Check out the latest Upper Valley FTS News -http://eepurl.com/vE7r – Spring Gardens – Farm and Earth Day events – Workshops – Grants & Awards – Read it all here.

There is a great AP article by Lisa Rathke in the news this week about the Farm to School program at Sharon Elementary School, and about the broader FTS movement in VT and around the nation.  Check it out.

And today, Michele  Obama’s Let’s Move initiative hit the wires, as she announced her ambitious campaign to combat childhood obesity.  Meanwhile, Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack says he’s encouraging schools to focus on community gardens and school gardens.

This national campaign ties in very well with Vermont’s Get Moving initiative and NH Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) as well as so many of our local efforts here in the Upper Valley.

OK – game on.

Upper Valley Farm to School Network – for Wellborn Ecology Fund Newsletter 1-4-2010

The UVFTS has had a “fruitful” fall – with several new farm to school programs being launched, new FTS coordinators hired at three schools, forums held for FTS stakeholders and a new steering committee created to help guide the UVFTS bus / tractor down the road/row.  We are grateful to the Wellborn Ecology Fund for a capacity building grant that supports our activities and has helped leverage over $30,000 in additional funds to support FTS efforts in the Upper Valley.

Our recently revised website – www.uvfts.org – provides information about coming events; useful links; tools to connect farms to the classroom, cafeteria and community; a blog and social networking features.  One exciting component is the “Your FTS” page, which allows any FTS program to post and update their own web page, or link to an existing page.   The website is a work in progress, and comments are very welcome.

In 2010, the UVFTS will be holding a series of forums targeted to specific FTS issues.  The first will be a Farm to Cafeteria Working Group – on January 20^th (1-4 PM at the Woodstock Elementary School in Woodstock Vermont).  This gathering is designed for school cafeteria staff and FTS stakeholders to explore challenges and develop strategies related to incorporating local food into the school lunch program.  “Seasoned” cafeteria staff will share lessons related to procurement, processing, storage, serving and marketing local foods.  There is no charge for the session, but participants must register through email to Peter@UVFTS.org or by phone at 802 291-2019.

Wellborn funds also support  UVFTS site visits to schools in the Upper Valley that are interested starting, expanding or sustaining their farm to school program.  Contact us for more information about site visits to your school.

Check out the new web site – www.uvfts.org – and contact Peter Allison atpeter@uvfts.org or 802 291-2019 to register for the Farm to Cafeteria Working Group, to post a page on our website, request a site visit or share your news.

Peter Allison

Director, UVFTS

This past week, the third graders in Hartland didn’t visit the farm; instead we brought the “farm to school.”  Farmer Kerry Gawalt and I brought in about a dozen different types of beans of varying sizes and colors, as well as some dried herbs.  We had a pint canning jar for each student and a bean soup fact sheet and recipe.  Kerry talked a little bit about the nutritional value of beans, and how they are grown, and then we gave each student a jar and told them to fill it up. Each filled jar became a unique piece of art, a gift and a meal.  Several parents have already commented on the delicious soup and how happy their child was to present the gift, and they to receive it. I think this may become a holiday tradition around the Hartland Elementary School.

Here is the recipe and some information on beans: Vermont Bean Soup