BEEVILLE, Texas — A Beeville coffee shop is serving up much more than a cup of Joe. Co-owner Dr. Dhaval Patel is creating a healthier community through a sustainable lifestyle.
Dr. Patel makes learning fun and hands-on for students interested in sustainability. It is so much more than just recycling and growing your own food; It's a lifestyle. "Sustainability is a way of thinking, a way of life, it's a philosophy that ensures that we're going to leave our planet, our community, in a better position than we have left it for the next generation."
Dr. Patel wants the community to embrace unique ways of approaching food and teaching healthier lifestyles by making it fun.
He is doing this through school programs and cooking competitions. "The impact is so profound, because the kids are confident, they're excited, they know that they're learning about sustainability, and it's just bloody fun at the end of the day. It's gotten a lot of momentum for our community that brings everyone together. "
In order to keep kids engaged when there isn't a cooking competition, teachers like Nancy Cavallin keep their interest in after school programs at St. Mary's Academy Chapter School.
Cavallin said students are so eager to learn that, "they don't come see me, they sign themselves in and they run straight to the plots to see how much the plants have grown since the last time they were here."
The love and care that students learn in sustainability programs like these can last a lifetime. Nancy still has students who come back after 20 years who say they still have a garden at their own house, and that they don't use chemicals and try to take care of the environment.
Of course, students still appreciate the traditional classroom setting, but for kids like Preslynn and Novalynn Gonzales, being hands on and moving around is the best part about learning the impact of sustainability for the environment.
When asked what they liked best about growing their own food, Novalynn chose eating it, while Preslynn loves seeing plants change as they grow, "We help the plants grow, and the vegetables, and when we water it, it grows. I like making stuff a lot."
Learning how to make their own food sprouts their interest to find other plants they can grow. “One time we made a sandwich and it was really good, and one time we had broccoli and it was good too.” said Preslynn.
From local farming, sustainable growing, the way we eat, and learning about recycling and composting, it all leads back to this.
Dr. Patel supports this philosophy, "It's just a way of life that makes this a better community for our kids and our next generation."
If you would like to get your child involved in any of the sustainability programs, Dr. Patel encourages you to reach out to him at the Coffee Barrel or on Facebook and Instagram @thecoffeebarrel.
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