Farm to School Farmer Fair at Alexander Elementary tomorrow, Twain on May 20, Iowa City
Michelle Kenyon
Press Release May 12, 2016
Alexander and Twain Elementary Host Farmer Fairs, Bringing the Farm to the School
May 13 and May 20
1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Iowa City, IA
Photo & Video Opportunities: Students eating locally grown, healthy foods and meeting local farmers, baby lamb and piglets;
IOWA CITY,IA – Alexander
Elementary will host our twelfth ICCSD Farm to School - Farmer Fair on Friday, May
13, 2016. Twain Elementary will host our thirteenth. The Farmer Fair is an
“in-school field trip” that brings farmers and nutrition educators into schools
to teach kids about where food comes from and about making healthy food
choices. This event brings the Farm to the School!
These events are supported by a generous donation from Lucky's Market Iowa
City.
“The Farm to School Farmer Fair is a fun and educational way to bring the farm to the school. We introduce kids to local farmers, teach about where their food comes from and provide samples of locally-grown foods,” said Michelle Kenyon, Iowa City Community School District’s Farm to School Coordinator. “Our goals are to increase the amount of healthy foods kids eat, get kids excited about eating locally grown foods and introduce kids to farmers that grow fresh fruits and vegetables.”
“We are passionate about supporting local youth education programs in our community. Providing kids with programs that support learning about healthy eating, where food comes from and the importance of our local farmers – that’s all a part of our mission. We are very fortunate to have this unique opportunity to partner with the Farm to School Farmer Fair!” Brooke Buchanan, Regional Marketing Specialist, Lucky’s Market.
All kindergarten through sixth grade students at will rotate through 6 activities. These may include:
• Meet a local farmer and
learn how they grow food and what they grow:
· Kate Edwards, Wildwood Farms
· Jason Grimm, Grimm Family Farms
· Shanti Sellz, Muddy Miss Farms
· Mark Quee, Scattergood Friends School and Farm
• Explore soil science and build a compost system with Scott Koepke, Education Outreach
Coordinator with New Pioneer Food Co-op/Soilmates, Ilsa DeWald from North Liberty Community Food Pantry and Aaron Hanson from Compost Ninja
• Taste in-season, local produce prepared by David Burt, owner of Four Square Meals
• Plant in the Twain school garden with Julie Hegmann, Master Gardener and Janet Martin, Youth Development Specialist, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
• Learn ways Iowa grown food is good for you from Lindsey Frisbee from Hy-Vee Waterfront
·
Take part in from seed to plant educational
activities from Jenni Mettemeyer, Farm to School, School Garden Coordinator and
Ethel Recinos from Local Foods Connection
The Alexander and Twain Elementary Farmer Fairs are presented by the ICCSD Farm to School Chapter, a program of Field to Family. Farmer Fairs during the 2015-16 school year are made possible by funding from Lucky’s Market in Iowa City.
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The ICCSD Farm to School Chapter is working to increase
the amount of fresh, local food that students eat through our three projects:
1) adding more local foods to school lunches, 2) building school gardens and
composting systems, and 3) providing food, agriculture, and nutrition education
programs. The ICCSD Farm to School Chapter is one of 19 chapters in the Iowa
Farm to School network, a program coordinated by the Iowa Department of
Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Department of Education.
Field to Family is an association of farmers, consumers, professional food buyers, and support organizations fostering a more local and sustainable agriculture in Johnson, Linn, and surrounding counties. Field to Family’s programs include: ICCSD Farm to School, Local Food Finder, the Field to Family Festival, and Healthy Community Food System Education.
Lucky’s Market is a natural, organic and specialty market that was started in 2003 by two chefs in Boulder, Colo. Lucky’s Market offers quality products at affordable prices with genuine personal service.