Farm-to-school program for rez

Obesity and diabetes are rampant on the Navajo Nation, AZ. The Center for Disease Control estimated in 1997 that 23% of Navajos older than twenty had diabetes. The USDA said earlier this year that the Navajo Nation is a food desert with few large supermarkets to provide healthier food choices.

The 95-acre North Leupp Family Farm is working to change that. They are installing an array of 75 solar panels to power a pump which pulls water from the Little Colorado River. The water is for cornfields, greenhouses and gardens which are now feeding 30 Navajo families, giving produce to local community centers for elders, and providing nourishment for students. At one school in Northern AZ, the students in grades 3 through 8 are required to learn how to prepare healthy food. The farmers go to the school and teach how to manage gardens and greenhouses. The kids also take field trips to the farm to get hands-on experience.