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As a young student interested in science, both Mr. Carver and Ms. Carson were heroes of mine. George Washington Carver’s knowledge of agriculture, and particularly of peanuts and soil rotation helped to revolutionize the science of soil depletion, leading to increased sustainability of food sources. Booker T. Washington appointed him head of the Agriculture Department at Tuskegee Institute where he also served as a Professor for forty-seven years.
My sister Adele, who was interested in the environment, encouraged me to read Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” when I was in grade school. Carson sounded an early alarm warning against once verdant lands filled with flowers and insects, becoming barren and silent from the unabated use of pesticides, thus resulting in a silent spring. Both Carver and Carson were studied by Henry Ford, and I know that at least Carver met with him. They are both prominent icons in the environmentalist movement.
“The Henry Ford is activating its mission and collaborating with a wide-variety of thought leaders and influencers to address the issues of climate change, nutrition and accessibility,” said Mooradian. “We are using our collections and historic expertise to help advocate for free, accessible, locally-sourced and cooked from scratch school lunches for every student in America, starting with our own students at Henry Ford Academy. Our farm to school lunch program will now be endowed in perpetuity and perhaps be a model for institutions across the country.”
The Henry Ford announced a fundraising goal of $7 million to endow the school lunch program for its Henry Ford Academy, the public charter high school that educates 500 ninth through twelfth grade students on its campus. The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is committing a gift of $1 million to this endeavor while Ford Motor Company Fund is donating $500,000 to help launch the Farm to School Lunch Across America initiative, a national program during October Farm to School Month in 2024, serving schoolchildren, teachers, and families locally sourced meals.
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