|
|||
 |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||
Sooner or later, everyone who is working to get more local food
into school cafeterias or incorporate agricultural education into
school curricula must learn to work with the fact that the school
year was designed so that it wouldn't interfere with peak harvest
season. It's true that the mad rush of fresh, local veggies and
fruit into the markets has slowed by the time the school busses
begin their rounds, and this does pose special challenges for
food service directors and teachers. The winter months are a
great time to turn to the larger community for help in
continuing to educate children about agriculture and food.
As more and more people become aware of the benefits and
importance of supporting local agriculture, there have been
more efforts to make local food accessible year-round. This
Saturday, February 2nd, there will be a Groundhog Day
Farmers' Market from 10am-2pm in the 2nd Congregational
Church in Greenfield. Locally-produced foods, ranging from
apples and carrots to bok choy and popcorn will be available.
There will also be a series of workshops about topics like seed
saving, bee keeping, and fruit drying. The Farmers'
Market kicks off a week of Winter Fare community events,
including potluck suppers and film showings. And six Franklin
County restaurants are highlighting local foods on their menus
and accepting coupons that can be picked up at the Farmers'
Market. The farmers' market and all the events following it
should be great fun (and you should go, if you live nearby!),
but Winter Fare also provides inspiration for teachers or parents
wondering about ways to teach kids about agriculture in the
dead of winter, and ways to connect that education to the
larger community.
There are important, vital segments of Massachusetts
agriculture that remain vibrant throughout the winter. Farmers
who raise animals for fiber, meat, and dairy continue their
daily labors. Fruit and vegetable farmers, while their fields may
not be productive, are planning their crops for the following
year and often have some fruits and vegetables in cold
storage. And in the very early spring, maple sugar houses are
at
their most active. This is the perfect time of year to teach kids
about all the less visible farm activities that happen during the
winter, and about the work that livestock and maple farmers do.
It's also a good time of year to talk about the life-cycle of
annual versus perennial crops, or crops that are planted in the
fall to be harvested the following year, like winter wheat or
garlic.
In the early fall, many classrooms do projects with students
around local food. They visit apple orchards to snack on crisp
fruit, invite parents to participate in local food challenges and
potlucks, and generally take advantage of the opportunity to
teach kids about local food and agriculture through taste, sight,
and smell. It can be a lot harder to build those connections
without food to offer. The Winter Fare activities prove, though,
that local food is available during the winter, and there are a
lot of farmers, community members, and restaurants with
expertise to share and an interest in spreading the word about
it. Many regional schools have done successful mid-winter
local food challenges with parents, like The Green River
School in Brattleboro, which held a local feast for parents in
early April (click here to learn
more). Talk to farmers about storage crops they still have
available, ask parents to keep squash or potatoes in their
basements or under their beds, dry apples with the kids to enjoy
later, and be creative!
For more information about the Groundhog Day Farmers'
Market or other Winter Fare events, please click here. For
more ideas and local resources on teaching about local
agriculture in the winter, don't hesitate to call the CISA office!
|
|
||||
"Fresh From the Farm: the Massachusetts Farm to School
Cookbook," by Amy Cotler, is an exciting new resource
designed to provide cafeteria staffs around the state with the
recipes and resources to serve fresh, local, healthy meals.
CISA's Program Assistant, Allison Neher, spoke with Amy about
what she's learned, the partnerships she's built, and the
resources she's made available to schools around the state
through this project.
Q: Where did the inspiration for this cookbook come from?
A: I am a former chef and cookbook author, so food is something I know how to do. And I have been in farm to table work for 15 years. I wanted to write a cookbook that would be useful in some way. I got a grant to do some training around the state and realized that many school cafeteria employees had very little experience with fresh food. It was shocking! I wanted to make something that would be useful, and not just preachy and dusty on a shelf. Q: What were the difficulties and/or limitations to working
on such a large scale?
A: The scale was the least of my problems. It is really just doing commercial-sized recipes. For the home cook, that's a problem, but these kitchens are made for it. The problems were less about large recipes, but rather working with limited time, limited space, and limited skills. People don't understand the major financial restraints these kitchens are under. Cost is always the bottom line. The skill of bringing fresh food into the kitchen is really about creating new skills and sensitivity to what needs to be done. It has to be done over a series of years, incrementally. Q: How does this book help schools that do not have
experience buying locally?
A: This book is for everybody. This cookbook is supposed to be something helpful, not sitting dusty on the shelf. It is a spiral notebook, and each page is laminated, so that it can be used day after day and endure the wear and tear of a large kitchen. I tried my best to make it a real working document. It was going to be a recipe cookbook, but now it has all of the fundamentals included. It covers how to purchase, how to slice and dice-all of that educational stuff, holding the hand of the people in the kitchen and taking them through it. Some schools plunge headfirst into buying locally, but some have settled at just apples and aren't comfortable moving forward. But Kelly Erwin of the Mass Farm to School Project then follows through and helps schools through the process. The partnership with the Farm to School Project is really what gives this book its depth. There is also a whole educational component to the book aimed at educators from our collaboration with Seeds of Solidarity in Orange, MA. It has lesson plans for teachers about how to make a mobile cooking cart and a bingo game for staff about how to work the concepts of local food into the existing school frameworks. There is also a lesson for students about 'food miles' from farm to table. We need to break down the divide between the classroom and the kitchen. Hopefully with a little bit of buy-in from all of the stakeholders, this book will begin to bridge that. Q: Adults often complain that children won't eat their
vegetables. Do you think this is true? How can schools convince
their students to try these new recipes?
A: It depends on the age group. Middle school is the hardest group because of peer pressure. But a lot of it is a pyramid effect; one kid eats it and then it catches on. Schools have to put fresh foods out a number of times before kids will take it. They have to let the kids take their time. Let's face it; the majority of kids have never seen cauliflower. And we are losing a huge corner of our food and agricultural heritage here! But I think kids can change. I've seen elementary schools where kids go to the salad bar every day. Kids can do it. You just have to acclimate your offerings to their tastes. School lunches were started initially after WWII, in response to widespread malnutrition. And still today there are a lot of kids who eat most of their food during the day from schools. So yes, is it easier to pick up the phone and call the big refrigerated truck and get it delivered? Of course it is, but is that where we want to go? Some kids will never try anything, and some kids will try everything, but there are a lot of kids in between. Kids know the difference. They don't want to eat the green beans from an industrial can opened moments before lunch-just like I don't. I have a kid-I've seen it all. If parents eat vegetables, kids eat vegetables. And if not, the children need the time and opportunities to learn and accept them. Q: How can schools get a copy of this cookbook? Can
interested parents, PTOs, students, or community members get
copies of the book?
A: Every school district has a copy and it is available for free online from MDAR (the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources) and MDOE (the Massachusetts Department of Education). I wish hard copies of the book were more widely available. It was very expensive to produce, so there is only a limited supply available right now. Hard copies are free to Massachusetts school cafeterias, but anyone can access it online. Download a free copy of the cookbook on the MDAR
website or the MDOE
website.
|
||||
|
||||
|
||
The mission of Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom is to
foster awareness and learning in all areas related to the food
and agriculture industries and the economic and social
importance of agriculture to the state, nation and the world.
We offer a number of programs and services that help make the
connection between the foods we eat and their agricultural
roots. Our popular programs include a seasonal newsletter,
workshops on the farm, an annual conference, a summer
graduate course, an active website, mini-grants, educational
manuals and more.
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom (MAC) was founded
in 1982, when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture mandated that
each state should have an agriculture education program,
although no money was provided for the initiative. In
Massachusetts, then Commissioner of Agriculture Fred
Winthrop brought together a group of people who were
involved in agriculture and education to form the program.
MAC is a non-profit organization guided by a 30-member
Board of Directors.
Over the past 25 years, MAC has reached more then 10,800
educators in every school in the state. MAC is proud of our
agricultural roots as well as our educational branches. As
educators use the information and resources we provide, a
stronger future for agriculture and the many products upon
which we all depend is assured.
On Saturday, February 9, MAC will hold our Seventh Annual
Winter Conference titled "Growing Minds Through
Massachusetts Agriculture" at the Baird Middle School in
Ludlow. It offers a full day of workshops on a wide variety of
agricultural topics. Some provide hands-on activities for the
classroom, while others explore new technologies or offer a
chance to talk with farmers and learn what they do on the
farm. There are also opportunities to network with other
teachers. There's still time to sign up for this great learning
opportunity! Please click here for more information.
Another resource MAC offers teachers is a seasonal newsletter
produced three times during the school year. In addition to
information on current programs, workshops and resources,
each newsletter focuses on one Massachusetts agricultural
commodity or issue and its history, current practices and
economic facts and figures as well as activities and practical
information for teaches, who tell us they enjoy using the
activity ideas provided. We currently print 10,600 copies for
distribution and also send the newsletter by e-mail.
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom also offers seasonal
workshops for teachers on Massachusetts farms. These
workshops are scheduled weekly during the summer and on
weekends in the spring and fall at various locations throughout
the Commonwealth. Each workshop offers teachers a morning
of hands-on learning activities focusing on topics such as soils,
botany, water quality, pest management,
beekeeping and more. After a Massachusetts-grown lunch,
they explore the farm. These workshops are very popular with
teachers at all grade levels. This year one teacher wrote, "This
was my first workshop and besides loading me with lots of
wonderful information, it has made me excited about teaching
again." Another wrote, "I think the topics are things kids would
find very interesting and fun" and "the concepts and activities
can
be tailored to suit a wide span of levels." We also heard, "I
really walked away with a greater appreciation for farming,
gardening and healthy foods."
This summer MAC will offer our third Summer Graduate Credit
Course titled "Growing Agriculture in the Classroom." Each
educator attends eight farm workshop sessions and produces a
final report of activities for the classroom. Participating
educators are assigned a MAC board-member liaison and
receive three years of follow-up support.
MAC provides direct support to classrooms in the form of our
mini-grant program. Since 1994, Massachusetts Agriculture in
the Classroom has been offering mini-grants to schools and
teachers to help enrich their agricultural education efforts, and
we have awarded as many as 250 grants in amounts up to
$1,500. A huge range of projects have been funded, from
bringing students to the farm to purchasing books and materials
for agricultural education projects. Several school have added
hydroponic, composting, chick hatching and other growing
programs to their classrooms. Three funding cycles allow
educators the flexibility to develop proposals during summer
vacation and school holidays. Grant applications are due April
1st, September 1st and November 1st. More information about
this wonderful opportunity is available here.
MAC produces a variety of printed materials, including a
beautiful calendar featuring images of Massachusetts
agriculture. MAC has also produced several manuals including
a Farm Field Trip manual, with step by step ideas for farmers
on conducting a farm field trip program. This includes
suggested pre and post activities for the classroom, on farm
activities and connections to the framework as well as a
companion piece on farmers visiting schools. The "School
Community - Green Industry Handbook" provides resources to
facilitate cooperative gardening efforts between schools, local
community groups and businesses. A booklet titled "8 Lessons
About Agriculture and the Environment Manual" offers eight
lessons related to soils, water and conservation of other natural
resources with information and activities for elementary and
middle grades. We also have a booklet with a summary of ten
of these newsletters feature articles and a 20 lesson curriculum
for grades k-8 titled "It's Your World". MAC also offers a
Teachers Resource Directory, an eight page listing of free and
low cost agriculture education materials.
You can find out more about Massachusetts Agriculture in
the
Classroom, register for the Feb 8th conference, get information
about the mini-grant program, or learn about the Summer
Graduate Credit Courses of farm field trips by clicking here. Or send a
letter expressing your interest to MAC P.O. Box 345 Seekonk,
MA 02771.
|
||
|
|
||
|
EVENTS
Mass Ag in the Classroom Annual Conference February 9, 2008 "Growing Minds through Massachusetts Agriculture," Mass Ag in the Classroom's 7th Annual Statewide Conference for Educators, will offer ideas and resources to help you integrate agriculture into your classroom. This conference is a wonderful resource for MA educators, don't miss it! For more information or to register, please click here. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mini-Grants Available from Mass Ag in the Classroom Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom offers mini-grants of up to $1,500 to Massachusetts educators to support their agricultural education efforts. Applications are due April 1 and September 1. To receive a copy of the mini-grant guidelines, send a letter to Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, P.O. Box 345, Seekonk MA 02771, or visit the Mass Ag in the Classroom website here. New Publication: Guide to Developing a Sustainable Food Purchasing Policy The Sustainable Food Policy Project recently announced the completion of a new "Guide to Developing a Sustainable Food Purchasing Policy." The guide is intended to help universities, colleges, hospitals, and other institutions - as well as those advocating for food system change - create, promote, and implement practical sustainable food purchasing policies. It can be downloaded along with related policy examples here. |
||
|
|
||
|
RESEARCH
School Food "Report Card" Released The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) recently released the results of their nationwide study evaluating state nutrition standards for schools. The study revealed that more than two-thirds of states have no or weak nutrition standards, with seven states receiving Ds and 20 states (including Massachusetts!) receiving an F. To see the report card, please click here. Healthy Meals Sell A study conducted at the University of Massachusetts reviewed meals fro 330 Minnesota school districts and found that "Contrary to widely held views, [lunch] sales do not decline when healthier meals with less fat, for example, are served." They also concluded that healthier meals do not necessarily cost more, due to the balance of labor costs by the high price of processed foods. To see an abstract of the study, please click here. Assessment Finds School Meals Improving The latest dietary study of school nutrition by the U.S. Department of Agriculture catalogued modest improvements in meal quality and found that most meals - over 85 percent - meet standards for targeted nutrients and are now lower in saturated fat. Based on a national sample of school districts, schools, and students for the 2004-2005 school year, the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study III, issued in November 2007, also found that although most schools offered an opportunity for students to select a balanced meal, few students made healthful choices that resulted in a low-fat meal. The study also reported that: more than two-thirds of schools now offer and serve breakfast; competitive foods were readily available on campus, especially at high schools; and school lunch participants were more likely than non- participants to consume nutrients at lunch and ate fewer competitive foods. For more details, view the study here. Kids Eat More Fruits, Vegetables When Schools Offer Salad Bar A recently published study from UCLA found that elementary schools can increase their students' consumption of fruits and vegetables by offering a salad bar. The study shows that by offering fresh fruits and vegetables in an accessible, kid-friendly manner, children will help themselves to a better diet without much prodding. In this study, the integration of a salad bar increased the children's consumption of fruits and vegetables from 2.97 to 4.09 times daily. For a full article on this study, please click here. School Breakfast Growing but Still Falling Short More low-income children got breakfast at school last year, but the numbers still lag far behind those receiving subsidized lunches, according to the School Breakfast Scorecard 2007, published on December 11, 2007 by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) in Washington, D.C. More than 8.1 million children a day participated in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) in the 2006-2007 school year-a five percent increase over the year before-but only 45 percent of those getting a school lunch also ate breakfast. For more about this study, please visit this article. NEWS
School Meal Application Rules Revised USDA issued an interim regulation in the November 13, 2007 Federal Register regarding applications for free or reduced price meals in the school lunch and breakfast programs. The rule adds a statutory definition for "local education agency" and specifies that a family only has to submit one annual application for all children in the household. For details, please visit their website. Procurement Rules Updated USDA has also published revised rules governing procedures relating to the procurement of goods and services for school lunch and breakfast programs in the October 31, 2007 Federal Register. The rules address audits and program reviews, responsibility of school food authorities for contracts, and clarify review and approval authority. For more information, click here. Private Interest in School Lunches This article by Ann Cooper, Berkeley's "renegade lunch lady," and Kate Adamick, discusses recent developments around school lunches and the implications of the decisions being made. The two authors examine the role of corporate interest in school lunch policy making. For the full article, please click here. Effort to Limit Junk Food in Schools Faces Hurdles Federal lawmakers are considering the broadest effort ever to limit what children eat at school. The effort is facing many obstacles, which are outlined in this article. The most prominent of these challenges is the political atmosphere concerning school food. For the full article, please click here. Ontario to Make Schools Trans-fat Free New legislation in Ontario began changing the food available at public schools starting in December. Ontario's Healthy Food for Healthy Schools Act calls for an end to selling food with trans fat in school cafeterias, bans junk food and trans fat in vending machines, and healthier menu choices in cafeterias. The whole article is available here. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
