Ward 8 Students and Parents: Get Ready for Farm to School Week! 10/12- 10/15

Mark your calendars – D.C. Farm to School Week is coming October 12-15, 2010!

Join the D.C. Farm to School Network, in partnership with schools, community organizations and state agencies to:

• Expose D.C. students to the joys of growing, harvesting, preparing and eating farm-fresh, local foods;
• Get healthy, local foods into D.C. school cafeterias;
• Celebrate the passage of the Healthy Schools Act; and
• Celebrate D.C. School Garden Week!

Want to sponsor the event, and support D.C. kids and local farms? Download our Sponsor Packet to learn more.

Join us on Tuesday, October 12th to kick-off D.C. Farm to School Week and D.C. School Garden Week!

When: Tuesday, October 12th ; 1:00pm
Where: Thurgood Marshall Academy & Savoy Elementary’s shared Gymnasium
2427 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE
Washington, DC 2002
Anacostia metro station, many bus lines, or parking in lot across the street

Please RSVP for this event to Kacie Warner at kwarner@washingtonyouthgarden.org by October 7th.

Students will be the judges in a contest of local chefs competing to create the tastiest dish from a local apple harvest. The images from a city-wide School Garden Photo Contest will be displayed and the winning photographers announced. A brand-new school garden, shared by Thurgood Marshall Academy and neighboring Savoy Elementary School, will be named, dedicated, painted and planted. We’ll celebrate the passage of the DC Healthy Schools Act and the exciting changes in school lunches with Councilmember Mary Cheh. Special guests Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and Sam Kass, White House Chef and Senior Policy Adviser For Healthy Food Initiatives will join us to celebrate local and national efforts to grow healthier kids.

Other Schools Coordinating Events in Ward 8!

Garfield Elementary School, Ward 8
10/13 – 3rd graders visiting Rocklands Farm in Poolesville, MD
10/14 – Cooking demonstration with Chef Tee of Station 9

Thurgood Marshall Academy and Savoy Elementary, Ward 8
10/12 Hosting the Farm to School Week and School Garden Week joint kick-off event

What will the event look like?

Participating D.C. schools will serve and highlight healthy, locally-grown foods in their school meals. Additionally, we’ll help a number of schools coordinate both educational farm field trips where students can harvest local produce, and also interactive chef demonstrations where students can prepare and taste local produce!

We’re also coordinating a battling chef kick-off event at Savoy Elementary School on Tuesday, October 12th. Stay tuned for more information!

How can schools get involved?

• Serve healthy, local foods in your school meals – many school food service operations have already committed to doing so, including all D.C. Public Schools. The D.C. Farm to School Network is working with many others – contact Andrea at andrea(at)dcfarmtoschool(dot)org to see if your school will feature farm-fresh foods during the week.
• Highlight local foods on the menu during the week by noting which items are local and where they come from. Find outWhat’s In Season during D.C. Farm to School Week.
• Spread the word about D.C. Farm to School Week! See below (Information & Resources) for sample P.A. Announcements, promotional materials, letters to parents, and more.

How can other individuals and organizations get involved?

• Do you want to sponsor the event? We need donations of food, transportation, and more. Download our Sponsor Packetfor more information.
• Would you like to lead a chef demonstration at a school? Read our Call for Chefs PDF for more details.
• Do you have local food to sell or donate for the event? Email andrea(at)dcfarmtoschool(dot)org or call Andrea at (202) 526-5344 x298.
• Want to just stay in the loop? Join our e-Newsletter to stay up-to-date on volunteer opportunities, planning updates, tools & resources.

FIND MORE INFORMATION ON FARM TO SCHOOL WEEK HERE