Stories from the field

The Well Seasoned Librarian: A conversation about Food, Food Writing and more.

With the versatility of the Charlie Cart, the Lorain Public Library has been able to launch new programs. “It allows us to work within our small space confines and still do something big.” Lewis said where previously cooking demonstrations weren’t possible, the Charlie Cart brings a new opportunity to the table.

Together with Richlite and Hoffman Manufacturing, the Charlie Cart is creating the tools to change the future of food education in schools, libraries and food banks.

Local TV spotlight highlighting the work of South Carolina State Library. With two Charlie Carts, Rebecca Antill and her team are able to deliver hands-on cooking classes across the state.

The “Charlie Cart” is a program in 150 schools nationwide teaching kids about cooking in schools. It’s a portable cart with cooking accessories and a lesson plan.

Carolyn Federman has become an expert in getting picky children to eat foods they don’t like. “Studies show that kids need to be introduced to a new food somewhere around 17 times,” she said. “As a parent, you have to be patient and keep serving that food.”

Growing up, math was like a foreign language. I literally could not understand what the teachers were saying, especially as they were often writing on the chalkboard with their backs to the class. My mom tried everything—even resorting to a book called “Overcoming Math Anxiety”—but math simply did not and would not make sense to…

“My philosophy is, we find out what challenges a community faces and ask how can we help them,” Devlin says. It’s a philosophy shared by many libraries across the country that are increasingly developing mobile food programs to teach food literacy and deliver wholesome meals and snacks to children and adults who might otherwise lack…

Across the country, organizations have found exciting ways to reach communities and teach students about nutrition and healthy eating through cooking. “Charlie Cart has enabled us to offer fun cooking programs for kids that are run by staff,” says Oakland (CA) Public Library (OPL) acting director Lana Adlawan. Recent cooking programs at OPL have featured…

Liz’s Healthy Table Podcast Episode 40: Home Ec is Hip with Carolyn Federman + Cookbook Giveaway

Carolyn Federman recalls one of the first dishes she cooked as a child. It was meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and it was for her mom. “I remembered my dad was out of town, my siblings were gone. It was just the two of us,” she said.

With home economics fading into memory, an educator in California is working to get kids cooking. The Charlie Cart Project is a hands-on cooking program that teaches food literacy and cooking in schools. It is a fully equipped, colorful mobile kitchen and well-researched recipe binder that follows the seasons and curriculum for kindergarten through fifth grade. Carolyn…

The Charlie Cart Project is an all-in-one, hands-on learning program using a kitchen on wheels to teach both children and adults how to make healthy food choices. “Imagine walking into a classroom of 4th graders studying math. At the front of the room is a bright, colorful kitchen: that’s the Charlie Cart.