Looking ahead to fall field trips

Our tomatoes aren't yet ripe, but we're already thinking about squash and sweet potatoes. In other words, school is winding down for the summer (happy last day, DCPS!), but we're already looking forward to hosting field trips in the fall.

Want to know more about our program? Read on.

What will students learn on the farm?
After a farm field trip, second, third and fourth grade students will be able to make the connection that healthy, fresh food comes from the earth, and will understand the process of growing food sustainably. Students will be familiar with and recognize fruits and vegetables that grow near Washington, DC, so that they will be more likely to eat those healthy foods when they see them in the cafeteria or at home.

To learn more about how Arcadia Farm field trips meet 2nd, 3rd & 4th grade learning standards, click HERE for DC standards and HERE for VA standards.

When do field trips take place?
Arcadia Farm field trips in fall 2012 will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm beginning Wednesday, September 5 and ending Thursday, November 1 2012. Weather cancellations will be rescheduled for Fridays during the season.

How much do field trips cost?
Field trip fees are calculated according to the percentage of students eligible for Free or Reduced Price (FRP) Meals at your school:

70-100% eligible for FRP meals = $50 per trip
41-69% eligible for FRP meals = $250 per trip
0-40% eligible for FRP meals = $400 per trip

Note: We want to make our field trips accessible to as many students as possible. If cost is a problem for you, please let us know.

Can I bring kids from my summer program on a field trip?
Our own summer program, Arcadia Farm Camp, runs from July 16-July 27, but we can host trips on a very limited basis during other weeks this summer. Email liz@arcadiafood.org to request a visit.

Where can I find more information?
Please contact liz@arcadiafood.org with questions or to be added to our email list. We'll start registering schools during the first week in August. To see more pictures or read stories about past field trips, visit Arcadia’s blog or Flickr page.

Farm to School Person of the Year 2011: Whitney Bateson

Since she was hired almost four years ago as the Resident Dietician for D.C. Public Schools at Chartwells-Thompsons, there has never been a doubt that Whitney Bateson wasn’t in the business to serve the children of the District of Columbia. Whitney has been a driving force in making DCPS school meals healthier, more sustainable, and more locally-sourced. At Chartwells she was tasked with creating menus and assuring compliance for approximately 125 school DCPS sites serving breakfast, lunch and in some cases dinner each day. Planning approximately 70,000 meals each day is no small task, but Whitney Bateson took the challenge head-on.

Here ia Whitney with Jeff Mills, Director of Food & Nutrition Services for DCPS,
learning from a vendor at a healthy food showcase.  Look at the concentration!!!

When I first met Whitney, we were both new to Washington, DC. I called her up to talk about farm to school programs, and she patiently walked me through the process of how food travels from farm to tray in the D.C. school meal system. I immediately sensed that she shared my enthusiasm, and she took on the challenge of sourcing more local produce for DCPS school meals.

Whitney fast went from farm to school novice to expert at Chartwells. She scheduled meetings with produce distributors, researched local farms, worked out the logistics of local purchasing for special events (like Strawberries & Salad Greens), and enthusiastically participated in many of the farm to school workshops, events, field trips and meetings hosted by the D.C. Farm to School Network. It’s truly been a pleasure watching her knowledge and passion for farm to school grow over the years.

Whitney was our most enthusiastic Farm to School Field Trip participant! 
Here she is holding sweetcorn on our trip to Delaware (third from right).

Not only do I respect Whitney’s work, I admire her incredible dedication to child nutrition; her willingness to push for change against great odds; her consistently positive and outgoing attitude; her natural curiosity (including a willingness to ask difficult questions); and her unwavering work ethic. These traits will take Whitney far as she moves on from her position at DCPS to become Director of Wellness Initiatives at Chartwells, where she will take on the role of coordinating sustainability and wellness programs for Chartwells across the country.

As someone who’s seen what DCPS school meals menus looked like four years ago, I commend Chartwells for now serving minimally-processed, healthy meals featuring a local food almost every day in the spring and fall (and a few days per week in the winter). I want to acknowledge Whitney Bateson for playing a lead role in this transformation to more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and local produce. Granted school meal reform in Washington, DC has been a result of local and national partnerships, government agencies, and policies, but Whitney Bateson is one of the true unsung heroes of the movement. We are sad to see her move on to the national arena, but glad she still calls Washington, DC home!

Farm to School Field Trip - Blue Ridge Produce!

I can't think of a better way to spend a weekday morning than travelling to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley to connect local growers with D.C. schools.  Earlier this week, eight of my favorite school food service providers and farm-to-school stakeholders from Washington, DC took a field trip out to Elkwood, VA to visit Blue Ridge Produce.  We got a first class tour of their new facility, which serves as a local food distribution "hub" for Northern Virginia and Washington, DC markets.

Jim and Mark, the co-founders of Blue Ridge, brought us up to speed with a history of the new organization and how it got started.  We began our tour in the huge warehouse and freezer space, which will be brimming with produce come spring for wholesale buyers around the region. 

We moved our way in to the (thankfully warmer) greenhouses, with thousands of square feet of space ready to grow hydroponic vegetables, herbs and greens.  The potential for the space is huge - Jim and Mark described plans for a commercial kitchen, demonstration compost operation, and sustainable farm in the works.

Many thanks to Jim, Mark, Craig and the Blue Ridge team for a wonderful and informative visit.  And thank you to Beatriz, Sofia, Lisa, Jaime, Benjamin, Jeff, and Whitney for coming on the trip.  I look forward to working with all of you to make more healthy, local food available to Washington, DC schoolkids!