Core Values

Brain Food Garden Project believes having a full understanding of the Stages of Change are important in facilitating peer lead conversations on mindful eating and mental health.
Life long eating habits can not be changed overnight. Usually they can't be changed if a person is still in the Pre-Contemplation phase of the Stages of Change.
If a person is at least in the Contemplation stage a person is at least starting to consider possibly making changes to the way food affects their life.
Finally, in the world we live in food is often used as an emotional filler to mask deeper issues of pain and often trauma. Brain Food Garden Project believes that no matter how hard we try "setbacks" will happen. And when they do one should react gently to the way we react to them.

Brain Food Garden Project, when creating conversations with peer participants around mindful eating and mental health, always promotes a Harm Reduction approach
When people have eaten a certain way all their lives change does not come without challenges.
Many people by necessity have lived on foods high in processed sugar and saturated fats for most of their lives. Telling someone to stop eating a certain way often will push the person deeper into their old habits.
The simple harm reduction approach of adding something helpful instead of telling people to totally eliminate the bad habit is a smarter approach when creating person-centered conversations around mindful eating and mental health.

Brain Food Garden Project promotes 10 Dimensions of Wellness as opposed to SAMHSA's acknowledged 8 Dimensions.
BFGP supports the University of Ohio's addition of two new dimensions "creative" and "digital". However, we combine these two dimensions as "Innovational" on our pie chart.
BFGP promotes a 10th dimension "nutritional" breaking apart the "physical Dimension" by creating a separate dimension allowing for the kind of important conversations around mindful eating and mental health necessary to facilitate person centered outcomes in communities.

Brain Food Garden Project is guided by the peer core values of treating everyone with kindness, dignity, respect, and patience.
Brain Food Garden Project practices and promotes GRATITUDE through gardening as a core value and wellness tool and believes it is the foundation upon which the Todd Petriscak Memorial Garden and our future gardens will be built.

Giving Thanks

Refreshing the Spirit

Appreciating Little Things

Thinking Positively

Identifying Goodness

Treasuring Each Moment

Uniting in Kindness

Delighting in Laughter

Expressing Joy

Gardening and a Trauma-Informed Approach

Physical Safety: Ensure the garden space is free of hazards, tools are safely stored, and clear guidelines for safe tool use are established. Knowing the physical boundaries of the space and having predictable routines can also enhance safety.
Emotional Safety: Cultivate an environment of acceptance, respect, and non-judgment. Emphasize gentle interactions with plants and the environment. Allow individuals to participate at their own pace and opt out of activities without pressure.

Be clear about the goals of gardening activities and what participants can expect.
Communicate openly and honestly about tasks, timelines (if any), and any changes to the plan.
Build trust by being consistent, reliable, and following through on commitments.

Offer choices in gardening tasks, such as what to plant, where to plant it, or how to care for it.
Value participants' input and ideas.
Help individuals develop a sense of ownership and control over their gardening experiences. This can counteract feelings of helplessness often associated with trauma.

Recognize that individuals may have diverse relationships with food systems, farming, and gardening based on their backgrounds.
Be mindful of potential sensitivities and create an inclusive environment that honors different identities and perspectives.
Incorporate culturally significant plants or practices if appropriate and desired by participants.