LOMA LINDA - College students who study food and nutrition havetaken the plunge into dirt.
After a yearlong planning effort, Nichol Hall Sprouts Gardenopened Friday with some 30 students from the Loma Linda Universityschools of Allied Health and Public Health planting seeds intoraised beds.
Sophie Hung, 26, a who recently received a master's in publichealth, began working on the project as a student and came back toparticipate and help coach students on proper seed plantingtechniques.
Since graduation, she has enrolled in a 'Master Gardener' programto learn some of the finer points in plant raising.
Like many students participating in the garden project, Anny Ha,31, in her second year of study for a master's degree in nutrition,plans to use what she learns about raising crops to teach others.
Among the first seeds planted in a total of eight raised bedswere carrots, beets, spinach, lettuce, peas and kale.
Some beds were left untouched so that future crops can be added.
'Usually, people find a recipe they like in a book, then buy thefood to make it,' said Cory Gheen, executive chef for the nutritionand dietary programs.
But with the garden, students will be learning how to deal with'the plants dictating what the cooking will be.'
When the crops come in, students will be challenged to findinteresting and diverse ways to cook them while they are still attheir freshest point, he said.
Growing the food they eat will give them a new respect for theirfood and cause the students to waste less, Gheen said.
Eddy Jara, an assistant professor of nutrition and global health,said students will be learning techniques they can use to teach low-income people how to supplement their diets with inexpensive,healthy foods.
jim.steinberg@inlandnewspapers.com,
909-386-3855
