Since 2014, we have created an annual digital cookbook using gluten-free and dairy-free recipes lovingly created by our Culinary Nutrition Experts. It’s one of our favourite projects – we’re not only able to share delicious recipes and cooking tips with people around the world, but also make a difference in the lives of others.

From Scratch Cooking 2019 was our most successful edition yet: in just two weeks, we sold 800 copies and raised over $18,000 for Organics for Orphans, a non-profit that works to support food security in Africa. A donation of $10 can cover the cost for one person to eat for a year. Our $18,000 donation can feed 1,800 people for a year!

At the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, our students and alumni are blessed with the ability to choose what we eat: whether it’s organic, Paleo, vegan, keto or any of the other popular eating styles that support our health. We recognize that we are extremely fortunate, which is why we aim to give back through From Scratch Cooking. One hundred percent of the proceeds of From Scratch Cooking 2019 was donated to Organics for Orphans.

Organics 4 Orphans focuses on four key areas:

• Organic Gardening: Using organic growing techniques to grow a variety of food year-round in difficult, dry or barren areas.
• Nutrition: Selecting local and nutrient-dense crops that will best support health (that’s culinary nutrition!)
• Natural Medicine: Growing herbal medicine plants that can help protect and address a variety of common health conditions.
• Income Generation: Teaching farmers to earn an income from their crops in a self-sustaining way.

Organics 4 Orphans works in a variety of communities in East Africa to teach people the skills to grow food in impoverished neighbourhoods, schools, and even in women’s prisons. In 2018 alone, Organics 4 Orphans dug 24,403 garden beds, built 865 keyhole gardens, grew 1,767 medicinal plants, and grew food for 4,000,000 meals. 

Your contributions to From Scratch Cooking 2019 will help support the following:

• 600 community garden projects, lifting more than 22,000 individuals out of extreme poverty. Each project consists of at least 40 garden beds. 600 community garden projects equals approximately 24,000 double dug garden beds. These gardens include a variety of crops important to health such as greens, brightly coloured vegetables, beans, alliums, calorie crops and medicinal plants.
• These garden projects are reaching all areas of society including prisons, HIV groups, schools, medical centers, orphanages and churches. Some community projects are also run by members that are blind, deaf or disabled.
• Funding for 80 trainers and interns in organic agriculture.
• Growing 4 million meals annually.
• Over 75% reduction in malaria incidences with community members using herbal medicine.

Some of the people your donations have helped include:

Mrs. Moiben and her daughter, Faith

Mrs. Moiben was experiencing a lot of pain, shortness of breath and dizziness, while her daughter missed many days of school and endured hospital visits due to stomach ulcers and anemia. After learning about healthy eating the entire family has changed their diet, eliminating sugar and processed foods. Faith loves drinking her green smoothie daily and is no longer behind in school.

Mrs. Kinara

We truly appreciate your generous support of this fundraising project, which will make a huge difference in the lives of those dealing with extreme poverty. You are helping people eat well and facilitate health – and that’s what culinary nutrition is all about. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.