MY TIME at the farm with the Urban School Food Alliance
NxtGen Network Junior Editor Kalista Photopulos
Great Kids Farm, Baltimore, MD
Being new to the child nutrition world, I had no idea what to expect when NxtGen Network traveled to Baltimore for the USFA fall member meeting. On September 22, 2022 we went to Great Kids Farm which is part of Baltimore City Public Schools. It was beyond anything that I could imagine. The entire theme was about the transfer of food from the farm to their school. It focused on showing students exactly where their school meals come from. This is highly important because it gets students excited and they get involved with healthy nutrition from a young age. When we arrived at the farm, everyone was divided into groups and we rotated through three different stations.
that they harvested from the farm. We each had a bucket where we put our leftovers and, after we were done eating, the staff talked us through the importance of composting.
Lastly, we went to their composting area. The farm had a small wooden platform built where we could overlook their compost piles and deposit our waste. After the hands-on stations, we went inside where they had set up lunch, as well as different tables for commodity presentations to take place. There were nine booths set up from various organizations all focused on supporting children and school nutrition. Whether it was eggs, mushrooms, cranberries, or pizza; they all wanted to make a difference in a child’s life. The commodity booths brought sample items, which we ate for lunch, coupled with a variety of delicious food the farm served. It was really inspiring to see so much passion in one room. Before I started working at NxtGen Network, my view of school lunches was very different - I never knew that there were people truly advocating to continually improve school meals. All in all, the trip to the farm was eye opening. We all know the stigma that follows an outsider’s view of school lunch, but here directors from all these different states eager to learn about activities, products, and processes to the benefit of their students. These school nutrition professionals know that it’s going to be an upward battle, but that doesn’t discourage them. In fact, it makes them want to fight harder, to make a better future. It was truly inspiring to see their passion and it gives me hope for the future of school lunches.
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The first station was a hands-on activity brought us to a pumpkin patch. We were educated on what a full-grown pumpkin looked like and the proper way to harvest it. Our farmer shared that the pumpkins which were destroyed, or looked like they had been eaten, were from badgers! That was wild to me because I live in Florida where we don’t have a big badger issue! The harvesting of the pumpkins was a great experience. I can only imagine the impact on students participating in this amazing activity.
The next station had two parts. The first was about seeds. This staff walked us through planting seeds in the exact way they would with the students, explaining how these seeds would grow into the food that they will find on their lunch trays. The second interactive section
Kalista Photopulos Junior Editor, NxtGen Network
Currently working towards a degree in Mass Communications, Kalista brings a fresh set of eyes to NxtGen Network. She is driven, motivated, and dedicated to her role. She leads teams to success by keeping everyone focused, going the extra mile to make sure they reach their goal, and keeping the overall environment a positive one. Not only is she making a difference at NxtGen, Kalista also pursues excellence as a Technical Live Director for The Chapel (a church in Trinity, Florida).
was a visit to the animal barn. We saw chickens, roosters, and goats! What a cool aspect while keeping students engaged with adorable animals. The last station was about composting. The staff shared the importance of “eating our colors” we ate vegetables
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