Connecting communities to nature through nutrition
Healy Vigderson, executive director of the Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center in National City.
(Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune)
By Lisa Deaderick
Healy Vigderson's interests in nature and nutrition can probably be traced back to her days climbing trees and picking plums in her family's yard when she was 6 years old. Her family took trips to national parks, the ocean and the desert.
"I played outside a lot, and I think that affected my attitude toward nature. … We always ate fruits and vegetables and rarely drank soda," she says. "Later, when I was in college, I saw the film 'Baraka,' and it made me cry. I was so moved by the beauty of our planet that I knew I wanted my life to be connected to nature in some way."
She switched her major to biology, began studying ecology and went on to become a bilingual school teacher and later worked in the non-profit sector. Today, she's executive director at Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center, a garden and nutrition education center in National City.
Vigderson, 47, lives in Ocean Beach and has been with Olivewood for almost five years. She took some time out to discuss the center's educational programs for kids and families, how they work to help communities with empowerment and connecting with nature, and catching ocean waves on her longboard.
Q: Tell us about Olivewood.
A: We have 7 acres with beautiful organic gardens and a Victorian house. Our purpose is building healthy families and a healthy environment. We do this through hands-on cooking, nutrition, gardening, and environmental stewardship classes for children, adults, and families. We launched our first official children's field trip program in 2010, and since that time, we have received over 50,000 visitors from around the county and beyond. We provide parent education, teacher training, school wellness support, and a robust high school and college internship program in addition to our two signature programs: the Children's Field Trip program and the Cooking for Salud program. Olivewood takes its name from the Olivewood Terrace neighborhood in which it is located in National City.
Q: Why did you want to work with them?
A: This was the perfect fit, a great opportunity to bring together my various experiences and interests. Having started my career in academic ecological research, I learned early on how to look at projects in a very analytical way. I also gained an appreciation for the natural world and all its beautiful complexities. My early studies of Mycorrhizal fungi taught me about more than just biology; it taught me about partnership and collaboration. The two species work together to support each other. Symbiosis and collaboration has been an ongoing theme in my career and life. My work as a bilingual elementary school teacher instilled in me the value of educating children and families and that was strengthened in my role at The Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County. At Olivewood, I can combine my research, teaching, non-profit, and advocacy experience for the benefit of the community.
Q: When talking about the families you're educating, how do you define "diverse backgrounds"?
A: Olivewood is located in National City, which has a majority Latino and large Filipino populations. Diversity refers to race and culture, but also to age and background. Food is an identifier of culture and everything we do focuses on food, from growing it to preparing it in a healthy way, to composting it to recycle nutrients. To me, diverse means different ways of thinking, too. We don't promote any specific type of diet, we promote healthy eating. That means understanding how to make healthy choices within your own culture and lifestyle. That's why our Cooking for Salud program is so special; we look at the foods that make up our culture and help people understand how to make small changes to their grandmother's recipe to improve the health outcomes for their families.
What I love about Ocean Beach ...
I love that once I'm home I don't have to drive my car. Everything I need is within walking distance. I can get my locally sourced produce and great cheese at Olive Tree Market, I can walk to the beach, the library, the shops. Everyone in my neighborhood seems happy and I often feel like I'm living in someone's vacation. That's not a bad thing at all.
Q: How are people being taught about health when they visit Olivewood?
A: Surrounded by three freeways, when people walk onto the property, you can see their shoulders relax, you can see them smiling as they look at the beautiful flowers and plants. Immediately they feel a connection to nature that puts them in the frame of mind to think about health and harmony. Our classes focus on all aspects of food.
In the garden, we connect people to how food grows and help them understand the importance of taking care of the earth so it will continue to provide for us. We teach them about soil and nutrients and all the living organisms that need to live and work in the soil to allow healthy plants to grow. Our goal is to help people understand their natural environment so that they will make more informed and healthy choices.
In our teaching kitchen, we provide hands-on opportunities for everyone to gain the skills they need to prepare healthy and tasty dishes. We teach how to substitute herbs for salt and how important it is to have a colorful plate.
Q: Why is it important to you to reconnect people to nature through food and education?
A: We know that we are increasingly suffering from what Richard Louv calls the "Nature Deficit Disorder" and this can lead to all kinds of problems in our personal, professional and community lives. We are reconnecting people to their community and to each other. Food is always at the center of our social interactions, and we need to be able to make educated choices to ensure we can all live longer healthier lives.
Q: How does the recent announcement of federal budget cuts to programs that provide meals to children in schools impact the work that Olivewood does to educate kids about nutrition?
A: It means now more than ever it is important for us to work with parents and schools to help them understand childhood nutrition and the school wellness policies. We are here to provide support for schools to help them reach their wellness goals. It starts with the people who have the greatest influence on our children: parents and teachers.
Q: What's your response to those who say there's no evidence that feeding kids helps them do better academically?
A: I'd say they haven't done their homework (maybe they didn't eat breakfast?). Research clearly demonstrates the connection between health and academic performance and feeding kids is the surest way to ensure health.
Q: Why is this work important to you?
A: It is effective and is making a difference. I've been an activist for nearly 30 years, and I am confident that change is possible. We are seeing people's lives changed, their health improving, their families engaged, and the community prioritizing health. It is rewarding and humbling. Our families inspire me every day.
Q: What's been rewarding about this work?
A: The rewards come from the personal stories of families who have made changes and improved their health. Personally, I feel rewarded that Olivewood is stronger than ever and is in a growth phase. I also find it very rewarding to see my staff grow professionally and personally and to be able to support them in their careers.
Q: What is the best advice you've ever received?
A: "Don't listen to anyone's advice." Seriously, the best advice I have received is that when you have to make a tough decision and really aren't sure what to do, sometimes the best thing is to do nothing for a little while and wait to see what unfolds. That doesn't mean you should let others decide for you, but not all decisions have to made by you and they definitely don't all need to be made as urgently as they seem.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: I fell in love with surfing when I was a freshman at San Diego State University and took my first surfing class. My long board sits in my living room inviting me to go play in the water whenever I can.
Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.
A: It includes swimming or surfing in the ocean, sushi at Sapporo in Ocean Beach, and a hike at Torrey Pines or along Sunset Cliffs. I'm a San Diego native and I love to show off our beautiful region, so if friends are visiting I'm probably dragging them around to see the bay or visit Balboa Park. We have so many great restaurants in San Diego that it is hard to get to them all. My favorites include The Red Door, and I love our healthy options taco shops like El Zarape and Lucha Libre.
Email: lisa.deaderick@sduniontribune.com
Twitter: @lisadeaderick
Lisa Deaderick
11 things to do this weekend: Martin Luther King Jr. parade, Los Lobos benefit concert, Lunar New Year
The best things happening in San Diego Jan. 17 to 19
Honoring the life and work of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. in annual parade
The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade is Sunday along Harbor Drive in San Diego
Artist uses creativity for reflection and gratitude in new exhibit in Vista
Artist B.J. Lane showcases a lifelong body of portraiture (along with some personal poetry) in new "Memoirs of the Heart" exhibition at the Vista Library
13 things to do in San Diego this weekend: SeaWorld Lunar New Year, Padres FanFest, Borgeous
'Pollock' depicts life, work, relationship between artists Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner
Ed Harris directs and stars in 'Pollock,' about the late artist Jackson Pollock, alongside Marcia Gay Harden, who plays Lee Krasner, a noted artist who was also Pollock's wife
Kids and seniors growing (more than plants) together in garden mentoring program
Marti Kohl runs the Rancho Carlsbad Garden Mentoring Program, which partners senior volunteers with youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad
Column: San Diego big band master Rey Vinole plays a goodbye note
The longtime music teacher, who has mentored many musicians, is stepping down
Former Copley estate bought by Doug Manchester is back on the market
The 8-acre La Jolla manor and 24 adjacent acres are priced at $37 million, or $25 million for the manor site only
Amorous giant tortoise from San Diego is saving his species from extinction
Just call him Casanova: An ex-San Diego Zoo tortoise in a Galapagos Islands breeding center does his job well
Sharing his love of reading, one book at a time
Dwaine Smith learned to love reading as a child. Now he's making sure children learn to appreciate it as much as he does
Someone San Diego Should Know: Walter Davis
Former admiral helps entrepreneurs succeed
Love story: After 69 years together, they passed away two hours apart
When Anabel Rassin met Ted Mintz she said this is the man she was going to marry. They soon became inseparable.
Most read lifestyle stories
Teen in U.S. finals for makeup design contest
YouTube beauty vlogger Erin Timony, 18, of La Costa is up for a national award on Saturday
Two hummingbird species hard to tell apart
Telltale notch in the second tail feather identifies the rufous variety
Setting space between lines in Word
Phil Frye wrote, "I somehow changed the spacing between lines in Microsoft Word.
National Lifestyle news
National Lifestyle
ASK A DESIGNER: Easy ways to brighten rooms in winter
The sparkly holiday decorations have been put away but the daylight hours are still way too brief