Making the connections: Using school garden produce in school food service

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Caren Hunt
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1 Nourishing Kids and Communities Making the connections: Using school garden produce in school food service

2 Nourishing Kids and Communities Today s panelists: Chelsey Simpson National Farm to School Network Bill Whitcomb Operations Director for Whitsons Culinary Group Lisa Lenskold Director of Norwalk Grows

3 Our garden stats Involved with garden programs in NY since 2009 Currently opera<ng 15 gardens in over 7 districts Over 2000 lbs of produce served in school year expect 3 more garden projects and increased harvest capacity

successful garden Clean, well kept, organized, safe Not necessarily

4 Whats makes a garden efficient? Only way to have a successful garden program in a SD is to have a successful garden Clean, well kept, organized, safe Not necessarily commercial produc<on but that does help. Experiment beds are a great SD resource and will create more SD buy in.

5 What makes a garden work in a SD? 1.Need a strong organiza<on in place for garden to work. One or two champions in place (garden coordinator) 2.Key players that have buy in and are dedicated 3.Use nutri<onal commiree to your advantage and have the garden coordinator involved in discussions. This creates district buy in. 4. Connect with FSD (keep only one or two people in direct discussion with FSD). 5. Crea<ng a system that you and your FSD can depend on. 6. Don t take on more than you can handle!

6 Did you know? Your garden is partly cost sustainable? Produce can be sold to FSM or to other SD? $ generated are to be used solely for food purchases. Yes, your garden can sell to the cafeteria Make sure this process is efficient

7 Entrepreneurship Yes, your garden club is a lirle business. District needs to set up accounts like other booster clubs Take the <me to create invoices, transfer sheets etc Keep kids involved at all <mes

8 What have others done? Create a pilot program at your SD. Focus your energy on one school, one garden, one FSD. Too many garden programs fail because its too much at once for the one or two champions/leaders This will work if all the systems are in place and func<onal. Good idea to have in place is a business sponsorship at your pilot garden The more people working on your pilot program the berer chance you have at crea<ng mul<ple gardens in your SD. - - Lisa Lenskold Norwalk grows

School Garden Partnership between Norwalk Children s

! Norwalk Grows began in July 2010 as a partnership between

Since then, we have installed 12 edible gardens in 11 schools

! The goal of Norwalk Grows is to have every child in the

9 School Garden Partnership between Norwalk Children s Foundation and Norwalk Public Schools What is Norwalk Grows -!! Norwalk Grows began in July 2010 as a partnership between Norwalk Children s Foundation and Norwalk Public Schools. Since then, we have installed 12 edible gardens in 11 schools throughout Norwalk, CT!! The goal of Norwalk Grows is to have every child in the Norwalk Public Schools in a garden education setting from the time they are in PreK through High School graduation."

Norwalk Public Schools! Close up on childhood obesity in Norwalk " " In Norwalk, by 6th grade, 43% of students are either overweight or obese (Source: Norwalk Health Department 2009 BMI test)!

10 Norwalk Public Schools! Close up on childhood obesity in Norwalk " " In Norwalk, by 6th grade, 43% of students are either overweight or obese (Source: Norwalk Health Department 2009 BMI test)! 2009 BMI Classification by Grade" " The percent of Norwalk 9th/10th graders who are obese (20%) is nearly twice the national average (11%) and twice the state average (10%).! (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, 2009)! Based on CDC percentiles for age and gender: Overweight : 85th to < 95th percentile Obese: 95th percentile

11 Norwalk Grows School Garden Model" " Each school garden must establish a School Garden Committee (or Garden Club in Middle School or High School). SGC must have at least 1 administrator, 1 teacher, 1 parent and 1 student. " " Norwalk Grows then pairs each school with one Corporate Partner. The corporate partner provides volunteer and financial support for the school. In most cases, the corporate will build the relationship with the school beyond the garden. " " To date, Norwalk Grows has installed edible gardens in 12 of it s 19 schools. Established Corporate Partnerships with Pepperidge Farm, GE, Tauck World of Giving, Vertrue, Whole Foods, Norwalk Hospital and United Way" " Once the garden is working, and the School Garden Committee is functioning, Norwalk Grows will begin expanding programming opportunities to the school. " " Youth Farmers Market Program - Integration of core curriculum areas with school garden programming. The students are growing produce and selling the produce in a school based farmers market. Program will be expanding in Spring 2013." " Seed to Spork Program - Pilot Spring 2013 student grown produce available in cafeteria in a Grab and Go salad, Whitsons Collaboration. l cafeteria to their school compost sites."

12 Norwalk Grows- Building Partnerships" " Corporate Partnerships are crucial - provide volunteers and funding opportunities." " Norwalk Public Schools Health Services - member of District Wellness Committee that actively works with Board of Education Policy Committee to improve wellness policies in schools." " Norwalk Health Department - City wide initiative to reduce childhood obesity in Norwalk, CT. " " Norwalk Recreation and Parks Dept. - work with department on education programs at Fodor Farm Community Garden. Norwalk Grows also utilizes greenhouse space for school cafeteria growing. " " Chamber of Commerce - provide updates to members and expand corporate participation and awareness." " Whitsons Culinary Group- providing school food management resources to Norwalk grows"

13 What have others done with menu integra<on? Harvest Schedule: Have you made one? Have you discussed types of produce with your garden group? Taste tested any? Schedules are not wriren in stone but you need to be organized with your efforts Next slide: Courtesy of MaR Dorris at Tuckahoe SD

14 What have others done? PLAN TING SCHEDULE Start INDOORS or FLATS DTH DATE TRANSPLANT HARVEST AREA PLANTS BASIL 85 Anytime CABBAGE - Green Jul mid Aug Fall CABBAGE - Red 1- Jul mid Aug Fall Celery Jun 1- Aug Fall CUCUMBERS - fresh Jul mid Aug Fall CUCUMBERS - pickling Jul mid Aug Anytime LEEKS 150 Buy Sets mid April Fall LETTUCE - Leaf Mar 4/1 direct Aug1 Spring / Fall LETTUCE - Mix Mar 4/1 direct Aug1 Spring / Fall ONION- Spanish 110 Buy Sets mid April Fall - Winter ONION- Red 115 Buy Sets mid April Fall - Winter PEPPERS - Bell (cold frames) n/a Fall TOMATO - for sauce n/a Anytime TOMATO - diced & frozen n/a Anytime Direct Seed OUTDOORS FIRST SOWING SUCCESSION DATES HARVEST BEETS - Gold (cold frames) Apr Mid Aug (Night) Spring / Fall CABBAGE - bok choi 47 mid July Mid Aug Fall CARROTS 70 mid July Mid Aug Fall CILANTRO 45 Late May Late June Anytime DILL 65 Late May Late June Anytime GREEN BEANS - Pole 65 mid July 1- Aug Fall OREGANO 90 buy July Anytime PARSLEY 70 June July Anytime PARSNIPS May Next 2 weeks Fall POTATOES 100 Early April n/a Fall SPINACH 45 Mid March Sept on Spring / Fall SQUASH - Zucchini Aug 15- Aug Fall THYME 85 buy mid June Anytime Denotes will purchase

15 Great Gardens Gets kids involved! Harvest to washing to packing

16 Great Gardens Pics from Greenport:

17 Safety and sanita<on Based on county regula<ons Speak to DOH directly See link: food safety <ps for school gardens hrp://nfsmi.org/ DocumentDownload.aspx?id=3311 Children can wash produce, most cases under the supervision of someone with a food sanita<on permit Then produce must be packed away

18 School food service take my produce!! FSD s don t want 2 lbs of leruce. They need produce in same form as they currently purchase. Get colored Food safe plas<c bins If your food service director has mesclun greens coming in as a 3 or 5lb box. Give it to them in that form.

19 Menu Integra<on Use harvest schedule, properly processed produce in bins and temperature labeled with dates Did you menu item? Did you s<ck to schedule? Does district and FSD know about a die off. Give the FSD <me to make up the difference. Make sure produce is just like what the cafeteria workers get everyday and you will see the produce in the café. Promote the item!!

20 Top 5 Greens, greens!! Mesclun mixes, spinach, romaine Carrots Squashes, burernut, green, yellow Basil (wonderful pesto) other herbs Beets (beet chips)

21 GAP Most schools food programs use produce from approved sources. USDA approved Your school garden is not GAP cer<fied, costly process Per district basis, most can accept a well balanced GAP program you write up.

22 Great Gardens and future safety issues Have entry logs for those allowed in gardens Locking gates or limited access Keep paperwork trail of all produce. (Temp logs, harvest dates, invoices, transfers, die offs)

23 Greens in hand what else? At Bridgehampton we had a leruce die out. But squash did well, those weeks we used hydro leruce and lots of squash soup

24 Greens in hand what else? Use Menus correctly: Be flexible provide kid useful recipes Get kids involved Recipe days:

25 Greens in hand what else? Garden produce can be used and showcased: Chef sponsored days using this harvested produce

26 Thank you for your <me.

27 Nourishing Kids and Communities Questions? You can type questions into your webinar control panel. You can also contact the webinar organizer at

Planning Your School Garden Program

Planning Your School Garden Program Developing a Vision for your School Garden Program Working individually, finish these thoughts: a. A school garden program will be good for our school because b. In