Farm 2 School Month

End of September through October has been an exciting time for re:TH!NK and Winnebago County Farm to School. Preparations have been in the works since the beginning of the school year to start off on the right foot. Already we have been on a public access television show, had a local radio station interview, and published articles in a youth magazine. While a lot has been happening, we especially want to highlight three large events within the county focused on different aspects of Farm to School: trying new fresh foods, connecting students to Wisconsin agriculture by promoting local farms, and learning to make healthy meals.

          The first event was a Local Tomato Tasting at Webster Stanley Middle School in Oshkosh School District. Check out our YouTube video about it:
                                                     TomatoTasting at Webster Stanley

          Next, we hosted Fall Fair at Maplewood Middle School in Menasha School District. We partnered with their amazing Chartwells food service team and Apple Blossom Lane Orchard from Black Creek, WI. Farmer Todd Hansen couldn’t have been more supportive throughout the process and donated some amazing decorations to make the school really feel like were at the orchard. We brought in corn stalks, hay bales, large paper leaves to decorate the walls, and tons of squash & gourds for the cafeteria. The event turned into a family affair as the Farmer Todd’s daughter, wife, and mother were all in attendance. They talked about the different apple varieties and helped pass out samples and stickers. That’s right, every student who tried at least one sample received an “I ate local food today!” sticker.

          At the event we had a savory and a sweet section. For the sweet we had four different varieties of apple slices (Empire, Cortland, Honey Gold, and Macintosh) along with an apple salad that consisted of diced apples and celery in a honey yogurt dressing. For the savory we “deconstructed” three bean salsa sampling four different platters of onion, beans, tomato, and bell pepper. We let the students try each ingredient individually and then all together as salsa. This provided a way for students try different fruits and vegetables and see how combinations of flavors work together. While some students were hesitant to try a fresh bell pepper slice, most every student had the salsa. A surprising amount of students came up to try the individual ingredients after they knew they were in the salsa. Making the fresh foods relatable to the kids really made them more willing to try new flavors. Some students really didn’t like the tomato but loved the raw onion; no two flavor palates are the same, it is important to offer a variety of options to help students find a tasty fresh food they really like. We were also able to send students home with a really simple and fun recipe cards to make applesauce at home, a classic snack that is widely accepted among kids.

“Wow, all this is for us?! I feel really special.”-8th grader at Menasha Middle

“I love beans, I have never had them plain before but now I could eat them everyday.”-7th grader at Menasha Middle 

          The last of our events was held on Food Day (October 24th), a nationwide celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainable foods. We hosted a chef demo for the 6th grade class at Carl Traeger Middle School in Oshkosh School District. This event allowed us to reach out to our community supporters from the Culinary Arts Program at Fox Valley Technical College. There were approximately 200 youth and staff in attendance. Chef Jason Sargeant came in to teach the students how to make butternut squash soup and gave an informational lesson on different varieties of squash that are available. Cooking is an important part of healthy eating, visits from Fox Valley Technical College student chefs provide a fun way to demonstrate how to cook your own food.

“This soup tastes like pizza!” -6th grader at Carl Traeger   

         Coming up for the month of November we will be focusing on Nutrition Education as we have now identified the majority of students we will be working with in our county. We will also be continuing our Fun Food of the Month program. We can’t wait for the Harvest Medley Blends to come in!