Living in a food desert can be difficult. Food Deserts, or areas where there is extremely limited access to healthy and affordable foods, can be found all over the U.S. today.
It’s one of the issues Terrius Bruce is working to help solve as an Environmental Dynamics PhD Candidate at the University of Arkansas.
Bruce, who is a Tallahassee Community College alumnus, has a love for environmentalism and sustainability. However, he found it difficult to spread his message because the subject was mired in technical language. That’s when he decided to simplify the message by writing a children’s book that tells the story of Imhotep, the Young Garden King.
The book follows the titular Young Garden King, Imhotep, and his experiences combating a food desert through communal initiatives to grow healthy and nutritious food.
Bruce began the production of the Young Garden King six months ago, hoping to bridge this gap of understanding. He believed the ideas of healthy eating and sustainability were held back by excessive and unclear jargon that muddled the importance of the subject.
“If you speak on a certain level and to their surroundings or universal experiences like food, you can help more people understand your message,” Bruce said.
For the creation of his book, Bruce partnered with the Historically Black Colleges and University Green Fund, a non-profit organization that shared his beliefs about sustainability. The organization placed him in contact with more like-minded individuals and companies, including artist Alaina Richardson and publicist JSJ Enterprises.
Richardson shared similar beliefs with Bruce, and said that she saw this piece as the perfect opportunity to combine her interests in art and the environment.
“The message of the book spoke to me as I believe everyone should have access to fresh healthy food but understand that there are those who can’t. I think it’s great that there will be a book that teaches kids the importance of healthy food.”
Jared Sawyer Jr., the CEO of JSawyer Publishing agreed, saying that the themes and nature of the Young Garden King were unique among other children’s books and that it would stand out among its peers.
“The Young Garden King stood out for its powerful combination of themes – gardening, education, and African American culture.”
Bruce has many plans following the release of his book alongside raising his four children, launching a non-profit organization, working alongside Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools to create a new type of K-12 schooling environment that helps foster the ideals of sustainability and environmentalism through agriculture and gardening initiatives.
The Young Garden King releases Dec. 12 and is available for pre-purchase now.
