Followers of Our Heroes may have noticed we’ve expanded the series to include not only individuals who are making change in food, water and energy systems, but also organizations and projects we admire. Food Corps definitely fits that bill. This guest post comes from Jerusha Klemperer, Communications Director for FoodCorps.

FoodCorps is a national non-profit that addresses our nation’s painful and costly childhood obesity epidemic using a three recipe ingredient for change: hands-on nutrition education, growing and tending school gardens, and getting healthy local food onto school cafeteria trays.

Recruitment for next year’s class of service members begins this week. If reading Daniel and Jill’s stories of how they spend their days as service member in Iowa and Arkansas piques your interest, you can read more on the FoodCorps website: www.foodcorps.org, or watch their recruitment video (produced by Ian Cheney, co-creator of King Corn!).

The deadline for applications is March 25th.

A day in the life of Daniel Schultz, serving in Iowa

1. Wake up and put on my FoodCorps gear.

2. Bike to the NCAT office.

3. Make worksheets and activities for future nutrition classes.

4. Bike to one of my Des Moines Public Schools

5. Put on apple costume

6. Teach kids about “eating the rainbow” of fruits & vegetables, the benefits eating apples and hand out a local apple tasting.

7. Bike to one of our community partners to teach an after school cooking program with fourth graders.

8. Bike back home and end with a nice relaxing run around Des Moines.

9. End the day with a home cooked meal with ingredients from the Des Moines Farmers Market.

A day in the life of Jill Zartman, serving in Arkansas

1. Rise and shine at 6am

2. Jam out to Nappy Roots “Good Day” en route to Harrisburg Middle School

3. Walk-through of the garden. Do a garden jig over the sunflowers that have bloomed

4. Heat up the skillet, chop arcadia broccoli and cheddar cauliflower from the garden, and sautee to perfection

5. Run to 1st period (hopefully without getting trampled by a 6th grader)

6. Co-teach a physical science lesson on elements and molecules

7. Conduct a soil test on the garden beds with the students and discuss elements in the soil

8. Teach the students how to wobble

9. Let the students have a taste test

10. Repeat until heart’s content

11. Return home and look forward to another good day tomorrow

If you would like more details, please read FoodCorps’ January 10th press release, “FoodCorps Recruitment Begins Today – FoodCorps Opens Applications for its Next Class of School Food Changemaker.”