September - tomatoes! October - sweet potatoes! November - kale! We are excited to announce a new D.C. Farm to School Network program for the upcoming school year. Participating D.C. schools will familiarize students with seasonal, local produce - a different produce item each month. Our goal will be to educate and excite students about local fruits and veggies, so they’ll be more likely to eat them when they show up on their cafeteria trays. The program will also foster lasting partnerships between local farms and D.C. schools.
Here’s how it will work - each month will have a designated local fruit or vegetable. Let’s say it’s November, and the featured food is kale. School meals in November will include a local kale dish, which could be as simple as baked kale chips. Schools in D.C. will feature kale in their school gardens. Students participating in field trips to Arcadia’s educational farm will learn about growing and harvesting kale. Chef demonstrations, both on the farm and in schools, will feature healthy kale recipes. Taste tests in school cafeterias will expose students to a few different ways kale can be prepared. Download-able kale-themed lesson plans and worksheets will engage kids in the classroom, in line with D.C. curriculum standards. Keep your eye out for more information and for the launch of this exciting new program!
In the meantime, we need your help coming up with a creative name for the program! What should we call this monthly seasonal produce spotlight? Comment below, email anna[at]dcfarmtoschool[dot]org with ideas, or tweet ideas to us @dcfarmtoschool!
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