I had lunch at my daughter's school for the first time this school year yesterday. We brought our lunches, as usual, which is most often leftovers from dinner in a thermos with some fruit and raw veggies from the garden on the side. Here is what the kids who bought their lunch at school had. Now, according to the menu, there was also lettuce and tomato and applesauce, but looking around at the lunches that the kids at the table bought(about half of them bought lunch), this is what I saw.
Interestingly, the online menu for the county states that September is National 5-A-Day Month. It goes on:
Fun Fact! Get ready to celebrate colorful fruits and vegetables National 5-A-Day Month during National 5-A-Day Month! Each year Produce for Better National Cholesterol Education Month Health Foundation and the National 5-A-Day Partnership take this time to encourage organizations, companies and individuals to strengthen their efforts to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. Colorful fruits and vegetables provide the wide range of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals your body uses to maintain good health and energy levels, protect against
the effects of aging, and reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Join in on the celebration by eating a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables.
Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables? Not at this school, apparently. Something's not working here. But there's good news (as always). Georgia Organics announces its Farm-to-School 101 workshop, with hands-on activities for classrooms, cafeterias and communities. During this workshop, participants will:
• Learn engaging food, farm & nutrition lessons that connect to Georgia Professional Standards;
• Prepare easy & nutritious snacks with local ingredients that kids will eat & love;
• Explore E. Rivers Elementary School garden and learn techniques on how to design, build and sustain a garden;
• Meet individuals from across Atlanta that are interested in starting a farm to school program; and
• Identify farmers in their area that will host field trips, visit classrooms and/or sell produce.
This workshop is open to all interested teachers, parents, farmers, food service professionals, school administrators and community members. It costs $20 and will take place on Saturday, September 29 from 9 AM to 12:30 PM at E. Rivers Elementary School (which
I visited for my Farm-to-School article).
Clickhere to register
.
And speaking of Georgia Organics, here's the line-up for
Eat Local Week, September 20-September 30, 2007:
20: Barbara Kingsolver lecture at Emory University
20-22: Woodfire Grill celebration, a benefit for Slow Foods Atlanta
21: Cooking Locally Demonstration at Waldenour
22: Whole pig roast at Little's Cabbagetown Market
24: Georgia Organics open house & art opening
27: Organic certification workshop
28: Grow for Good Restaurant specials (Atlanta & Athens)
29: Farm to School workshop
29: Country Fair in the City
30: Summer Supper at Summerland Farms
As Emily Dickinson wrote, "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul . . ."
I had lunch at my daughter's school for the first time this school year yesterday. We brought our lunches, as usual, which is most often leftovers from dinner in a thermos with some fruit and raw veggies from the garden on the side. Here is what the kids who bought their lunch at school had. Now, according to the menu, there was also lettuce and tomato and applesauce, but looking around at the lunches that the kids at the table bought(about half of them bought lunch), this is what I saw.
Interestingly, the online menu for the county states that September is National 5-A-Day Month. It goes on:
Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables? Not at this school, apparently. Something's not working here. But there's good news (as always). Georgia Organics announces its Farm-to-School 101 workshop, with hands-on activities for classrooms, cafeterias and communities. During this workshop, participants will:
• Learn engaging food, farm & nutrition lessons that connect to Georgia Professional Standards;
• Prepare easy & nutritious snacks with local ingredients that kids will eat & love;
• Explore E. Rivers Elementary School garden and learn techniques on how to design, build and sustain a garden;
• Meet individuals from across Atlanta that are interested in starting a farm to school program; and
• Identify farmers in their area that will host field trips, visit classrooms and/or sell produce.
This workshop is open to all interested teachers, parents, farmers, food service professionals, school administrators and community members. It costs $20 and will take place on Saturday, September 29 from 9 AM to 12:30 PM at E. Rivers Elementary School (which I visited for my Farm-to-School article). Clickhere to register .
And speaking of Georgia Organics, here's the line-up for Eat Local Week, September 20-September 30, 2007:
20: Barbara Kingsolver lecture at Emory University
20-22: Woodfire Grill celebration, a benefit for Slow Foods Atlanta
21: Cooking Locally Demonstration at Waldenour
22: Whole pig roast at Little's Cabbagetown Market
24: Georgia Organics open house & art opening
27: Organic certification workshop
28: Grow for Good Restaurant specials (Atlanta & Athens)
29: Farm to School workshop
29: Country Fair in the City
30: Summer Supper at Summerland Farms
As Emily Dickinson wrote, "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul . . ."