Local Produce Blooms
During South Dakota
Winters
Kyle Koehn from Fairacre Farm in Iroquois, South Dakota,
shares how the farm successfully grows produce for nearby schools, even during
winter!
 In the midst of a cold February, Fairacre Farm is still
growing fresh produce to sell to the elementary schools in Huron, South Dakota.
The local produce is used for the schools' Fresh
Fruit and Vegetable Program. Students are introduced to a variety of fresh
fruit and vegetables and get to taste test each one. Since the first of the
school year, students have tasted spinach, arugula, butter and frisee lettuce,
Swiss chard, kale, tatsoi, and red giant mustard greens sourced from Fairacre
Farm. Purple cauliflower is growing, snow peas are blooming, and soon there
will be a colorful blend of purple, yellow, and green peas.
But how does the farm overcome the bitter temperatures of winter? The
farm sustainably grows throughout the cold season using a system where air is
forced through a network of pipe buried under the greenhouse. The warm air
coming from underground keeps the temperatures in the high tunnel up to 50
degrees warmer than the outside temperature. It can get down to -30 °F at night in the middle
of a South Dakota winter, so this is a huge help! On sunny days, no matter how
cold it may be outside, it quickly heats up inside the tunnel. The warm air is
circulated underground and stored for nighttime use. What fun to step into the
high tunnel out of cold, wind, and snow and experience warmth, earthy scents,
and growing plants!
Learn more about Fairacre Farm’s farm to school success via
their Facebook page.
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International
School Meals Day is Fresh and Local
Help raise awareness of the importance of
food and nutrition to education by joining the celebration of International School Meals Day, Thursday, March 3!
International School Meals Day brings together children and communities across
the world sharing to share experiences, stories and news about food in their
local communities.
We’re excited for this year’s theme of fresh and healthy local foods! Many
schools around the globe have farm to school programs. Local farmers play a
huge role in strengthening local economies and contributing to vibrant
communities everywhere.
Curious how other countries use local food at school? Follow the activity on
Twitter using #ISMD2016
or go to this tumblr
page to see stories and pictures of favorite dishes and traditional
school meals. Share your own photos and stories with this cross-cultural opportunity!
Funding Opportunity
for Improving Preschool Nutrition and Physical Activity
Incorporating gardens, nutrition education, and local food
into a preschool setting are a great way to set little ones on a path to healthy eating,
which is why we’re drawing your attention to this great opportunity! Smart from the Start Awards
encourage preschool teachers to create practical, long-term improvements in
nutrition and physical activity at their preschool.
Early childhood education or
Head Start centers that offer a pre-K program are eligible to apply for a
$20,000 cash grant! Ten second prize $2,500 cash grants will
also be awarded. The deadline is Thursday, March 3,
2016.
Planning for Farm to School Success Webinars
Don’t miss the upcoming webinars
in our Planning for Farm to School Success webinar series! You can find the entire menu of
topics, as well as past recordings, on our website.
Food Safety: March
3, 2:00 PM EST
How can we ensure the safety of farm fresh food? We’ll share local food
safety best practices, including identifying safety measures for school gardens
and school salad bars. Joining us is Londa Nwadike, PhD, who serves as
Extension Food Safety Specialist for both Kansas State University and the
University of Missouri. She works with small-scale produce farmers, farmers
market vendors, as well as schools and consumers on food safety-related issues.
Promoting Your Farm to School
Program: March 17, 2:00 PM EDT
You’ve put in so much hard work! Now, how do you promote your farm to school
program to ensure student, school, and community engagement? Hear about
programs that have successfully promoted farm to school programs while managing
a tight budget. Chef Ann Cooper, Food Service Director for Boulder Valley
School District in Colorado, joins us with tips and tricks for successful
promotion.
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