Sally Chaves - Secretary

I am honored to be a member of the multi-talented Collective Roots Board. My first memory of working in the garden was planting and harvesting corn and radishes with my father at five years old. The excitement of watching the first shoots appear and then later tasting the freshly pulled radish as we stood in our small backyard garden, shaped my attitudes towards nutrition and the concept that delicious food is fresh food. I am passionate about working with children and families in community gardens as they experience the satisfaction of growing the food they eat. To reverse the national epidemic of obesity, children must be offered the experience to dig in the soil, plant and harvest their food and taste the difference between sweet juicy fresh fruits and vegetables and processed greasy fast food. Through community gardens, classroom garden science curriculum, backyard garden programs, and farmers’ markets, Collective Roots empowers individuals, families, and community to make healthy choices. I have a bachelor degree in nursing and a Masters in nutrition science and currently work as a part time lecturer at San Jose State University and as a nutrition consultant for Head Start of San Mateo County and in corporate health. I volunteer with Operation Frontline/Cooking Matters, to empower families with the nutritional knowledge and kitchen skills to prepare fresh foods for their families. What do I do in my free time? Work in my garden, of course.