Food Literacy Presented by Emily Jackson & Danielle Pipher

Danielle PipherVermont FEED (Food Education EveryDay)danielle@tworivercenter.orgwww.vtfeed.orgwww.tworivercenter.org

Emily JacksonAppalachian Sustainable Agriculture Projectemily@asapconnections.orgwww.asapconnections.org

LOCAL FOOD LITERACY – Experiential Education in the Classroom

ASAP Mission - Our mission is to collaboratively create and expand regional community-based and integrated food systems that are locally owned and controlled, environmentally sound, economically viable, and health promoting.

ASAP Vision -Our vision is a future food system throughout the mountains of North Carolina and the Southern Appalachians that provides a safe and nutritious food supply for all segments of society; that is produced, marketed and distributed in a manner that enhances human and environmental health; and that adds economic and social value to rural and urban communities.

Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day)A community-based approach to school food system change in Vermont

VT FEED works with schools and communities to raise awareness about healthy food, the role of Vermont farms and farmers, and good nutrition. We act as

a catalyst for rebuilding healthy food systems, and to cultivate links between the classrooms, cafeterias, local farms, and communities.

“Tomatoes are inspirational! Inspirational means you love

something too much.” Hope, Age 6

Recognized in-state and nationally as the Vermont Farm to School program and is a partnership of three Vermont non-profit organizations:

FOOD WORKS AT TWO RIVERS CENTER

THE NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION OF VERMONT (NOFA-VT)

SHELBURNE FARMS

Vermont FEED acts as a catalyst for rebuilding healthy food systems, and to cultivate links between the classrooms, cafeterias, local farms,

and communities.

THINGS WE’VE LEARNED…

Some 4th/5th graders had NEVER tasted a raw tomato

See how engaged? Real tools mean real, authentic experiences.

“I want to be a chef when I grow up.” Jacob, Age 7

Even high schoolers want to take their chef hats home!

Get kids excited about what is about to come from the garden

Mixing taste tests with civics lessons

1st & 2nd Grade Local Veggie Dip

School-Wide Taste Test

Chef hats (for name tags) and those wonderful choppers!

Healthy Food = Happy Kids

Individualized for Head Start

Children’s literature that includes recipes.

Preparing food right out in the garden (but wash those Sungold tomatoes first!).

"I like onions and I like the way it makes your breath stink.” Arianna, Age 7

"I like carrots because when you take a bite out of it it is nice and juicy. Sometimes it quenches your thirst. Also when you are digging them out of the ground it is sort of like digging for buried treasure.” Dana, Age 11

"I'm growing my own tomatoes now!” Taylor, Age 8

"Red Swiss Chard is cool because it is red with long pretty veins. I love chard!" Lucille, Age 7

"Mustard greens just look cool! They don't look like mustard. It just looks interesting.” Liam, Age 8

The Things We’ve Done…

Resources and Training for Farmers and Educators

CHEF FESTNow a

community resource for

schools, churches, scouts…

Cafeteria Staff

Mitchell Project

Tasting on the farmHead Start project

More than 100 school communities worked with VT FEED this past year to establish, refine, and expand Farm to School programs.

FARMERS,

TEACHERS,

FOOD SERVICE,

COMMUNITY

And the secret ingredient isonce again, local and seasonal foods from Vermont!

Teams of 3-5 students in 2 categories—Middle School

(grades 6-8) and High School (9-12) will create one delicious dish using seasonal, local foods, which can be

easily prepared for school food service menus. Each team's dish will

then be judged by a group of celebrity judges to determine who

will be Vermont's future Jr. Iron Chefs!

GARDEN SONGS & GAMES

PLANT JOURNALS&

GARDEN THEATER

"I was looking at that plant and it said to me "will you write about me today?" And I did. It felt really nice when it was talking to me."Tristan, Age 9

Gardens for LearningThis flagship program was created in the mid-1990's in response to the increase in childhood hunger in the summer months when school lunch and breakfast is not available. Now in fifteen sites across Vermont, the GFL community-based gardens provide at-

risk children with hands-on skills in growing, cooking and nutrition for eating fresh local foods. The Two Rivers Center is the

statewide demonstration and training site for all Gardens for Learning programs.

Project PotatoAn Innovative Approach to Service LearningA Program of Food Works at Two Rivers Center

Through Project Potato students will: •Know more about food insecurity statewide and in their community.•Grow potatoes, make healthy recipes and learn about nutrition.•Experience organic farming and conduct agricultural research.•Visit and experience their local emergency food shelf (through delivering potatoes).•Engage in meaningful service learning through growing and delivering food to the local food shelf.

What Parents Have to Say…

“They just won't stop eating vegetables. I can't explain it!”

“Jeremiah (age 5) asked to have salad for dinner for the first time ever - he's never liked salad before. I asked him why he wanted it now and he said that he had harvested it and eaten it at school and really liked it. We now make an effort as a family to eat salad as much as possible!”

How children learn – important that they see it growing, grow it themselves, and/or prepare it

Mary Poppins

www.vtfeed.org

National Farm to School Network

RESOURCE CD INCLUDES:

•ACTIVITIES

•CURRICULUM IDEAS

•LITERACY CONNECTIONS

•LITERACY BEDS & GARDENING WITH KIDS TIPS

•NUTRITION EDUCATION INFO

•PROJECT POTATO INFO

•RECIPES

GRIDDLE RAFFLE…

If you’re interested in having your very own griddle to use in cooking with kids, and you’re willing to haul it home with you, please enter your name in the raffle and we will draw the winner at the end of the workshop session.

Questions?

Getting ready to cook with kids…

Clean hands, safety & respect

Let’s use potatoes as an example… Potatoes are a great crop to grow with your class! They’re easy to grow, you can plant them in the spring, they require very little care in the summer and you can harvest them with your new class in the fall. Digging for potatoes is like uncovering buried treasure! Potatoes are also a generally well-liked, kid-friendly vegetable, have a lot of history and are easy and fun to cook with. There are so many different ways to cook with potatoes. Let’s try cooking with potatoes today!

Two Old Potatoes & Me ~ Mashed Potatoes

Latkes (Potato Pancakes)