“There’s a lot of skill and knowledge existing in the communities you’re going into. You’ll bring stuff, and you’ll learn stuff. It’s a two-way street,” he said. “That’s how real sustainability works.”

After three days of training, workshops, presentations and open space discussions, these young men and women spent day four touring Growing Power, studying their systems of composting, year-round growing, aquaponics…and on and on. Learning stuff.

More advice from Allen on how to make the most of the tour of the Growing Power operation: “Don’t look at the plants (they’re green), look at the infrastructure. See how it works. How we use space.” Notebooks out, eyes open, they followed his instructions. They also pet goats (I did, too).

Their work this year will be focused on three pillars: knowledge, engagement and access. That is: delivering hands-on nutrition education, building and tending school gardens, and bringing high-quality local food into public school cafeterias. And while they bring skills—like farming experience and nutrition degrees—this work will largely be brand new for them, and they will be learning as they go.