It was extremely difficult to select only three school districts for NY Farms! Partnership Awards in recognition of their 2004 NY Harvest for NY Kids celebrations. The submissions demonstrated that with each year, schools are giving more thought, energy and advance planning to create meaningful and fun events. With the NY Harvest for NY Kids theme, school food service is creating menus that highlight NY foods, working with their distributors and farmers to source locally-grown, and building strong relationships with teachers, farmers, and community groups.
Thank you to all the schools that celebrated NY Harvest for NY Kids and sent in their stories, menus, photos, fliers and news clippings.
Janet Sklar, SFNS, Bay Shore UFSD
Bay Shore UFSD held a Nutrition Fair during NY Harvest for NY Kids that combined the elements of a healthy lifestyle Ð food choices and physical fitness Ð with Long Island's agriculture and farms. Food Service Director Janet Sklar, SFNS, worked with local groups and businesses to make a multi-pronged, interactive, and fun event for all the District's fifth graders. The program went beyond nutrition, offering students many ways to learn about the foods they eat, where it comes from, and what it means for their health.
The Fair filled a gymnasium and spilled out of doors with booths and activities guided by physical education teachers, Bay Shore Wellness Alliance and SUNY Stonybrook's Dietetic Internship Program. Brittany Johnson and Vicki Fleming of Cornell Cooperative Extension Suffolk County brought "Buttercup" the cow and showed children how to milk a cow and churn butter. Joe Casa, Harbor View Foods, showcased local produce told stories about Long Island farms. Students could take home local apples and pumpkins. At the Farm Bureau table, Natasha Pokorny and Long Island farmer Debbie Schmitt engaged children in role-plays about the workings of a farm. Oaktree Farm Dairy, the only operating dairy on Long Island and supplier of the district's milk, offered samples of milk and juice with information about dairy's contribution to healthy bodies. Frito-Lay gave away bags of "Heartzel Pretzels" and discussed healthy snacking.
Parents were invited to attend the Fair, too, at the end of the day. The local health department shared information on women's and children's health, and programs such as WIC and food stamps.
Janet is already planning ways to expand and increase the participation with this holistic approach for their next Fair.
Todd Adelman, Block Institute
For the Block Institute in Brooklyn, NY Harvest for NY Kids has spawned ongoing activities and relationships with a farmer, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Future Farmers of America chapter at John Bowne High School. Extension and the farmer helped classes plant vegetables and herbs in containers and on the grounds of the Institute. Classroom activities revolved around the individual vegetables and their nutrition value, where and how they are grown, how they can be eaten. The classes met with Todd Adelman, Director of Nutritional Services, and decided to make a vegetable pasta sauce. Classes also visited John Bowne High School, where the FFA students showed them a working farm much different from their school garden, and they could interact with farm animals.
The Harvest Festival on October 8 was the culmination: displays, square dancing, potato sack races, farm animals, guests from the Brooklyn Borough and NY City councils, NYS Assembly and NYS Ag & Markets. The cafeteria staff designed a New York menu that featured their Harvest Day signature dish: NY Apple Soup. Students showed off their agricultural lessons and samples of the produce they had grown. The Institute's adult clients operated a "farmers' market" using math and salesmanship skills they had learned especially to sell their NY-grown items, roasted corn, and pumpkin cookies. Another highlight of the day was "ADA", a life-sized fiberglass cow loaned from the Dairy Association; kids and adults had the time of their lives trying their hand at "milking" ADA.
The connections among all these partners and the school's 10-person planning committee are ready for the 2005 growing season. John Bowne High School, Extension and Farm Bureau promised to help the Block Institute expand the gardens, agricultural lessons and activities.
Todd Adelman, Block Institute
For the Block Institute in Brooklyn, NY Harvest for NY Kids has spawned ongoing activities and relationships with a farmer, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Future Farmers of America chapter at John Bowne High School. Extension and the farmer helped classes plant vegetables and herbs in containers and on the grounds of the Institute. Classroom activities revolved around the individual vegetables and their nutrition value, where and how they are grown, how they can be eaten. The classes met with Todd Adelman, Director of Nutritional Services, and decided to make a vegetable pasta sauce. Classes also visited John Bowne High School, where the FFA students showed them a working farm much different from their school garden, and they could interact with farm animals.
The Harvest Festival on October 8 was the culmination: displays, square dancing, potato sack races, farm animals, guests from the Brooklyn Borough and NY City councils, NYS Assembly and NYS Ag & Markets. The cafeteria staff designed a New York menu that featured their Harvest Day signature dish: NY Apple Soup. Students showed off their agricultural lessons and samples of the produce they had grown. The Institute's adult clients operated a "farmers' market" using math and salesmanship skills they had learned especially to sell their NY-grown items, roasted corn, and pumpkin cookies. Another highlight of the day was "ADA", a life-sized fiberglass cow loaned from the Dairy Association; kids and adults had the time of their lives trying their hand at "milking" ADA.
The connections among all these partners and the school's 10-person planning committee are ready for the 2005 growing season. John Bowne High School, Extension and Farm Bureau promised to help the Block Institute expand the gardens, agricultural lessons and activities.
Debbie Richardson, Hannibal CSD
Debbie Richardson worked with teachers, Cornell Cooperative Extension and Oswego County Farm Bureau to create an educational and hands-on learning experience with the 2nd grade students of Hannibal CSD. The result: a unique and multi-faceted program "Combining Cultures through Food". Debbie, Nancy Weber from Farm Bureau and Extension educator Debbie Holliday, visited the classrooms in costumes, as visitors from colonial America. They explained how Native Americans and European settlers shared their foods and methods of cultivation. Each classroom cooked up a sauce of cranberries (native to North America), and apples (introduced by Europeans). The teachers were very happy with these classroom activities which integrated lessons in history, geography, language, arts and nutrition.
On the evening of October 28, students and families came together for a NY Harvest Dinner of turkey, corn bread, potatoes and of course the cranberry-apple sauce. Extension and Farm Bureau had displays such as "Careers in Agriculture." Oswego County Dairy Princess, Meredith Reed, spoke to the students about the importance of a balanced diet by playing a version of "Simon Says" with them. Extension educator Jan Van der Heide and local cranberry grower presented a slide show of "Oswego County Harvest Ð the Best of Everything!"
As in many school districts, there was no budget for all these great activities. Donations for the dinner came from Plainville Turkey, Byrne Dairy, Martens Potato Farms, and the school district's "Home & School" group. Many school staffers, Farm Bureau, and others volunteered their time.
The enthusiasm for next Fall is already evident. A parent expressed pleasure with the program at a school board meeting, and people are already asking Debbie what will happen for NY Harvest for NY Kids 2005!
