Yvette Ochoa and Prisi Meza-Perez knock out clumps of soil while a FoodWhat crew prepares the beds for planting on the non-profit property on the Farm Discovery property of Live Earth Farm in Corralitos. FoodWhat is a youth empowerment and food justice organization that empowers students to relate to land, food, and each other in ways that are based on love and rooted in justice. Ochoa and Meza-Perez are among 30 teenagers participating in FoodWhat’s 11-week spring program. They make $ 18 an hour, tilling the soil, learning about nutrition and nutrition, and building healthy relationships with their cohorts and co-workers. The FoodWhat crew grows more than 50 types of fruit, vegetables and flowers every year. Doron Comerchero, who founded the program in 2007, says, “There is a lot of healing and a lot of personal growth that goes on. These are extremely resilient youngsters, many of whom come from foster families or have been homeless. Many come from the family of the farm workers. They pop up every day and build a positive future for us and our community. “(Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)
