snacking and recycling. Animals like a goat and chickens have also made their way through the camp for learning purposes.

Green hopes that the children will come away from the camp with an appreciation of “nature, growing their own food and the connection to and importance of a healthy diet.”

“We also want them to learn that good food and fitness are fun!” she added.

Callie Bennett, center, holds a chicken
for Mary Ellon Warren, left, and Jack Bridgers during Carrot Camp, in Oxford, Miss. on Wednesday, June 7, 2017. (Photo/Bruce Newman)