1. education
2. school

Exploring New Flavors:
How to Shape Kids’
Food Preferences
at Home and at School
January 2009
This guide was made possible
through funding from
in collaboration with
1
2
Exploring New Flavors:
How to Shape Kids’
Food Preferences
at Home and at School
January 2009
Authored by
Heather Winslow Gibbons
Gretchen Burak
Sarah Shmigelsky
Review Committee
Erika Devore, M.S., RD, LD
Teresa Gerard
Cheryl Gibson, Ph.D.
Nicole King
Gretchen H. Kunkel
Sara McElhenny
Diane Smith, RD, LD, M.B.A., SNS
Debra K. Sullivan, Ph.D.
3
4
Acknowledgments
This guide was made possible
through the generous support of Blue
Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
and KC Healthy Kids. Many thanks
go to Teresa Gerard of Blue Cross and
Blue Shield of Kansas City for her
involvement in the creation of this
guide.
Additional thanks go to Kiersten
Firquain for her willingness to share
her expertise with others interested
in recreating her successful farm to
school initiative.
We are indebted to Dr. Antonia
Demas of the Food Studies Institute
for granting us permission to reprint
excerpts from her Food is Elementary©
curriculum.
We recognize Norm Friedman and
Heather Murphy for contributing their
time and talent, editing and writing
for this project.
Finally, we gratefully acknowledge
the time and expertise of the
members of the review committee
for their major contributions to the
development of this publication.
Table of Contents
Using This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Why Is Food Exploration Important?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Ideas and Resources for Exploring New Flavors at Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Establish Healthy Eating Behaviors in Your Children
Grow a Garden
Participate in a Community Garden
Shop at a Farmers’ Market
Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Group
Ideas and Resources for Exploring New Flavors at School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Farm To School
Kiersten Firquain and Bistro Kids
Food Is Elementary©
Kindergarten Initiative
Nutra-Net
Schoolyard Gardens
Ideas and Resources for Exploring New Flavors at Home and School. . . . . . . . 30
Beanstalk Children’s Garden
The Cooking Studio
The Culinary Center of Kansas City
Eating from the Garden
KC Healthy Kids is a charitable
foundation with a mission to reduce
childhood obesity and improve
the health of Greater Kansas City’s
children by informing, advocating
and mobilizing the resources and
talents of our community. Go to www.
kchealthykids.org to learn more about
how to promote fit and healthy kids.
Farm Field Trips
Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition
Grocery Stores
Johnson County Community College and Wysong Challenge
Kansas City Food Circle
Kansas Junior Master Gardeners®
Master Food Volunteers
Master Gardeners
Missouri Garden ‘n Grow
Powell Gardens and Heartland Harvest Garden
Seasonal Food Opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Eating Well in Every Season
Seasonal Recipes
Time to Explore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
5
6
Tip:
Go to www.kchealthykids.org to
download a copy of this guide,
find recipes for healthy snacks ,
and get the latest information on
how to keep kids fit and healthy.
Using
This Guide
This manual includes advice for getting children actively involved in all aspects
of food — from gardening and cooking to learning about nutritional value and
cultural origins. We hope the information and ideas here will help you bring to
the children you care most about — your own children, a relative’s or friend’s
children, your students — a healthier, more excited attitude toward a central
factor in their well-being: the food they eat.
For most users, this manual will not be cover-to-cover reading. It is a reference
guide to help you increase children’s opportunities to become more enlightened
about food and discover new foods. If you are a parent or teacher, you’ll easily find
“your section,” and by referring to the Table of Contents or simply browsing, you
will probably come across additional ideas and resources that interest you.
This comprehensive manual on the topic of shaping children’s food preferences
is the first of its kind in our area. We have tried to be as informational and
encompassing as possible, but we do realize that in this first edition we may have
omitted some worthy approaches and valuable local resources. In addition, we
want you to know that the inclusion of a particular resource does not constitute
an endorsement.
7
8
Why Is Food
Exploration Important?
Parents and caregivers play a pivotal role in advocating for healthy foods served
at home and at school. This guide was created to help you share information and
inspiration that will benefit today’s children for years to come.
What children eat now has a big impact on how they eat when they get older. As
diet-related disease rates continue to grow at an alarming pace, it becomes even
more important for parents and caregivers to find creative and enjoyable ways
to promote healthier food consumption for their children. This will help keep
children out of the doctor’s office and equip them to maintain healthy and active
lifestyles.
Understanding how food serves our bodies and experiencing it in exciting and
educational ways broadens our appreciation for food and gives us an expanded
worldview. You have the opportunity to expose your children to different cultures
through various ethnic foods, help them appreciate the farmers who work
tirelessly to bring us nutritious food, and provide kids tools that will enable them
to care for themselves as they grow. Other opportunities are inside this guide just
waiting to be discovered by your children and you.
Please share your copy of this guide with friends,
colleagues, and anyone else you think might benefit
from the information covered in its pages. You can
also find the guide at www.kchealthykids.org.
Let the adventure begin!
9
Ideas and Resources
for Exploring New
Flavors at Home
Food exploration begins at home and starts with building a foundation for
healthy eating in your children early. There are many ways to do this from
planning and cooking meals at home with your children to growing a garden and
visiting a farmers’ market.
Establish Healthy Eating Behaviors
in Your Children
As parents and caregivers, you play an essential role in
helping children establish a healthy relationship with food.
The following are tips for encouraging positive and healthy
eating habits at home. (Source: www.nutritionexplorations.
org/parents/health-food.asp)
Focus on eating nutrient-rich foods
It is important for kids to get the nutrients they need
to stay healthy and active. Teach kids to choose whole,
nutritious foods such as colorful fruits and vegetables; highfiber, whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas; cheese and
low-fat yogurt; protein-rich lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs,
and nuts; and low-sugar beverages such as low-fat and fatfree milk, water, and 100% fruit juice.
Set a good example
Kids learn cooking and cooperation
when they work together in the kitchen.
10
Children tend to do as adults do rather than as they say, so
it is important for caretakers to talk about healthy foods and
eat them. If the message is clear about nutrient-rich foods, children will be better
able to choose them when you are not around.
It is also important to talk about portion size with kids and to make sure the
child’s portions are appropriate. Talk about listening to your body to know when
you are hungry and when you are full and responding appropriately by eating or
stopping.
Use positive messages
Parents and caregivers should talk
about food in a positive way. Rather than
labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” help children
understand that all foods can be part of a healthy
diet. Allowing a child to have a favorite but less
healthy snack occasionally shows the child that less
healthy snacks are to be consumed in moderation.
Prohibiting a snack altogether may have a negative
impact on the child’s food choices outside the home.
Set expectations
Setting some ground rules for your family regarding food
and nutrition helps avoid conflicts at mealtime and snack time.
Here are a few examples:
• Everyone eats breakfast to start the day.
• Sweets such as baked goods or ice cream are allowed only periodically and
are not considered part of a meal.
• Only milk or water will be served with dinner.
• Kids choose from three healthy after-school snacks such as fresh fruit,
yogurt, and almonds.
• Always ask for permission before you snack.
• No television, radios, or other electronics during mealtime (so the focus is on
healthy eating).
Plan meals and cook together
Children tend to be more excited about healthy meals if they are allowed to
take part in meal planning and preparation. The sights and smells that come
from the kitchen can be very intriguing to children, and taking advantage of
this can encourage kids to eat healthy food and help them feel like an important
contributor to the family.
11
Tasks that children can perform in the kitchen will vary depending on the
child’s age. Some kids may only be able to participate in planning a meal or
watching you prepare it. Others will be able to help stir a sauce, measure and mix
ingredients, or set the table. Be sure to explain to your kids what you are doing
while you cook and talk about the nutritional value of the ingredients you are
using.
It may not always be convenient for kids to help in the kitchen, but scheduling
just one night a week for kids to take part in meal preparation can be beneficial.
Shop together
Young boys help pick out which
vegetables they want to eat for dinner.
Before heading to the grocery store,
make a list based on the meal plan
you and your family have prepared
for the week. An easy way to shop for
the nutrient-rich foods you need is to
start by shopping the perimeter of the
store. Generally, this is where you will
find the healthiest foods such as fruits
and vegetables; dairy products; meats,
poultry, and fish; and fiber-rich and
whole-grain foods. Next, move into
the middle aisles of the store for items
such as frozen and canned fruits and
vegetables, cereals, sauces, beans, nuts,
and pastas. However, be careful here as
the middle aisles are where you will find
the least nutritious and highly processed packaged food and snacks. To introduce
new foods into your children’s diet, encourage kids to pick a new fruit, vegetable,
or other healthy snack they have not tried before.
Another great place to shop for produce and other locally produced products is a
local farmers’ market. Here, you can expose children (and adults too!) to foods they
have not seen before. You can speak directly with the farmer to find out about
unfamiliar items and cooking suggestions. Moreover, you are always certain to
get the freshest, most nutritious products at a farmers’ market.
Talk about nutritious choices wherever you go
If you want your kids to eat healthy, help them understand why and how to
do so. Explain that nutritious food enables them to stay alert and learn in school,
gives them energy on the playground and in sports, and keeps them healthy and
feeling well. Be sure to talk about healthy food not only at home, but also at fast
food restaurants and convenience stores. Help kids find alternatives to french
fries, chips, and sugared soda. Explain why alternatives, such as apples, pretzels,
and low-fat milk, are better choices.
12
Make good nutrition convenient
Keep your kitchen stocked with easily accessible nutritious food. Have fruits
and vegetables already cut up and in the refrigerator ready to eat, buy individual
yogurt cups, and slice or cube cheeses so they are ready to eat with whole grain
crackers. And don’t forget the car. Try to have snacks handy to avoid having to stop
at fast food restaurants or convenience stores, and remind kids that they should
always ask before grabbing a snack.
Tip:
Ask your child’s cafeteria
manager what new foods are
being served at school, then find
ways to incorporate those foods
into meals at home.
Make mealtime family time
At mealtime, turn off the computer and television and
focus on family interaction. Eating as a family allows you to
introduce new foods and discuss their nutritious qualities
while allowing you to model the way you want your kids to
eat.
Eating as a family also gives caregivers more control over
what kids eat and boosts their emotional well-being. Research
suggests that eating together as a family can improve a
child’s performance in school while also enhancing family
relationships and communication by letting kids know you
want to spend time with them. It provides a consistent time
and place for kids to discuss what is important to them.
Remind kids to fuel at school
When kids are at school and on their own making food
choices, all they have learned at home about healthy food
choices becomes especially important. This does not mean
they will choose fresh salads over french fries every time,
but they will remember and be influenced by conversations
about healthy eating now and in the future.
Encourage kids to choose healthy foods at school and
explain how healthy eating will provide them with the
nutrients they need to stay alert during class and at afterschool activities. It might be helpful to discuss what is
available at school and offer alternatives if kids have been
choosing items that are less nutritious than you would like.
And do not forget about beverages. Encourage kids to choose low-fat milk or water.
Students can learn to make healthy
choices at school because of what they
are learning at home.
Grow a Garden
Growing your own garden with your kids helps them see that food does not
just come from the grocery store. They will learn that food starts as a seed and
needs soil, sunlight, and water to grow and become the food we buy. When kids
participate in growing their own food, they are more likely to eat what they helped
grow.
13
How to get started in gardening
Sunlight and soil are good
for plants and kids.
• Find a spot
Have the kids help find the part of the
yard that gets the most sun exposure to
accommodate a garden. If your yard does
not get much sun, you can plant in different
containers and place them in sunny spots on
a deck or patio.
• Prepare the area
- Check for drainage. Make sure water
does not sit on top of the designated area
and that the soil doesn’t stay wet for a
long time. If the drainage is poor, you can
either find another spot or create a
raised bed in the poor drainage area. All you have to do is mound 8 to 12
inches of soil in the chosen area. You can use rocks or boards as a border
to help hold in the soil.
- Check what is growing in the soil now. If the area is good at growing
weeds, chances are it will be good at growing food too. What about
worms? Worms are great for the soil. If your soil does not seem to be alive
with worms or weeds, or if it seems mainly sand or clay, you can add “soil
conditioners” to give it the nutrients it needs. These include compost,
manure, peat moss, and leaves. Pile the conditioners on top of the soil 2 to
3 inches deep and then mix in with the soil.
• Choose which vegetables to grow
Let kids choose at least some of the vegetables that will be planted. Some
easy vegetables to grow are pole green beans, zucchini, lettuce, cucumbers,
radishes, and broccoli.
• Plant seeds
Seed packets will provide planting information such as how deep and how
far apart to plant the seeds.
• Water your garden
Water the newly planted seeds. A garden thrives on at least an inch of water
per week so be sure to water your garden during weeks when there is no
rain. A slow and thorough watering early in the day is best. Using mulch
will help conserve water so you do not have to water as often.
Who can help you with a garden?
• The Master Gardeners program of the University of Missouri Extension offers
a hotline you can call for answers to your gardening questions. The hotline is
available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March through October. From November through
February, the hotline is available only on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon.
• The Master Gardeners program of the Kansas State University Research and
Extension offers a great website from its horticulture information center,
www.hfrr.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=583.
14
Participate in a Community Garden
A community garden is a plot of land used by friends and neighbors to grow
food and flowers and enjoy social interaction. Community gardens can be found
in many diverse locations such as abandoned lots, church lots, schoolyards,
courtyards at a business or apartment complex, hospital grounds, or even in
someone’s backyard. Don’t worry if you do not have much gardening experience;
you will have a community of gardeners to turn to!
Why is establishing or participating in a community
garden food exploration?
Involvement with a community garden is a great hands-on opportunity
for your children and you to learn where food comes from and to experiment
with vegetables and fruit that they have not been exposed to yet. Their natural
curiosity will be sparked as green shoots sprout out of the ground and eventually
become colorful carrots, radishes, onions, berries, and more!
How do I start a community garden?
Greater Kansas City is lucky to have the organization Kansas City Community
Gardens (KCCG) to guide you through the process of starting a community
garden. They also have a listing of local community gardens you could join. Call
816.931.3877 or visit www.kccg.org.
Tip:
Kansas City Community Gardens
can guide you through the process
of starting a community garden.
For details, go to www.kccg.org.
Basic Steps for Starting a Community Garden
• Organize
- Find others who are committed to growing and maintaining a garden.
• Set goals and procedures
- Determine gardening methods. Raised beds or no-till? Organic or
conventional?
- Will there be one plot maintained by all or individual plots?
- Where will the food go? Garden participants only? Food banks? Other
community members in need? Markets?
- Where will the money come from to maintain the plot?
• Find a location
- Is the site convenient for the group?
- Does the space get plenty of sun? Is there access to water nearby?
- Contact the owner of the lot. Find the owner if the lot is vacant.
- Test soil for contamination.
• Collect resources
- Take care of necessities like tools, fencing, water lines, and signs.
- Ask neighbors and local gardening organizations for donations.
• Design the garden
- Draw out what the group wants the garden to look like; include what will
be planted where.
- Don’t forget to include a place for compost to throw garden waste and to
create your own fertilizer.
15
Tip:
For help finding the farmers’
markets nearest you, go to
www.localharvest.org/
farmers-markets.
• Assign garden tasks
- Make sure the many gardening tasks throughout the growing season are
shared so members do not lose their enthusiasm.
- Prepare soil and beds, mulch, purchase seeds and plants, plant seeds,
water, weed, compost, and harvest.
Shop at a Farmers’ Market
A farmers’ market is a public space where farmers meet at a regular time,
usually every week, to sell their produce and other items to the public. This allows
consumers to meet face-to-face with the people who are growing their food.
Why is shopping at and visiting a farmers’ market
food exploration?
Farmers’ markets offer a wide variety of fresh produce and other locally
produced products. By visiting a farmers’ market each week or every couple of
weeks, your children and you will learn what produce is available in your area
from season to season — a concept that is easily missed when a child is exposed
only to shopping in a grocery store. It is fun to see all the new produce that has
arrived at each of your visits.
A farmers’ market is also a great place to find new and unfamiliar foods. Many
markets will offer ethnic foods that
neither your kids nor you have tried
before. A bonus is that the farmer
is right there to answer questions
about the food he or she is selling
and probably provide cooking tips
too. Many markets provide recipes,
especially for unique foods.
Where can I find a farmers’
market?
Go to www.localharvest.org/
farmers-markets and enter your zip
code to find the farmers’ market
nearest you.
Farmers’ markets are an especially fun
place for kids to help shop for colorful
fruits and vegetables.
16
Join a Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) Group
Joining a community supported agriculture (CSA) group is a great way to
partner with and support a local farmer by buying a share of a farmer’s harvest.
Around the beginning of a calendar year, you pay a partial amount of the decided
fee to help the farmer begin the new growing season. Then around May you pay
the rest of the fee and begin receiving your share — weekly boxes of food from the
farmer until the growing season is over. Some farmers require a few hours of help
with harvesting or distributing during the season. There is usually a designated
pick-up spot for shareholders. The payoff is indeed worth it — fresh-picked, inseason fruits, vegetables, herbs, and eggs every week to feed your family. And you
get to support a local farmer!
Tip:
Search for CSA programs online
at www.kc-csac.org and
www.localharvest.org/csa.
Why is participating in a CSA food exploration?
Participating in a CSA is food exploration because you will get to share with
your children on a weekly basis a variety of fruits and vegetables that grow in
your region at various times throughout the growing season. Having a weekly
box of food to pick up from a farmer will be exciting for your
children as they anticipate what surprises the box will hold.
This is a great way to interact with your child by talking
about what each item is and discovering new meal and snack
ideas.
How can I join a CSA?
Farmers can accept only a limited number of members, so it
is never too early to start looking for a CSA to join. Visit www.
kc-csac.org and www.localharvest.org/csa to find participating
farmers near you.
A young girl selects Swiss chard for her
family’s CSA share.
17
Ideas and Resources
for Exploring New
Flavors at School
As a parent or caregiver, you can collaborate with your children’s teachers,
administrators, school nutrition professionals, and health educators about
opportunities for expanding food exploration within your child’s school.
Farm to School
Apples and pears are used as teaching
aids in a lesson with preschoolers.
18
Farm to School programs are a national trend focusing on serving fresh, locally
sourced foods in school cafeterias to improve student nutrition and providing
health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime — while
supporting local small farmers. The National Farm to School Network sprouted
from the desire to support community-based food systems, strengthen family
farms, and improve student health by reducing childhood obesity. Eight regional
lead agencies and national staff provide: free training and technical assistance;
information services; networking; and support for policy, media, and marketing
activities. Farm to School is a comprehensive program that extends beyond
farm-fresh salad bars and local foods
in the school cafeteria to include
waste management programs like
composting and experiential education
opportunities such as planting
schoolyard gardens, arranging cooking
demonstrations, and going on farm
tours. The Farm to School approach helps
children understand where their food
comes from and how their food choices
affect their bodies, the environment,
and their communities at large.
Tip:
Get involved in the Farm to
School movement! Join
www.farmtoschool.org
to learn more.
How to start this program at your school
Take advantage of the National Farm to School Network as a key
resource:
• Register at www.farmtoschool.org. Members can participate
in the discussion forum and submit information about farm
to school programs in your area, upcoming events, funding
opportunities, and more.
• Join the mailing list. Receive e-mail alerts from the National
Farm to School Program.
• Request a resource packet. Two copies are available free of
charge.
• Visit their website at www.farmtoschool.org/howtostart.php.
You can also contact the Community Food Security Coalition
Farm to School Midwest Coordinator, Anita Poole by mail (Kerr
Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Inc., PO Box 588, Poteau,
Oklahoma, 74953) or by telephone (918.647.9123).
Other tips
• Start small. When introducing the Farm to School concept to
your school, start small and gradually build support for the
program while highlighting the benefits to others.
• Introduce new foods. Schools can try these simple, low-cost ways
to help kids be more open to eating unfamiliar foods:
- Involve students in the process through menu planning,
serving samples, or planning the garden.
- Offer cooking classes during after-school care, when curriculum
time is not an issue.
- Invite chefs from the community to demonstrate their
techniques (e.g., the Master Food Volunteers program).
- Grow food in containers in the classroom or in small plots outdoors.
- Offer samples of new foods in the cafeteria before lunch is served.
Students at Kansas City Academy
in Missouri learn new skills when
working in the garden.
19
- Highlight a new food and suggest recipes in each school newsletter.
- Promote farmers’ markets or other places to visit.
- Give historical or cultural facts.
• Consider the following suggestions:
- Host a forum. Invite a variety of stakeholders and discuss the
possibility of a Farm to School program. Ensure that all participants
have an opportunity to convey their thoughts on the challenges and
opportunities presented.
- Draft a policy. Developing a written policy that is approved by the school
board can be instrumental in sustaining and growing a program.
- Understand school food service contracts. School districts normally
have long-term contracts with food management services. While these
contracts can be challenging, there are many examples of private
contractors integrating local foods into school cafeterias.
- Adopt a fully integrated nutrition curriculum that connects experiential
learning at the farm and in the garden to healthy choices in the
lunchroom and improved health throughout life.
- Take a field trip to a farm. Organizing field trips that expose students to a
working farm is a great way to introduce them to the local food system.
The farmer can discuss food production and life cycles and engage
students in hands-on farm activities.
- Research a variety of programs. There are useful reports and evaluations
on Farm to School programs and nutrition. Although Farm to School
programs are numerous, no one program may be a perfect match. Choose
components that will suit your needs.
Kiersten Firquain and Bistro Kids
Top: Students participate in Kansas City
Academy’s cooking club.
Bottom: Chef K talks to students about
a nutrition handout.
20
A Farm to School lunch program can take many forms
and can be implemented on a large or small scale. One local
resource is Bistro Kids, which administers a Farm to School
program at three local schools: St. Ann’s Catholic School in
Prairie Village, Kansas, Oakhill Day School in Gladstone,
Missouri, and Kansas City Academy in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kiersten Firquain, the founder of Bistro Kids, states,
“Our mission is to become an integral part of the school
community by empowering, teaching, and feeding as many
students as possible kid-friendly meals that are healthy,
seasonal, delicious, and, whenever possible, locally grown.”
Kiersten Firquain (or “Chef K” as she is known) began
her culinary career caring for kids in early education. After
seeing their love for cooking, she developed a business model
and started Bistro Kids Creative Cooking Series. One program is Farm to School,
which creates a set of menus and kid-friendly meals. The students are involved
in tending gardens, cooking together in the classroom, and meeting farmers and
food producers. The students enjoy healthy lunchroom foods like crustless spinach
quiche, bison stew, honey-mustard
turkey breast, salad, and veggie
burgers.
Below, Firquain describes what have
been the primary pathways to success
for Bistro Kids.
• Parents are usually the first to
contact Bistro Kids. “We meet
with the parent, who then
typically makes a proposal
to an advisory committee or parent organization,”
says Firquain. “It’s a very long cycle because change
can be difficult.” Parent volunteers also help make
the program a success by serving lunches or helping
younger children with the salad bar.
• While parents typically start the conversation,
support from school administrators is crucial. “We’re
asking them to make some big changes — to make
time for the cooking instructor to be in the classroom,
to extend the lunch period, even if it’s only five
minutes, and to put gardens on school grounds,”
says Firquain. She adds that schools are also asked
to purchase equipment, such as a salad bar or a milk
dispenser that eliminates the need for small cartons of
milk, which are typically not cost-effective for small
dairy farms.
• Teacher support is also necessary for a successful Farm
to School program. “Even if the administrator has
given the okay,” says Firquain, “it’s still the teacher’s
choice whether to sign up for cooking classes or
integrate the program into everyday classroom lessons and activities.”
• Schools interested in a Farm to School lunch program need to find funding.
Bistro Kids lunches cost between $4.25 and $5.00 depending on the type of
contract, and the schools pay a contract fee for all enrolled students to cover
the cost of cooking class instructors and trained lunch prep chefs. Grant
funding may help with initial startup costs, but to sustain it, schools must
make room in the budget for it. For Bistro Kids, some parents experienced
sticker shock when they first considered the cost of a lunch, but they
typically became supportive once they understood that spending more for
fresh, whole foods could mean lower health care costs in the future.
• Bistro Kids makes marketing a priority and has its own corner of school
newsletters. The articles share information on the food producers, kitchen
prep chefs, benefits of the program, and more.
• Surveys of students’ food preferences help Bistro Kids staff serve food they
Top: Student-grown sweet potatoes are
celebrated at Scuola Vita Nuova Charter
School in Kansas City, Missouri.
Bottom: Bistro Kids meals feature
fresh ingredients that are, as much
as possible, all natural, organic, and
locally grown.
21
Top and bottom: Oakhill Day School
students enjoy fresh veggies from the
Bistro Kids’ salad bar.
know kids will eat. The surveys are conducted in the lunchroom or
during cooking classes.
• Firquain works with food producers and distributors such
as Balls Food Stores and Good Natured Family Farms to get
the food she serves in the cafeteria. Kansas City Community
Gardens provides support for the schools’ gardens.
• Kitchen staff is hired for a specific school so the staff and kids
can form a friendly relationship that will make kids more
comfortable asking questions and giving input.
•Each month, a different local food is featured. The featured
food appears on the lunch menu at least once a week and is
the subject of educational activities throughout the month. For
example, when bison is featured in February, Firquain serves
bison meatloaf, bison stew, and bison pizza wheels. Peter and
Cathy Kohl from KC Buffalo Company in Belton, Missouri,
bring a bison pelt, tell the story of the role of bison in American
history, and serve samples of bison sticks. In the cooking classes,
students make bison chili and learn about the health benefits of
this unique food.
• Every Friday in the school cafeterias is Fun Friday. On Fun
Friday, visitors teach kids about the featured food and cooking
class instructors give demos. A 20-item salad bar at lunch is
extremely popular with the kids. In fact, more students eat a
Bistro Kids lunch on Fun Friday than on any other day. Cooking
classes are taught by Bistro Kids instructors. Teaching the
lessons is their only responsibility, and they travel to each of the
three schools.
“Overall, we’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback,” says Firquain,
explaining that many parents were already serving some of the foods at
home. “They are thrilled their kids can eat those foods at school, too.”
Students participating in the program are enthusiastic about trying new
things and making healthier choices. “They say, ‘we’re not afraid of it now,’” says
Firquain, “and some sixth-graders have told me that when they’re home they have
an apple instead of a bag of chips. That’s why I’m doing this.”
Food Is Elementary©
Food is Elementary© is a unique curriculum that takes a hands-on approach
to teaching students about food, nutrition, and cooking through dynamic multicultural lessons that engage all of the senses. Food is Elementary© incorporates the
following components:
• Educating children about the relationship between food choices and disease
prevention.
• Encouraging a child’s natural curiosity and creativity as the foundation of
learning.
22
• Providing children with the life skill of food preparation through hands-on
interactive experience.
• Introducing healthful foods through the traditions and arts of different
cultures.
• Involving families and community in classroom teaching, school meals,
gardens, and collaborative mural projects.
Tip:
To learn more about the unique
and vibrant Food is Elementary ©
curriculum, visit
www.foodstudies.org.
How to start this program
To begin the program, you should purchase a copy of the
curriculum, which can be obtained from www.foodstudies.
org. The curriculum is designed for teachers and volunteer
food educators and contains 28 sequential (and eight
supplemental) lessons with age-appropriate lesson plans for
pre-K through adults in addition to equipment lists and “how
to” guidelines.
Additionally, you can contact Emily Libla at
[email protected] for information on upcoming
training sessions in the Kansas City area to become a
Certified Food Educator through the Food Studies Institute
or to find out more about what’s happening with Food is
Elementary© in area schools and the community.
Making food-based learning effective
Dr. Antonia Demas of the Food Studies Institute has the
following recommendations for making food-based learning
fun and effective:
• Respect the fact that children are naturally open and
curious. All of our senses are involved in cooking, and
sensual learning needs to be encouraged.
• Assume that all children are capable and eager to learn. Cooking is fun and
exciting for most children. Let children experiment.
• Implement the “No Yuck” rule: If you really do not like something, do not say
“yuck”; think of something positive to say or don’t say anything.
• Assure children that tasting is voluntary. No child should ever be forced to
try a food.
• Create a dialogue with children rather than lecturing. Ask for their opinions.
Engage in discussion.
• Do not dictate information. Ask questions, brainstorm ideas, and let
children come up with the answers.
• Introduce tools and foods one at a time. Let the children hold, smell, and
taste, if appropriate. Encourage questions of any kind.
• Emphasize the importance of visual presentation. We “eat with our eyes” as
well as our mouths.
• Talk about the foods other cultures eat. Encourage students to examine the
preferences that determine what we eat.
A student demonstrates the
concept of sticky fats during a
Food Is Elementary© lesson.
23
Tip:
The Kindergarten Initiative is a
powerful program that connects
young students to their food
source. Find out more at
www.kchealthykids.org.
• Promote cleanup as a responsibility of the entire group. Cooperation is
needed to ensure that the project is successful.
• Do not express your personal bias about food. Encourage children to try all
kinds of food.
• Avoid promoting a special diet. Words like vegetarian, vegan, and organic
should be used only in a cultural context, if at all.
• Always be positive and never be judgmental.
One local example
The Food is Elementary© curriculum is working at Oakhill Day School, where
cooking class instructor Katy Watson is happy to see that her students are now more
willing to try new foods and familiar foods prepared in new ways. After teaching
Food is Elementary© lessons combining hands-on experience with the foods with
multi-cultural lessons about where the foods come from, her students are excited
to try new foods and are teaching their families to prepare healthy recipes at home.
The teachers are also learning about new foods and are excited about learning new
ways to prepare healthy foods for themselves and their families.
Kindergarten Initiative
A young girl enjoys her lunch at
Oakhill Day School.
24
The Kindergarten Initiative teaches young children and their parents
about food, farms, and nutrition. It works with kindergarten students
in the classroom, integrating nutrition and agriculture education
into regular lessons as well as providing healthy fruit and vegetable
snacks grown by local farmers. It aims to increase the knowledge of
students and their parents about the benefits of eating fresh fruits and
vegetables, and to improve participants’ access to and consumption of
these foods. The program was created by The Food Trust in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, and brought to Kansas City by the University of Missouri
Extension and KC Healthy Kids.
The program engages the full spectrum of experiential learning.
First, kindergarten teachers receive nutrition and agriculture
education curriculum training for their classrooms. The curriculum
is provided by the Food Trust, and teachers spend at least two hours
per week teaching the curriculum. Second, teachers engage students
in “Snack Talk” three times a week when locally grown snacks are
served, and they discuss the food students are eating. This experience
emphasizes the importance of trying foods that offer a variety of
health benefits. The final component is field trips for parents and
students to demonstrate the connection between the foods they eat
and the local farmers who grow the food. The field trips reinforce
healthy eating habits and the seasonality of growing food. The project coordinator
assists schools with activities to engage parents in reinforcing healthy eating
habits at home.
How to start this program
The Kindergarten Initiative is coordinated by the University of Missouri
Extension. Information about the Kindergarten Initiative in Kansas City
is on www.kchealthykids.org. For more general information, visit www.
thefoodtrust.org/php/programs/kindergarten.initiative.php.
One local example
The Kindergarten Initiative is currently piloted by five Kansas
City, Missouri, charter schools: Della Lamb Elementary, Benjamin
Banneker Academy, Gordon Parks Elementary, Academie Lafayette,
and Scuola Vita Nuova.
Kindergarteners from these schools visit Fahrmeier Farms in
Lexington, Missouri, three times during the school year to see
the farm in different seasons. “The purpose of the visits is to
help students make a physical and emotional connection to
a place where their food comes from,” says Crystal Weber,
University of Missouri Extension’s community development
specialist on local food systems.
The kindergarteners are served a snack of locally grown
vegetables three days a week. While they eat, teachers lead
a “snack talk,” discussing the different aspects of the food
including taste, texture, color, nutritional value, and how it
is grown.
The classrooms also receive supplies that reinforce
the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables, including
posters, charts, and other visual aids. Parents are invited
to participate in field trips and classroom activities.
Supplementary information such as recipes are sent home
with the children. “If parents know their children ate a new
vegetable at school,” says Weber, “they might be more willing
to serve it at home.”
Nutra-Net
Nutra-Net is a hands-on nutrition education program that
teaches children how to prepare healthy food for themselves
and their families. Children are taught how to safely use kitchen
appliances needed to make snacks and meals for themselves and
their families. Recipes are quick and easy to fit into the lifestyles of
today’s families. A series of lessons is available in both Spanish and
English.
Nutra-Net is a pioneer in developing effective nutrition and cooking
programs for children of all ages. It was founded by Peggy Hausheer,
CFCS, with a team of other home economists and registered dietitians
with the common vision of making cooking fun and easy for all families.
Top and bottom: Students learn to
make their own healthy snacks in a
Nutra-Net cooking class.
25
Serving the Kansas City community for nearly 24 years with interactive classes
that use nutritious, low-cost ingredients and common cooking equipment,
Nutra-Net has published two curricula for children. Storytime Cooks allows pre-K
to second grade students to have a positive cooking experience. The Whiz, Zip &
Zap It! program teaches children 7 to 14 years old simple food preparation skills
and basic nutrition information they need to better care for themselves and
their families. An accompanying pictorial cookbook, appropriate for all ages and
reading abilities, is used with both programs.
Over the past ten years, the programs have been highly successful, reaching
several thousand children in the community. The children’s curricula have been
awarded the prestigious Nutrition Action Award by the (international) Society
for Nutrition Education, and they were recognized by the Missouri Department
of Health as “Effective in Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Among Minority
Populations.”
How to start this program
For more information on the program, go to www.nutra-net.org
or call 816.836.2646.
One local example
Nutra-Net staff interactively teaches high school students about nutrition
and healthy cooking and the importance of eating healthy and being physically
active. The teens then assist younger students attending after-school programs to
prepare healthy snacks and lead them in fun physical activities. After-school staff
are also trained in nutrition and cooking and are armed with the Whiz, Zip & Zap
It! curriculum to use with third through fifth graders.
Each child takes home a Whiz, Zip & Zap It! pictorial
cookbook to reproduce the recipes made in class at
home.
Schoolyard Gardens
The student-built hoop house at
Kansas City Academy helps extend
the growing season.
26
A schoolyard garden is, quite simply, a food garden
at school. Through a schoolyard garden, students have
the opportunity to:
• Develop gardening skills by planting and
maintaining food crops in an outdoor garden setting.
• Learn about nutrition and healthy eating habits as
they taste and experiment with a variety of vegetables
and fruits.
• Increase understanding of plant science and the
basic concepts of plant growth through hands-on
experience.
• Increase environmental awareness by learning how to garden and how
people fit into the garden environment.
Schoolyard gardens can serve as living classrooms or
outdoor laboratories where children can apply academic
subjects such as natural sciences, mathematics, languages,
and even fine arts. Children can practice their social and life
skills and learn, hands-on, how to grow healthy food and eat
well. The freshly harvested garden produce contributes to
improving children’s nutrition, particularly if it is integrated
into regular school meals. The full potential of schoolyard gardens is achieved
when parents and the community are actively involved — especially when the
gardening techniques and healthy eating habits are adopted in the children’s
homes.
Research increasingly shows that the hands-on experience of gardening
(particularly when combined with pertinent curriculum) effectively increases
children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and promotes lifelong healthy eating.
This is an important goal in view of research demonstrating that only one-fifth
of the children in some age groups eat the recommended servings of fruits and
vegetables. This deficit can lead to a variety of immediate and future chronic
health problems.
Girls at Scuola Vita Nuova Charter
School show off the sweet potatoes they
harvested from the school’s garden.
How to start this program
Kansas City Community Gardens (KCCG), which has served Kansas City for
over 30 years — especially low-income households — has recently developed
schoolyard gardens to provide children from pre-school through high school
with experiential garden-based learning. The program promotes food gardens in
schools to help children learn about nutrition and healthy eating habits and has
a full-time schoolyard gardens coordinator to help schools develop and maintain
their gardens. Contact coordinator Andrea Mathew at the Kansas City Community
Gardens at 816.931.3877 or email her at [email protected].
KCK Community Gardens Project has implemented organic schoolyard garden
programs at seven schools: Banneker, Carruthers, M.E. Pearson, and Quindaro
elementary schools and Argentine, Northwest, and Rosedale middle schools. The
KCK Community Gardens Project has involved over 3,000 students in workshops,
garden building, and garden play productions. Students and community
volunteers have also helped to build “raised bed” gardens. Contact Mark Manning,
KCK Community Garden Project director, at 816.217.2485 or ReadinginKansas@
aol.com.
Additional resources can be found at www.schoolgardenwizard.org or
www.edibleschoolyard.org.
Tip:
Two great organizations right
here in Kansas City can help you
create a schoolyard garden:
• Kansas City Community
Gardens serves the entire
metro area (www.kccg.org.org)
• KCK Community Garden
Project focuses on Kansas City,
Kansas (816.217.2485)
Other tips
How do you begin planning a school garden? What if you have little or no
gardening experience? Schoolyard gardens can be large or small, in containers
or in the ground, inside or outside the school, composed of many diverse plants
or just a few. They can be created to fit your school’s resources and needs. The
Center for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
27
Tip:
“Let’s start a School Garden”
provides step-by-step
instructions, and is available
online at www.jhsph.edu/clf/
PDF%20Files/Toolkit.pdf.
28
developed the “Let’s Start a School Garden” guide that makes these suggestions to
get a garden started:
• Get Permission. Before beginning, get official permission from your school’s
administration. Ask what space is available for a garden.
• Get Organized. Purchase a binder to record your efforts, jot down ideas, and
keep resource materials and receipts. This master binder can be passed
along to future school gardeners.
• Outline a plan. Be Conservative. Create a garden only as large as your school
and its resources can maintain easily. A garden can always be expanded in
years to come.
- Sketch It Out. Prepare a basic drawing or diagram on paper. Include the
garden location, dimensions, walkways, water source, tool storage, and
fencing/gate specifications, if applicable. List tasks necessary to construct
the garden.
- Pick Your Crops. Determine how much can be planted by considering
planting, harvesting, and blooming dates; row spacing; water and
sunlight needs; and where to grow each in the garden.
- Keep Records and Photos. Record all dates, activities, and expenses in the
master binder as they occur to aid in planning future gardens. Take a few
photos each year to help document your activities.
• Identify Volunteers. Identify and enlist the help of those who can work on
a gardening project, particularly those with gardening experience. They
can include teachers, parents, local volunteers, Master Gardeners, and
community groups (especially groups that offer after-school or summer
programs).
• Get Ideas. Visit other school gardens in your area. Take note of different
layouts, locations, water sources, tools, and storage areas. Ask about their
financial and local resources.
• Secure Financial Resources. For many schools, financial limitations may
be the biggest challenge. A small amount of money and some creative
partnerships can be enough to begin an effective school garden. Steps
include the following:
- Ask your administration what is available from your own school budget.
- Solicit donations from the PTA, local businesses, and parents.
Contributions can include mulch, seed, soil amendments/fertilizers,
tools, and supplies.
- Identify funding or grant resources.
- Send thank you notes, updates, and pictures to show appreciation and
encourage future assistance.
• Work with Teachers. Find out who is interested in
participating. Discuss these options:
- Possible garden location on the school grounds.
- Garden design — raised beds, containers, and/or
level tilled earth.
- Communal sharing or dividing of garden space.
- Construction and maintenance responsibilities.
• Communicate Your Ideas.
- Talk to your colleagues, the principal, parents, and
students. When possible, students of all grade levels
should be encouraged to participate in the garden.
- Talk to neighbors or people who run a summer camp in
your area about watering the garden during the summer
months. Or come up with a watering schedule that can be
shared among the teachers and parents.
One local example
Hiersteiner Child Development
Center at Johnson County Community
College (JCCC) developed an edible
schoolyard. Gardeners ages 1-6 plant
tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and melons
in an unheated greenhouse — a hoop
house or high tunnel — to extend
the growing season. The garden was
developed as a way to harvest healthy
attitudes toward food choices, learn
about local, sustainable agriculture,
and have fun by getting in the dirt,
watching plants grow, and helping
with the harvest. The planting of the
edible schoolyard is the formal kickoff
to the Wysong Challenge, a set of
five initiatives to distinguish JCCC’s
culinary program at national and
global levels.
Top and bottom:
Boys help to harvest CSA shares at
Fair Share Farm in Kearney, Missouri.
29
Ideas and Resources
for Exploring New
Flavors at Home and School
Some opportunities for food exploration are available to both schools and
families. The following represents a listing of these opportunities.
Beanstalk Children’s Garden
Visitors to Kansas City Community Gardens’ Beanstalk Children’s Garden are
encouraged to see, touch, smell, and taste, using all their senses to learn about
plant science, food production, insects, and nutrition. All plants are labeled with
names and background information, and the garden paths are paved and fully
wheelchair accessible.
Six garden areas offer the chance to explore various types of plants:
• The Vegetable Garden is planted with many varieties of vegetables from all
around the world. Tasting is available in season.
• The Fruit Garden is planted with both common and unusual berry bushes
and fruit trees.
• The Herb Garden features many different types of herbs for cooking,
fragrance, and medicinal uses.
• The Seed and Grain Garden contains seed and grain plants like corn, wheat,
oats, soybeans, peanuts, and popcorn.
• The Curiosity Garden is filled with strange and unusual plants.
• The Water Garden features water plants such as water lilies and floating
water hyacinths along with fish and frogs.
The Children’s Beanstalk Garden is located at 6917 Kensington Avenue,
Kansas City, Missouri, 64132. Contact Andrea Matthew at 816.931.3877.
The Cooking Studio
30
The Cooking Studio offers a calendar full of classes on various cooking
topics for the community, including classes for kids. If you have a group that
would like to learn some healthy cooking techniques, The Cooking Studio will
tailor a class to meet the desires and age of your group. The Cooking Studio is
located in Whole Foods Market at 7401 W. 91st Street, Overland Park, Kansas, 66212.
A garden is the ideal spot for
sensory-based learning.
Call Chris Clarke at 913.341.1269 to find out what classes are being offered or to set
up a special class.
The Culinary Center of Kansas City (CCKC)
The CCKC demonstrates that cooking does not have to be difficult by
emphasizing that fundamental cooking techniques, quality ingredients, and
proper food and equipment handling are the simple factors in quality cooking.
With a venue to teach you about these elements whether you are an experienced
cook or beginner, CCKC offers a variety of classes such as basic cooking, cookware
usage and maintenance, nutrition and whole foods, and many others. The CCKC
offers cooking classes designed specifically for kids, and adult classes are open to
anyone 14 or older.
The CCKC is located at 7920 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, Kansas 66204.
Contact them at 913.341.4455 or [email protected].
Eating from the Garden (serving Missouri)
Eating from the Garden is the Nutrition Garden Volunteer program of
the University of Missouri Extension. The program provides a foundation of
knowledge to volunteers on the subjects of growing, other practical gardening
skills, safely preparing and preserving food, and nutrition. Those who complete
the program requirements become part of a special volunteer team that supports
activities geared toward educating children in schools and community centers
and enhancing health and well-being. Contact Rachel McGinnis Millsap at
816.252.5051.
Farm Field Trips
Field trips to rural and urban local farms offer families and children an
opportunity to experience with all their senses where their food comes from.
These tours are fun and reinforce the importance of reconnecting with the land
and the people who farm it.
31
There are endless lessons to be learned on the farm while you are reconnecting
children to local agriculture. Farms need to be more than an abstract notion. The
more children can touch, smell, and taste, the more deeply they will understand
and remember what they learn.
Do not underestimate the simplest tasks. Children love planting and harvesting
and helping with chores. When children sense that the activities are authentic
and not some made up activity, they gain a sense of what it means to farm and
can glean the most from the experience.
You-pick farms and cider mills
Picking (and eating!) your own berries
is a summertime treat.
32
You-pick farms offer the opportunity for kids to harvest their own food. Cider
mills offer apples for the picking and products made from apples such as cider,
cider donuts, and hot-spiced cider. Picking your own food with your children
helps them understand the larger picture of where food comes from and how it
is grown. This deeper understanding
will add to the excitement of learning
about food and the environment as
well as expose them to foods with
which they may not be familiar.
Picking and purchasing fresh,
locally grown fruits and vegetables
will offer you the highest quality
and finest flavors of food imaginable.
After eating a fresh, locally grown
product, you will become more aware
of the impact that seasonality of food
products has on quality, taste, and
overall eating enjoyment.
Many you-pick farms offer not
only produce picking, but also other
activities that kids will enjoy such as
train rides, hayrides, and petting zoos.
Just find the one that suits you! It is a good idea to check with each farm before
venturing out to ensure the product you want is ready to pick.
Here are a few examples:
• Carolyn’s Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch — pumpkins
17607 NE 52nd Street, Liberty, MO 64068, 816.781.9196
• Lawson Brothers Farm — blackberries, raspberries, strawberries
1862 N 700 Road, Baldwin City, Kansas 66006, 785.594.3936
• Weston Red Barn Farm — apples
16300 Wilkerson Rd., Weston, MO 64098, 816.FUN.KIDS (816.386.5437)
• J-14 Agricultural Enterprises — vegetables
4600 Sortor Drive, Kansas City, Kansas 66104, 913.287.3365
Teach kids more by explaining that buying fresh, locally grown and produced
food assists in the support of our local economy by keeping our food purchasing
dollars in the local community. This
provides incentives for food producers
to continue farming and retailers to
carry additional locally grown and
produced goods.
The guide developed by the
University of Missouri Extension is
an excellent comprehensive resource
on the variety of you-pick operations
offered in Missouri: Flavor of Local Foods Guide, Spring 2008 (www.foodcircles.
missouri.edu/sources.htm).
To find you-pick farms in Kansas, try out these websites: www.agfreska.com/sw/
KS-farms.aspx, www.pickyourown.org/KS.htm.
Visitors to Shatto Milk Company get to
meet the animals that provide milk to
many in the Kansas City Area.
Dairy farms
Shatto Milk Company is a small, family-owned and operated dairy farm just
north of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The family has been farming there
for more than 100 years and began a dairy farm more than 60 years ago. In June
2003, Shatto began processing milk on the farm to provide the customer with
the freshest and best-tasting dairy products possible. Shatto is committed to
educating youth and believes children should have the opportunity to learn that
their food (especially milk) is produced on a farm and not just a product at the local
grocery store. Shatto’s goal is to make sure your trip to the farm is a good learning
experience where you will have fun and build memories that will last a lifetime.
Shatto Milk Company schedules tours Tuesday through Saturday throughout
the year. Tours of the dairy, processing, and bottling facility are available by
appointment, with limited space available each day. Tours typically last 1.5 hours.
There is a $5 charge per person, and children 2 and under tour for free. To set up
a tour for your group, school, or family, contact Shatto at 816.930.3862 or e-mail
[email protected] (www.shattomilk.com/about.html).
Urban and rural farms
Many urban and rural farms in Missouri and Kansas will host tours or school
groups. Offering field trips or farm tours is one component of “agritourism,”
which describes the act of visiting a working farm or any other agricultural,
horticultural, or agribusiness operation for enjoyment, education, or involvement
in activities. Some farmers become involved in agritourism as a way of
supplementing their income. Others desire an opportunity to educate the public
and introduce people to farming.
You can call the University of Missouri Extension or the Kansas State University
Extension services to find farms that are willing and able to host a field trip.
Visit the national resource, www.LocalHarvest.org, to learn about farms that
have registered and might be willing hosts. Two other resources are Kansas
AgriTourism (www.kansasagritourism.com/agritourism.htm) and Missouri
AgriTourism (www.agrimissouri.com/agritourism.htm).
33
Here are some opportunities to explore farms in and
around Kansas City:
• J-14 Agricultural Enterprises in Kansas City, Kansas, is an urban farm that
hosts school tours. J-14 features naturally raised vegetables, fruits, and
animals and developed Camp C.A.R.V.E.R. (City Agricultural Resourceful
Visionaries Entering Real-life), a youth development camp for inner city
children to learn Christian living principles, farming techniques, animal
husbandry, and entrepreneurship (www.localharvest.org/farms/M13578).
• The Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture offers an urban farms tour in
June. The tour features a variety of growers working in different settings.
You will find farmers of all ages growing in inner city neighborhoods as well
as residential settings (www.kccua.org).
• Every October, families have the opportunity to participate in the Kaw Valley
Farm Tour in Kansas. For a small admission fee, families can take advantage
of a self-directed tour of different farms in the region. You will receive a tour
book that includes a detailed map to help you locate the farms and describes
individual farm highlights and activities. The participating farms produce
a variety of products including nuts, fruits, Christmas trees, wines, flowers,
pumpkins, and wool. Special activities include petting zoos, opportunities to
sample and purchase farm-fresh foods, educational tours, and hayrides. To
learn more, go to www.kawvalleyfarmtour.org/previoustours.
• With the Kansas family farm slowly disappearing, the 12-acre Deanna
Rose Children’s Farmstead was established to preserve the farm legacy so
children in the city can learn facts of life from the charm of the farm. The
Farmstead has almost 200 farm animals and birds of prey, vegetable and
flower gardens, a one-room country schoolhouse, a dairy barn, an old time
fishing pond, horse drawn wagon rides, pony rides and more. It is located at
138th and Switzer, Overland Park, Kansas, 66221. It is free to the public and
open from April 1 to October 31. To learn more, call 913.897.2360 or visit their
website at http://www.opkansas.org/_vis/farmstead/index.cfm.
Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition (GKCFPC)
The Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition will help Kansas City area leaders
envision a more sustainable food system that provides fresh, healthy food to
schools, institutions, and individuals in the broader community, while respecting
the land and building a stronger local economy. It will do this through education
and advocacy related to healthy food choices, relevant public policy issues, and
opportunities regarding the food system. For more information, go to www.
kchealthykids.org.
Grocery stores
Grocery stores are expanding their offerings of fresh and local fruits and
vegetables and education opportunities to learn about healthy eating. As a
34
consumer, tell produce and store managers that you want to see more local fruits
and vegetables or show your appreciation for the selection they already have.
Some grocery stores offer the services of registered dietitians who can answer
your food and nutrition questions. They have expertise in managing high
cholesterol, diabetes, weight, sports nutrition, food allergies, and more. Dietitians
might also be willing to talk with your children one-on-one or give a tour of their
store. Inquire at your local store about the services they might offer.
Many stores offer classes and programs on nutrition and healthy eating. Check
out Green Acres Market in Briarcliff Village, Nature’s Pantry in Independence,
Missouri, and Whole Foods in Overland Park, Kansas.
The twelve Hen House Markets sponsor a Grower’s Alliance CSA. Visit any Hen
House Market to learn more about the program and to sign up. Hen House has
worked over the past ten years to gather some of the best local growers together
into the Buy Fresh, Buy Local network. Currently, about 125 growers located in
five states and generally operating within a 200-mile radius of Kansas City are
involved in the program. The CSA tries to use all the farmers’ products — milk
from a farm in Nebraska, tomatoes from a farm in Missouri, cheese from a farm in
Kansas, and pumpkins from a farm in Iowa, just to name a few.
Johnson County Community College
and Wysong Challenge
JCCC’s hospitality management and chef apprenticeship programs attract
students from around the world. The programs’ faculty has relationships with
many of the best-known chefs in Kansas City and the nation. As people become
increasingly concerned about the quality and source of the food they eat, these
programs are a resource for practical information and assistance in sustainable
agriculture and healthy eating. Moreover, they can help meet the critical need
for trained hospitality professionals to realize growth potential throughout the
region. As a result, the JCCC has three chief aims:
• Expand existing culinary education programs.
• Develop new community programs to satisfy
growing interest in food, cooking, and nutrition.
• Strengthen partnerships with local businesses
and organizations to enhance economic and
cultural development in the area.
For more information, call the JCCC Foundation at
913.469.3835 or e-mail to [email protected].
Kansas City Food Circle
The Kansas City Food Circle is building a community
foods system in which farmers, consumers, chefs, and
grocers know and trust each other. The network promotes
the sharing of knowledge and experience about the benefits
35
of locally grown organic and free-range foods. The Food Circle supports healthy
eating today while strengthening the ability of future generations to nourish
themselves through healthy farming practices.
The Kansas City Food Circle provides a comprehensive directory of local organic
food producers (www.kcfoodcircle.org/docs/KCFC-Directory.pdf). The website
contains information on where to find summer and winter farmers’ markets, local
food-buying clubs, and restaurants serving local food. The Food Circle supports
the Kansas City Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Coalition, focused on
connecting consumers with farmers who offer CSAs. For more information, visit
www.kcfoodcircle.org.
Kansas Junior Master Gardeners®
The Kansas Junior Master Gardener® program teaches kids to garden while
encouraging good nutrition and physical activity. Young people improve their
social skills while working on hands-on projects with other youth and an adult
leader/teacher and increase their community involvement through public service
projects.
The program teaches kids about plant growth and development, soils and
water, ecology and environmental horticulture, insects and diseases, fruits and
nuts, vegetables and herbs, landscape horticulture, and life skills and career
exploration.
A variety of groups may participate in the program, including 4-H clubs, school
groups, community centers, day camps, scouting programs, and after-school
groups. To form a group you need at least five students, an able adult leader, an
appropriate location, and the Junior Master Gardeners® curriculum. For details, go
to www.4-h.k-state.edu/JMG/Default.htm.
Master Food Volunteers
Master Food Volunteers can serve schools by demonstrating cooking
techniques, giving food-based lessons, and more. The Master Food Volunteer
program educates volunteers about food safety, food science, food preparation,
and food preservation. Trainees who complete the program requirements become
part of a special volunteering team and participate in activities of their choosing
in their own communities. Volunteers work with schools, churches, and senior
programs and get involved with holiday cooking and farmers’ market programs.
In Missouri, contact University of Missouri Extension coordinators Karen Elliott
at 816.482.5850 or Glenda Kinder at 816.407.3490.
In Kansas, contact K-State Research and Extension at www.oznet.ksu.edu/mfv.
36
Master Gardeners
The mission of the Master Gardener Extension Program is “helping others learn
to grow” as it provides in-depth horticultural training to individuals throughout
Missouri and Kansas. After receiving training, the volunteers devote their time to
applying what they have learned to help others in their communities learn about
gardening and environmental education. The Master Gardener Program promotes
and raises public awareness of the University of Missouri Extension and Kansas
State Research and Extension as sources of unbiased, research-based gardening
information.
Through activities such as hotlines or answer services, workshops, speakers’
bureaus, garden show booths, and demonstration projects, Master Gardeners
provide gardening information to a wide range of community members every year.
This information can help you plant your own garden or start a community garden.
To become trained as a Master Gardener, an individual must attend a 30-hour
classroom core course. Then Master Gardener trainees are required to give a specific
number of volunteer service hours back to their community in approved activities.
To learn more, visit the following websites:
• University of Missouri Extension: www.mg.missouri.edu
• Kansas State University Extension Horticulture: www.hfrr.ksu.edu/
DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=422
Missouri Garden ‘n Grow
The Missouri Garden ‘n Grow program is a summer volunteer gardening
program for youth 9 to 13 years old. Kids learn vegetable gardening while
“cultivating” science, math, and language arts skills and having fun. The
goals of the program are to experience the fun of gardening, enjoy a feeling
of success, and have the satisfaction of sharing harvested food with others
in need. Vegetables harvested from the gardens are for home use or are
donated to local food agencies. More information is located at www.plantsci.
missouri.edu/gng/about.htm.
Powell Gardens and Heartland Harvest Garden
Powell Gardens’ programs help get kids
outdoors and into gardening.
Powell Gardens is a not-for-profit botanical garden located just east of Kansas
City, Missouri. In June of 2009, Powell Gardens will open the $9.2 million Heartland
Harvest Garden. The expansion will be the nation’s largest edible landscape; a place
to reconnect with where food comes from and to celebrate the pleasures of eating
well. The Heartland Harvest Garden illustrates the journey of food from seed to
plate, and visitors can explore the edible Tutti-Frutti Maze, climb on gigantic bug
sculptures and observe honeybees at work. Staff-led programs will introduce children
to important lessons about nutrition, water conservation and plant science. www.
powellgardens.org
37
Seasonal Food
Opportunities
Eating according to what is “in season” is a concept that might be easier said
than done. When you walk into almost any local grocery store, you would
probably think most of the fruits and vegetables are in season all year long
because they always seem to be available. The truth is that Kansas City has a
distinct growing season that does not offer apples year-round and never offers
pineapple. Our food travels very long distances when it is not available locally,
which reduces its fresh taste and nutritional value. When you and your child
become familiar with what is in season, you will learn when food is the freshest
and most nutritious.
Some easy ways to eat with the seasons are to shop at a farmers’ market, join
a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Group, or grow your own food. These
options offer locally grown, in-season produce. See the previous section for more
information on farmers’ markets and CSAs — great ways to talk with farmers,
learn about unfamiliar foods, and get cooking tips.
Eating well in every season
Spring is when Kansas City’s first vegetables are ready to be picked and eaten,
making it a great time of year for fresh garden salads. Available in the spring
are asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens, endive, fresh spring
greens, radishes, scallions, spinach, and turnips.
Summer provides a bounty of light “cooling foods” such as apples, beets, berries,
broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant,
endive, lima-bush beans, lima-pole beans, melons, okra, peaches, peas, peppers,
potatoes, scallions, snap beans, summer squash, sweet corn, onions, tomatoes, and
turnips.
Fall foods provide the transition from cool to warm foods, which include apples,
beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, lettuce, lima-bush beans, lime-pole
beans, kale, melons, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, snap beans, spinach, sweet
potatoes, turnips, and winter squash.
Winter, when fields are dormant and unable to produce the fresh foods that
38
Tip:
Find seasonal recipes from
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
by Barbara Kingsolver at
www.animalvegetablemiracle.com.
benefit your family the rest of the year, can be the most difficult time to eat
seasonally. But many root vegetables from the fall growing season have a
remarkably long shelf life and can very well last until late winter. These include
beets, carrots, potatoes, turnips, and winter squash.
Seasonal recipes
Eating seasonally means enjoying the ripest and freshest food at the height of
its natural harvest time. It means supporting local farmers who transport their
goods the shortest distance to your plate. It also means experimenting with
delicious foods you might not otherwise consider adding to a meal.
In her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingsolver tells the story of how
her family was changed by one year of deliberately eating food produced in the
place where they live. Recipes from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle are arranged by
season at www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Recipes.html. Each recipe is available
in printable adobe (pdf) format. To help with seasonal eating, some season-specific
meal plans are listed at the end of the recipes.
Time to Explore
Now is the time to get started with your own healthy eating adventures! We
hope you have found this guide to be not just helpful, but inspirational, and that
you have identified at least a few new ideas you want to try at home or at school.
When you help children learn to enjoy eating fresh healthy foods, you are giving
them a lifelong gift!
39