FIFTH GRADERS AT AVONDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN AUBURN HILLS, MICHIGAN GOT A CHANCE TO SAMPLE AND “PURCHASE” LOCAL PRODUCE AT THE DISTRICT’S FIRST EVER FARMERS MARKET. STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE: FARMERS MARKET EVENT TEACHES STUDENTS WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM OPERATIONS
The team worked with its pro- duce company to partner with local farms and receive the produce. When not shopping at the mar- ket, students made their way around several different stations of- fering samples and other activities. They could pedal their way to fresh smoothies at the smoothie bike sta- tion, for example, or try a variety of pickled veggies at the pickling sta- tion. In addition, Chartwells K12’s Re- gional Executive Chef Aaron Ma- son was on hand to do a cauliflow- er fried rice live cooking demo that featured all local products. Haase and the team hope the farmers market will become an an- nual event. While feedback on the event was overwhelmingly posi- tive, they did hear from some of the teachers that they would like to be more involved, so they’re planning to include some science-based sta- tions at the market next year. In the immediate future, the team is also hoping to have some of the farmers whose produce was fea- tured at the market come visit the students now that the harvest sea- son is over. “We want to now have the farm- ers come into the classrooms and meet the kids that bought their pro- duce,” says Haase. “The farmers will be able to show them how it grows and all that nitty gritty stuff.”
E arlier this month Fifth grad- ers at Avondale School Dis- trict in Auburn Hills, Michi- gan got the chance to shop for their own produce at the dis- trict’s first annual farmers market. The event was put on by the dis- trict’s foodservice provider Chart- wells K12 in honor of National Farm to School Month and provided stu- dents with a behind the scenes look at how local produce is grown. “With Avondale being in an inner city, I thought it was very important for kids to learn about nutrition ed- ucation and where their food comes from and hat it doesn't just pop up BY BENITA GINGERELLA
in the serving line at school,” says Director of Dining Services Megan Haase. The market was held in a grassy area just in front of the district’s administration building. Instead of having each fifth-grade class visit the market separately, the district decided to buss all the fifth graders over at one time. “It kind of emulated a real-life farmers market with the crowds,” says Haase. At the market students could use “veggie bucks” provided by the nu- trition team to “purchase” an array of local produce to take home in- cluding, cucumbers, apples, cauli- flower and more.
FSD QUARTERLY
Q4 2024
8
PHOTO:SHUTTERSTOCK
Powered by FlippingBook