Frank Mentesana, Facilitator of EcoSPACES

Imagine a school that has a 4500 sq. ft. rooftop garden where kids not only learn about growing food sustainably, but grow food that is used in their lunches - all while making the connection between farming, food and healthy nutrition . . .

With the help of faculty like, Frank Mentesana, St. Philip’s Academy in Newark, New Jersey has created such a program and they call it EcoSPACES (Eco-St. Philip’s Academy Cultivating Environmental Sustainability).

Frank is a former food stylist and co-founder of Manhattan restaurant, Once Upon a Tart. As a father, he got involved in his son’s school by helping them create a garden and when he heard that St. Philip’s Academy was developing a program to help teach better nutrition and farming to the kids, he jumped at the opportunity to get involved.

Since getting involved in 2008, he has turned the once-ornamental rooftop garden into one that produces food and has helped teachers develop plots relevant to their curriculums. For example, as third graders learned about Native American history, they planted a “Three Sisters” garden of corn, beans and squash and used their harvest to create traditional meals.

Tonight the Green Divas will be talking with Frank Menesana about what’s going on at St. Philip’s Academy and what’s next on the menu . . . Don’t miss tonight’s show!

Thursday, March 11, 2010
7 – 8pm EST
HomeGrownRadioNJ.org