Harvest for Hope: A Brief Visit by Jane Goodall

by Jean Helms, general manager

Imagine my surprise when I receiveda call from Doane College in Crete andlearned Open Harvest was mentioned inJane Goodall's recent book. Our staff andboard were invited to attend an honorarydegree ceremony and lecture by Dr. GoodallMarch 14. We brought a basket of organicfruit for her to enjoy throughout hervisit in Nebraska to see Sandhill Cranes.

She was excited to be in Nebraskaand entertained us by expressing how achimpanzee would sound when excited.She beautifully described the people andanimals that influenced her life and herwork, as feathers of wings that have carriedher to heights she could have neverachieved alone. She offered inspiration foryoung people to carry on efforts to restoreour unique planet.

In her book, Harvest for Hope: AGuide for Mindful Eating, Open Harvest ismentioned in the paperback version in thechapter titled "The Story of Nebraska." Shetalks about drought and water issues, particularlyconcerning the Platte River. Shealso references Slow Food Nebraska, theBuy Fresh Buy Local campaign, local Farmers'Markets, and Shadowbrook Farms. Dr.Goodall also confronts issues of GMO's,factory farms, overfishing, vegetarianism,organics, local and seasonal food, schoolmeals, obesity, and the water crisis.

I am pleased that Dr. Goodall decidedto tackle these important issues that arenear and dear to our hearts. It is validatingto hear a respected biologist, scholar andhuman rights advocate give voice to thefact that we can change the world by votingwith our dollars and making informeddecisions about our food sources.

Roots and Shoots

The Goodall Institute has developeda program for youth to learn to care foranimals, the environment and the humancommunity. There are 22 Roots and Shootschapters in Nebraska listed on the websitewww.rootsandshoots.org.

During a breakout session in Cretewith these local groups, Dr. Goodall wastreated to a presentation by Holly Murdochfrom Dimensions Early Childhood EducationProgram. It was very touching to hear thestories of their small children experiencingthe wonder of nature through handsonlearning opportunities. She providedpictures to Dr. Goodall of the children whowere pretending to be Jane observingchimps in the wild, or a chicken laying anegg, or a duck imprinting on its mother.Holly said, "Jane Goodall's presentationhas fueled my passion for teaching. Her inspirationinfluences how we teach childrenabout our environment."