Produce of the Month: Carrots

Did you know that carrots are a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Potassium?  Carrots are also a good source for Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate and Maganese.

Mom was right.  Carrots do make your eyes shiny!  Beta-Carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin (all found in carrots) are some of the finest nourishment that help the optic system in tip-top condition.               

EAT YOUR CARROTS DAY at Fernbank is set for April 14.  If you are buying lunch that day, choose steamed carrots as your side.  If you are bringing a lunchbox, either bring your own carrots (especially if you prefer them raw!) or purchase a side of steamed carrots from the lunch line. 

First Stakeholders Farm to School Meeting for DeKalb County

The first Stakeholders Farm to School meeting for DeKalb County was held at Fernbank Elementary, Wednesday afternoon, March 23, 2011 at 5pm.  The meeting was facilitated by Erin Croom of Georgia Organics, a leader in local Farm to School programs, in conjunction with the Fernbank Wellness PTA.  The meeting was attended by 70 parents, teachers, principals, farmers, school nutrition staff, elected officials and local non-profit organizations and businesses.  Among the notable attendees were:

Gary Black, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture

Donna Vella, DeKalb School Nutrition Coordinator

Marina Pilling, DeKalb School Nutrition Manager

 Leonard Anderson, 4-H Program Director

Brandi Whitney,  DeKalb County Board of Health

Brian Knight, from Casey Cagle, Lt. Governor’s office

State Representative Stephanie Benfield

Future Farmers of America

Heidi Blanck, PhD, Chief of the Obesity Prevention & Control Branch of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the CDC.

The meeting began with an overview of both local and national Farm to School programs and its history.  They then heard from Commissioner Gary Black, Representative Stephanie Benfield and Brian Knight from Lt. Governor Casey Cagle’s office.  Each elected official talked about how they support farm to school programs and are thrilled that DeKalb County is starting this discussion.

The attendees then broke up into smaller groups to answer questions about the opportunities, challenges and solutions to increasing fresh, local food in the cafeteria as well as nutrition into the curriculum.  Attendees were asked to come up with a farm to school vision, both short and long term for DeKalb County. 

The Fernbank Wellness PTA will compile the meeting minutes and distribute to the public.  Then they will schedule a second Farm to School meeting, hosted by a different school, to follow up with the results of the meeting. 

Eat Your Broccoli Day Success!

Fernbank Farm to School hosted our first "Eat Your Veggie Day" last week. Broccoli Day inspired Fernbank kids to break out in a chant "We love broccoli!" Mom's dressed like vegetables to encourage children to choose the broccoli in the lunch line, and our wonderful cafeteria almost ran out! Each child that tried their broccoli received a Farm to School hand stamp.

Produce of the Month: Broccoli

Did you know that broccoli contains some 3% of protein and is one of the richest vegetable sources of calcium, iron and magnesium.  Moreover, broccoli is very rich in vitamins A and C, exceeding even oranges in the concentration of the latter.               

Did you know that people who eat an abundance of broccoli have fewer cancers of the colon, breast, cervix, lungs, prostate, esophagus, larynx, and bladder.  Broccoli contains indoles, which can help inactivate harmful estrogens that can promote the growth of tumors, sulforaphane, which stimulates cells to produce cancer-fighting enzymes, and beta-carotene, another cancer fighter. 
(information provided by: www.helathlearninginfo.org)

Eating Broccoli, Yum!                                                                                                          
Broccoli tastes great raw with your favorite dipping sauce or in a salad.
Steaming broccoli is a great way to soften up the raw crunch.  Kids love steamed broccoli because it is sweet, juicy and mild.
No fresh vegetables in your fridge for dinner?  Try stocking frozen broccoli in your freezer for a last minute vegetable side.  Frozen vegetables without added sauce or sodium are a great alternative to fresh produce.
Kids won’t eat broccoli? Try calling them Dinosaur Trees or Princess Flowers.  Most important, don’t give up!
Want to add more nutrition to your pasta sauce? Try mincing raw broccoli, then lightly sauté it and add it to your favorite tomato sauce.

March 24th is Eat Your Broccoli Day  at the Fernbank cafeteria        

In order to participate, remind your kids to either buy school lunch on March 24 and choose the steamed broccoli as their side, or pack broccoli in their lunchbox.  We will be walking around the cafeteria that day, encouraging students to taste their broccoli.  If they do, they will get a fun tractor Farm to School stamp on their hand.  It’s cool to eat broccoli!

Growing Broccoli                                                                                                                           
Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family which is high in vitamin D and A.  In our Georgia climate, it is considered a cool season crop.  For best results, start with young plants and plant them between February 15^th to March 30^th.  For fall crops, plant from August 1^st to September 20^th.  Space plants 8 to 10 inches apart in rows that are three feet apart.  For the best production, plants need 4 to 6 hours of direct sun.  Keep them well-watered and beds free of weeds.

To harvest, cut the central head with 5 to 6 inches of stem, after it is fully developed but before individual flowers begin to open (they are yellow).  Once you remove the center head, side shoots are stimulated and develop quickly.  Harvest may continue for several weeks.
(Information provided by Erica Glasener)

Simple Roasted Broccoli                                                                                       

2 heads broccoli, separated into florets 
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil  
1 tsp. sea salt (kosher salt)  
½ tsp. ground black pepper  
1 clove garlic, minced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with oil, salt, pepper and garlic.  Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven until the florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15-20 minutes.  Remove and transfer to a serving platter. 

Our Garden Grows!

Last fall, 13 raised bed garden boxes transformed a sunny courtyard at Fernbank School into a thriving garden.  Children's hands planted vegetables and everyone watched as a crop grew with each passing day.  The magic of mother nature put smiles on children's faces as they realized that we can grow food. 

Fernbank kids learned about plant anatomy and nutrition in science class. Plant labels with Spanish names appeared in the garden.  Our library sprouted a display of garden related books.  Harvest day arrived and 700 kids tasted radishes, turnip greens, Asian greens and arugula during P.E. This is how our garden grows!  

The Fernbank School Garden was awarded the 2010 Subaru Healthy Sprouts Award which recognizes and supports youth gardening programs focused on teaching about our environment, nutrition and hunger issues in the United States. As a 2010 winner Fernbank received:  a $500 gift certificate to the Gardening With Kids catalog and online store, the National Gardening Association’s Eat A Rainbow kit, chock full of engaging taste education and nutrition lessons, and a literature package from the National Gardening Association.

What is Farm to School?

Farm to School is broadly defined as a program that connects schools and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local and regional farmers.  Farm to School brings healthy food from local farms to school children nationwide. 

The program teaches students about the path from farm to fork, and instills healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime.  The Farm to School approach helps children understand where their food comes from and how their food choices impact their bodies, the environment and their communities at large. 

From just a few in the late 1990’s, Farm to School programs have spread to approximately over 2,000 in 2010 spanning all 50 states.