Meet Ken Sparks | Farmer & Owner of The Farmer Ken
Provided by: Shoutout LA |Published on: October 14, 2021
Articles/Websites Grades 6-8, 9-12
Synopsis
This is an article about Ken Sparks, a gardening enthusiast, farmer, and educator in Los Angeles who has helped people in LA (California), Cleveland (Ohio), and Chicago (Illinois).
This interview details his introduction to gardening as a child; his experiences learning about agriculture and environmental science through a program in college called Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences; and his business selling fresh produce and herbs through his company, The Farmer Ken.
This is a nice example of someone following their passion and making a living doing what they love.
It highlights the need for more community gardens, local food, and support for fresh and healthy food options in underserved communities.
Additional Prerequisites
It might be helpful for students to learn about food deserts, which are areas that lack healthy food options and grocery stores.
Differentiation
Social studies and biology classes could discuss the connections or correlations between a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables and levels of health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease in various communities.
Cross-curricular connections could be made with economics and civics classes by discussing payments and subsidies in the Farm Bill that could be redirected to smaller-scale farmers that produce healthy food for people.