In the fight against childhood obesity, sometimes the humble tomato can be our best weapon. But how do you get children to eat one when chips beckon? Our answer: the “Two Bite Club.” When Seven Generations Ahead brought our Fresh From the Farm program to three Chicago-area schools, even the pickiest students joined the club. Students at Chase Elementary School in Logan Square, Dunne Technology Academy in Roseland, and Marquardt Middle School in Glendale Heights tried a combined total of 4,030 bites of 23 new foods. Kids tried blueberries, carrots, honey, bell peppers, and pomegranates, but their favorite was jicama. Fresh From the Farm also brought in a bee keeper, a farmer and a master composter to teach children about how food is grown. Now, the children are teaching parents. As one proud mother explained, “Ever since my son started the program, he talks to me about the benefits of fruits and vegetables.” And hopefully, this new mindset will help these children and their families live healthy lives.
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Farm to School Mapping Project
How many school districts in Illinois say that they are working on Farm to School projects? How many districts are serving local foods in their cafeterias, and how many want to start? These are questions that the first Farm to School Census, conducted by the USDA in 2012, sought to answer. This year, the USDA has sent the survey out again to see how Farm to School programs are growing.
In anticipation of this new data, which will be available by the end of the year, we at the Illinois Farm to School Network have started the Illinois Farm to School Mapping Project. Due to the work of Jacob Horn, GIS mapping student and Masters Candidate at DePaul University, we now have a framework map from which we can work.
Take a look at our Farm to School Activity map. This map shows Illinois counties shaded for different amounts of activity, with the darkest colors being the counties with the most active school districts. All of our data is district-based and does not show individual school efforts. The dots on the map show the districts that claimed in 2012 to have any Farm to School programming – such as gardens, procurement, education, farm visits, or other activities. Our hope for the 2015 Farm to School census is that we will see a huge increase in activities!
Kids Rave about Kale
“More kale, please!”
That’s what a group of first through third graders at Stagg Elementary shouted after trying kale for the first time. The students are participating in the Illinois Farm to School Network’s eight-week after-school program.
As you know, Seven Generations Ahead is deeply involved in the Illinois Farm to School Network, a statewide organization that works to bring local foods sourcing and agricultural education into the schools.
Since beginning my internship with SGA, I’ve been working with Lydia Mills, SGA’s Farm to School Network coordinator, on an after-school program at Stagg, a Chicago Public School on the city’s South Side. We’ve also worked hard with the first through third graders there to implement a gardening program at the school, using SGA’s “Sow and Grow” curriculum.
We’re happy to report that these students are even more thrilled about getting their hands dirty in the garden and trying new, and as they would describe it, “nutritious and delicious” foods.
Along with learning about gardening, every week students participate in Mindful Tastings that introduce them to particular to foods that they don’t typically eat or have access to. On this particular day, kale — the low-calorie leafy green known for its potent vitamin A, C, and K nutrients — was the food of choice.
This session ended with Lydia and me leaving the school smiling from ear to ear because we were so inspired by the children’s joy in discovering a wholesome, local, and new food.
Rachelle Reenders is a Dominican University MBA candidate and dietetic intern currently working at Seven Generations Ahead on the Farm to School Network.
The State of Illinois Farm to School
Farm to School has been a growing movement in the state of Illinois for over a decade, with many dedicated people and groups working together for our students. Now more than ever before, Farm to School is growing across the country. Illinois is a part of that growth. With every new school garden, every new food tasted, and every farmer now able to sell local products to school districts, we are creating a better food system. In 2014, Illinois lost a pioneer in the farm to school movement, University of Illinois Extension educator and Illinois Farm to School Network State Lead, Julia Govis. She coordinated partnerships and headed the Illinois Farm to School Network. Seven Generations Ahead, a non-profit working in the farm to school field, was selected by the National Farm to School Network in early 2015 to continue her work growing a powerful Farm to School Network statewide. SGA will convene monthly call-in meetings with the goal of disseminating resources and best practices to make Farm to School more accessible and easy.
So what is already happening in Illinois Farm to School? Quite a lot, actually! In 2011, The USDA conducted a census-style survey of all school districts to find out what farm to school activities were going on (click here to see the data). In Illinois, we found that over 57 districts were getting into school gardens – and that doesn’t even tell the full story about the over 100 individual school gardens in Chicago Public Schools alone. There are many non-profits and community organizations working with schools to build and support their gardens and garden-based curricula.
In Illinois, there are a 59 districts procuring food locally. This is very impressive! While only 15% percent of our food dollars are currently being spent on local food purchases, there is significant interest on the ground in buying food from local farmers. The Illinois Farm to School Network will be a resource for interested districts who want to learn more about how to prioritize local in their food purchases.
The Illinois Farm to School Network will amplify the work of districts and partners. This data about our programs is used to fight for good legislation and to spread awareness to the general public about why Farm to School is so great. Over the course of the year, you’ll hear from us about Farm to School Month (October!), the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization, and the upcoming Farm to School Census in March.
If your organization wants to be involved, please sign up here for monthly phone call opportunities and email newsletters. You can also take this MEMBER widget and place it on your website (please let us know if you do – we’d love to see it!). Email Lydia if you have any questions about membership.