October is National Farm to School Month , and this year students will watch more about a leafy cat valium that is packed with alimentation through the report “ Spinach to Win It . ”
Farm to School Month is align by Georgia Organics in partnership with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension , as well as the nation of Georgia ’s Department of Education , the Department of Agriculture , and the Department of Public Health . Together , they focus on a specific crop to aid students across the State Department learn more about agriculture and how food for thought end up on their plates .
UGA Extension has develop cloth for teachers , student , and other participants about the nutritionary note value of spinach , how to plant and care for the craw , and formula to incorporate it into meals .
These materials and many more can be found on the Farm to School website throughout the calendar month of October . The first 300 multitude to sign up also get a gratuitous mailboat of seed , washable tattoo , and a Georgia planting and harvest calendar for school garden .
“ My end for this yr is to touch infrastructure with as many teachers as I can , making sure they have the resources they need for their shoal garden so we can get on track , ” said UGA Extension community and shoal garden coordinator Becky Griffin . ( Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski / UGA )
Becky Griffin , who oversees some of the Farm to School calendar month festivities as annexe residential area and school garden coordinator , read she ’s excited to connect with teachers and get more schooling gardens up and run this year . She has been preparing Extension agents to work with local school to connect them with farmers and resources . With Extension support , the schools will also facilitate students grow their own prickly-seeded spinach .
“ My goal for this twelvemonth is to touch base with as many teacher as I can , make up indisputable they have the resources they require for their schooltime gardens so we can get on track , ” said Griffin . “ We ’re hoping to get lot of participants and get everybody delirious . ”
Georgia 4 - total heat will also join in on the festivities , accord to 4 - H Extension specialist Kasey Bozeman . Some before- and after - schoolhouse meeting this month will concentre on activities such as planting spinach , teaching dependable preparation and handling practices , create and tasting recipes , act game , and singing song about spinach .
“ Farm to School programming is such a natural fit within our 4 - H work — spinach is a great superfood to lionize , ” said Bozeman . “ Perhaps some of these youth participants will work in the agriculture manufacture in the future , but all young people need to understand the grandness of agriculture and farming in their community . ”
MaryBeth Hornbeck , the Family and Consumer Sciences ( FACS ) Extension agentive role in Rockdale County , encourages participants to pass out to their local UGA Extension office during the Spinach to make headway It festivities to look to agents and their knowledge throughout the calendar month .
“ Extension is a great resource for Farm to School month in many style , let in our curriculum , community of interests connections , and hoi polloi on our staff , ” said Hornbeck . “ Local Extension offices would have sex to partner with participant for a celebration , example , or program this calendar month ! Many FACS agents have intercourse nothing more than making healthy feeding sport and manageable , and there are a million ways to enjoy Spinacia oleracea . ”
For more information : University of Georgiawww.uga.edu
