LONDONDERRY — According to Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day), farm-to-school programs bring healthy food to children nationwide.
Most Farm to School (FTS) programs aim to serve healthy meals in cafeterias, improve student nutrition, and provide food-, farm-, and nutrition-education opportunities.
Farm-to-school programs help show children where their food comes from and how food choices impact their bodies, the environment, and their communities at large.
The Farm to School committee at Flood Brook School in Londonderry has been working to develop a sustainable farm-to-school program. Members of the faculty, administration, and staff have been learning about opportunities to integrate community, classroom, and cafeteria - the three Cs of farm-to-school programming - into the K-8 curriculum at Flood Brook.
Many activities and projects have begun to inform the school community about the program. Last year, the school garden was a perfect place for experimenting, implementing and having fun with the new initiatives.
For example, students, teachers, volunteers, and parents enjoyed planting, weeding, and harvesting potatoes, dry beans, and sweet basil. All three of these crops can be stored easily for the kitchen to use in fresh, local meals for the current school year and beyond.
Over the winter, the Farm to School Committee, comprised of teachers, school administration, parents, and local farmers, was chosen by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture as one of nine recipients of Vermont farm-to-school planning grants.
This spring, Flood Brook was one of 10 school teams from New England to participate in the Farm to School Summer Institute. Our team will spend June 28-30 together at Shelburne Farms to further develop farm-to-school initiatives and curriculum for the 2016-2017 school year.
In addition to the cultural Three Sisters garden activity, Flood Brook recognizes Vermont Harvest of the Month and student participation across grade levels in the FBS Ladder of Environmental Responsibility, which involves students and teachers in caring for the school environment and gardens.
For the next school year, the committee plans to add regular Harvest of the Month taste tests, participate in Northeast Organic Farming Association's Farmer Correspondence Program, and increase student participation in both crop production and soil health in the school gardens.
As with any successful school program, community member participation is critical.
Please volunteer an hour or two this summer in these beautiful gardens! By tending to them in July and August, a more bountiful harvest can be expected when the students return at the end of summer.
For information about this program and/or to volunteer, please contact Laura Brown, farm-to-school coordinator, at lbrown@floodbrook.org or faculty member Sonja Thorley at sthorley@brsu.org.