|
Garden
signs at Cherokee Central Schools.
(photo courtesy Cherokee Central Schools)
|
From school gardens and farm visits, to Harvest of the Month
initiatives and local food taste tests, farm to school activities
are adaptable to every educational setting. Thats what makes
farm to school exciting the opportunities are endless!
In Western North Carolina, Cherokee Central Schools use farm
to school practices to engage students in healthy eating while connecting
them to Native culture. Serving 1,250 elementary, middle and high
school students from the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, the
school district integrates Cherokee culture into all aspect of learning
and the cafeteria is no exception.
For several years, Janette Broda, the districts Child
Nutrition Director, has worked to include locally grown foods in
school meals. With the addition of two FoodCorps service members
and a USDA Farm to School Grant in 2014, the district expanded their
farm to school activities. Local foods like apples, cabbage and
romaine lettuce have become staples on the lunch menu, the campuss
nine raised garden beds have been expanded to 22, and a campus greenhouse
hydroponic system has been added.
With support from the National Farm to School Network, Broda
and FoodCorps service members Katie Rainwater and Alison Villa have
further connected students to their Native heritage through farm
to school activities. In the garden, theyve planted traditional
Cherokee crops with edible, medicinal and craft uses, like corn
varieties with hard seeds that can be used for making jewelry. Many
of the heirloom crops grown in the garden came from seeds handed
down by generations of local Cherokee farmers, which students have
marked with colorful signs that label the plants in both Cherokee
and English.
|
Students
create garden signs and posters.
(photo courtesy Cherokee Central Schools)
|
In the cafeteria, the team coordinated with the middle school
art class to create a mural that depicts the four seasons and highlights
traditional Cherokee foods. Theyve also purchased posters
featuring seasonal produce labeled in Cherokee and English to be
featured in all three school cafeterias.
For the classroom, a farm to school resource library has been
developed for teachers. The library includes nutrition education
materials, study guides and resources to help create comprehensive
lesson plans that integrate farm to school principles into classroom
curriculum. For example, the 5th grade science class recently conducted
a compost trail test to project how much their landfill waste could
be reduced by composting cafeteria food scraps.
Two newly purchased mobile kitchens with induction stoves, blenders
and cooking tools are also getting good use. Katie and Allison move
these pop-up cooking stations between classrooms and the school
greenhouse, where students learn to transform freshly harvested
vegetables into delicious snacks, like salads, pesto and smoothies.
The team is now developing a food safety plan and working towards
GAP certification so garden produce can be harvested and served
directly in school meals.
At Cherokee Central Schools, farm to school not only get kids
excited about fresh, healthy food, but creatively connects students
to their Native heritage. From the school garden to art class, and
the cafeteria to science lessons, these farm to school activities
are planting the seeds of a vibrant, healthy future.
National
Farm to School Network
The National Farm to School Network (NFSN) is an information, advocacy
and networking hub for communities working to bring local food sourcing
and food and agriculture education into school systems and preschools.
http://www.farmtoschool.org
|