You Are What You Eat

Originating nearly 200 years ago in France, this phrase became the rallying cry of the organic food movement in the United States in the 1960’s, and is more relevant than ever in the 21^st century, with food being at the top of the… well, food chain in terms of consumer products worldwide.

At APCH we think of food as much more than a market commodity or just anything you can put in your mouth, chew and swallow. If we’re serving it to our kids, it has to be free of toxic chemicals and provide nutrients, flavor and enjoyment!

Food (in)justice is a real thing. Here in Los Angeles, the world’s salad bowl and foodie mecca, the families we serve can’t afford to shop at upscale health food stores and many don’t have ready access to fresh fruits and veggies. But, in the middle of South Central L.A., a concrete food desert where fast food is king and there are 10 liquor stores for every supermarket, APCH has planted ¼ acre of gardens producing organic agriculture and florals. Every day, young people are partnering with nature to build a lifelong positive relationship with food and take responsibility for their own health and the earth. Kids and parents take gardening, cooking and nutrition classes and even learn how and where to shop healthy on a tight budget – it can be done!

In addition to planting, tending and harvesting an abundance of fresh fruits, veggies and flowers from our gardens, our Nutrition & Urban Agriculture Department produces hundreds of fresh meals and snacks daily. For Thanksgiving we open our doors to the entire community for a sit down dinner and bags of groceries. Every spring we produce the APCH Health And Garden Expo for the whole community, featuring healthy cook-offs, gardening demos, medical screenings, and giveaways of seeds, plants, soil, garden tools and cooking utensils and appliances.

For families struggling with food insecurity, our Food for Families program provides weekly bags of dry goods and fresh produce. And, thanks to our partners at Food Forward, most of the fruits and veggies we serve and distribute are fresh from local farmers and organically grown!

At the root of all this is the core belief that our relationship with food is directly connected to our well-being, especially for children. Nutrition impacts physical, intellectual and mental health, which affects… well, everything else in our lives. In addition to nourishing the body, APCH’s Nutrition & Urban Agriculture Department is focused on creativity, beauty, flavor and fun with food!

At A Place Called Home…

You are what you grow, harvest, prepare with love, share, and eat!