Julie Walker of Greystone Farm (above) "brings the farm to school" as she talks about chickens and eggs with Lee School third graders. During the same "Harvest-of-the-Month" session, chef Brook Harlan (right) makes two kinds of omelets for the budding Epicureans.
A student in Ann Mehr's art class (top right) shows off her Thomas Hart Benton-inspired tempera (egg yolk) painting.
Slow Food Katy Trail is completing the first year of its Slow Food-in-Schools project with Lee Expressive Arts Elementary School in Columbia. What an incredible experience it has been!
In case you're not familiar with the project, here's a history and timeline of our efforts:
January 2008 Slow Food Katy Trail met with Lee students, teachers and its principal and decided upon a three-pronged schoolyard-garden and farm-to-table collaborative project with Lee School third graders: raise-bed gardening; field trips to local farms; and "Harvest-of-the-Month" sessions.
April 2008 We provided funds to build six-raised bed gardens behind the school. Slow Food members, teachers, parents and other volunteers helped construct the beds and fill them with soil. We also provided seeds for planting. Just before the children leave for the summer, we show them how to prepare a delicious salad with the many varieties of lettuces they raised.
May 2008 Goatsbeard Farm in Harrisburg hosted the children at the farm (during three separate field trips), showing them how goats are milked and cheese is made. The children tried their hands at making cheese; frolicked with the goats; and enjoyed an outdoor lunch of fresh goat cheeses, Uprise bread and fresh fruit. For many, it was their first trip to a real farm.
Monthly since September 2008
Our “harvest-of-the-month” sessions have introduced the children to a locally raised or crafted food each month. Not only do these sessions enlighten and delight the children, but they strengthen the connection between local farmers and the community.
Slow Food Katy Trail pays local farmers to bring their tomatoes, sweet potatoes, popcorn, honey, eggs, wheat, cheese and so forth to the school every month. The farmers discuss life on the farm with the children and how they grow or produce their products. The children study the various foods in different areas of the curricula such as history, art and science.
Local chefs and Slow Food volunteer cooks come to the school each month, in conjunction with the farmers' visits, to turn the food into delicious and nutritious treats for the children. All the children participate in the cooking.
It's been highly, highly successful; the children love meeting the farmers, eating and preparing the fresh food, the demonstrations and doing the food art projects.
The overall goal is to help children develop a desire and appreciation for fresh, local foods. Judging from the children's comments, smiles and attitudes (and feedback from teachers and the principal), I'd say we have succeeded!
A special thanks to all the Slow Food volunteers and farmers who have generously donated their time and energy to help get this project off the ground. Take a bow! Also a big thanks to teachers Ann Mehr and Carissa Seek and principal Teresa VanDover for believing in this mission.
1 comment:
This is a fantastic program. Well done, all of you.
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