2011!

FALL

Autumn is going quickly by, and our HES Farm Team is busy. We have introduced our first monthly theme of Late Summer Gardens, with several activity options for different grades. Each monthly theme will feature 2 highlighted foods as well. Every classroom in the school received a fact sheet about our first food–basil–then taste tested it the same day. It was a great success! Many kids were begging for more pesto! Our Farm Team also had an extensive display at the recent back to school picnic. The tables showcased student/family donations of garden or farm products, and past school projects were shared, that related to farm based field trips or research. We are looking forward to plenty of fun times this fall, with our students and community. Contributed by Amy Richardson and Kelly Meacham.

CHECK OUT OUR HARTLAND FARM TO SCHOOL VIDEO

In the Spring of 2011, this video was produced by the Hartland Farm to School Committee. Special thanks to Noah Morse, 8th grade student at Hartland Elementary School, Peter Allison of the Upper Valley Farm to School Network and CATV in White River Junction, VT. The video was shown at the Vermont Farm to School Awareness Day at the Statehouse on January 20, 2011 – one of three winners of the first Vermont FTS Video Contest.

SPRING

3RD and 4th ANNUAL HARTLAND FARM FESTS: check out the photo gallery at www.hartlandfarmfest.org.  Look for the 5th Annual in the Spring of 2012.

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SUMMER

The HES FTS program works to connect local food and farms to our school cafeteria, classroom and community in order to promote healthy kids, vital farms and life long learning.  Read about our history.

In past June 2011, 9 members of our FTS team participated in the Vermont FTS Workshop at Shelburne Farms.

One outcome of the workshop was our new mission statement (above) and six goals for the coming year:

1. Form a FTS committee, with regular monthly meeting time – determine coordination role
2. Revitalize school gardens and add compost system – consider relocating to central visible space
3. Use more local food in the school cafeteria, and promote Sunflower Café use of local foods
4. Develop an optional FTS unit for each looping team, and more thoroughly connect related projects in health, FCS, art, music, etc
5. Communicate FTS program – via www.HartlandFarm2School.org, school newsletter, teacher news to parents, email to teachers, and communication with other schools in our SU and in the Upper Valley FTS Network
6. Raise funds through FTS projects (Farm Fest, sales of salsa, pumpkins, seeds, and requests to broader community and foundations.