What's Wrong With Our Food System - A Smart Kid's Perspective

Thank you Millie for sharing this story with me!  I just learned about Birke Baehr - a kid who started transforming his mind to a different way of thinking about food than most American kids. Check out his YouTube Tedx Talk.
Okay Families!  Let's don't give in to the Marketing Strategies of companies that care nothing about your family's longterm health.  If an 11 year old is that reasonable and motivated, we can be too!!

"While traveling with his family and being 'roadschooled', Birke at the age of 9 began studying sustainable and organic farming practices. Birke has visited and worked at Full Moon Farms Co-op, Athens, GA; Sequatchie Cove Farm, Sequatchie ,TN; Sapelo Farms, Brunswick, GA; and the organic gardens of The Hostel in the Forest in Brunswick, GA. He also attended a full day seminar with renowned farmer and author, Joel Salatin at The Farm in Summertown, TN. Mr. Salatin has continued to mentor Birke in his pursuit of new thinking about food and agriculture. Birke has also participated in The Sequatchie Valley Institute's annual 'Food for Life' gathering for the past two years. At these workshops he’s studied composting, vermiculture, canning and food preservation methods, sprouting and tea. This year Birke has enjoyed tending a garden with his Granddaddy, growing tomatoes, beans, okra, potatoes, cukes and more. 


Birke has attended the Barefoot Farmer's Biodynamic Conference where he spent time learning from farmer, Jeff Poppen on his farm. Birke intends to continue his education in this genre and expects to be a sustainable organic agriculturist in the future. He also has a passion for educating others, especially his peers, about the destructiveness of the industrialized food system and the enlightening alternatives of sustainable and organic farming, food and practices. Birke has also volunteered at the Humane Society and loves working with animals. 


Birke was the youngest presenter at the TEDx Next Generation Asheville event where he gave a talk about. "What's Wrong With Our Food 'System'" which has become the most viewed TEDx Talk on YouTube of all time. He recently attended a two-day workshop called, "Deepening Roots" which focuses on health/wellness, community, empowerment, sustainable agriculture and meditation. He continues to find learning and teaching opportunities for his message."