D.C. Farm to School and School Garden Week

This year our local farm to school network and school garden supporters are joining forces with a week of activities. First, a word from Andrea Northup, coordinator of the D.C. Farm to School Network:

Imagine a D.C. schoolchild travels to a farm in Maryland and harvests green, leafy kale with his classmates. The students take the kale back to their classroom and prepare a delicious dish with the help of a prominent local chef. He tries kale for the first time in his life - and likes it! And when he sees kale on her cafeteria tray during lunch that week, he eats it and encourages his friends to do the same. He gains a deeper appreciation - through his complete farm-to-table experience - of where food comes from and how it can be prepared in healthy, delicious ways.

During D.C. Farm to School week October 12-15, 2010, nearly 2,000 D.C. schoolchildren will have the chance to harvest seasonal produce on a local farm, and prepare it in the classroom with a professional chef. Additionally, schools across the District (nearly 200 in total) will serve and highlight fresh, local foods in their school meals during the week. The D.C. Farm to School Network is working in partnership with schools, parents, sponsors and community partners to make the week a success. A special thanks to our top-tier sponsors for their support - Whole Foods Georgetown , WGirls DC, and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington.

For more information, including a complete listing of participating schools and events, visit www.dcfarmtoschool.org/week.

D.C. Farm to School Week will begin with an exciting kick-off celebration, featuring battling chefs, a local apple taste test, and a school garden work party/dedication ceremony.

When: Tuesday, October 12th; 1:00pm
Where: Thurgood Marshall Academy & Savoy Elementary’s shared Gymnasium
2427 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE
Near the Anacostia metro station and many bus lines; parking available in lot across the street
RSVP to Kacie @ kwarner@washingtonyouthgarden.org

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, as students judge 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 also celebrate the passage of the D.C. Healthy Schools Act and the exciting changes in school lunches with Councilmember Mary Cheh.

It’s an exciting time for Farm to School here in the nation’s capital - please join us in celebrating!

This week you can tour D.C. school gardens by bus or by bicycle. Here are the details:

Event: 7th Annual Fall Schoolyards Tour
Come and see exemplary and diverse greening projects at various DC schools. At the sites, you will learn how these outdoor spaces can easily be integrated into the teaching curriculum, and get ideas for how to start your own school project.

Date: Saturday, October 16
Time: 9am to 3pm
Locations: Meet at Tyler ES, 1001 G St, NE (near Eastern Market metro). Transportation will be provided to Peabody ES, Miner ES, JC Nalle ES, and River Terrace ES.
Fee: $10 before Oct 8th; $15 after. Lunch will be provided.
Registration: Click here to download the registration form. Please return to Trinh Doan by Oct 14th. Call 202-535-1653 for more info.

Event: School Garden Bike Tour
Join us for a tour of some of DC's best gardens! Riders are welcome to join or leave the tour at any site. Visit 6 gardens on this ten mile route on city roads throughout Southeast, Northeast, and Northwest DC. All ages and abilities are welcome. There will be light refreshments and bike maintenance support provided. Please bring your own water bottle and helmet.

Date: Saturday, October 16
Time: 9:00am-12:30pm
Locations: Meet at John Tyler ES at 9am (1001 G St, SE). We will visit four school gardens and then finish at Harriet Tubman ES (3101 13th St, NW).
Fee: Free!
Registration: RSVP and direct questions to Kacie at
kwarner@washingtonyouthgarden.org. Ride will be cancelled with very inclement weather. Check this website or call 732-616-5022 to check the morning of the event. Click here for the flyer.