Photo caption: The Derby Elementary Jr. Iron Chef team showed off their cooking skills.
On May 8th, GMFTS and the Vermont Farm-to-School & Early Childhood Network hosted a gathering for the Northeast Kingdom Region at Derby Elementary School. This event showcased the Farm-to-School programs taking place at the North Country Supervisory Union and across other areas of the Kingdom. Educators, food service directors, nonprofit organizations, parents, and students came together to enjoy snacks, learn from youth speakers, and connect with one another to support Farm-to-School initiatives in the Northeast Kingdom.
The gathering highlighted the Jr. Iron Chef team from Derby Elementary, the Youth Community Cooking program led by GMFTS’s Hilary Rosa, and Miss Lucy Neel’s indigenous foodways programs. Ten youth representatives from six different schools shared their experiences about how the Farm-to-School program has influenced their learning. Students spoke about how these programs taught them to cook, encouraged them to explore new foods, helped them develop team-building skills both in the kitchen and garden, and provided insights into how plants grow.
The evening concluded with a roundtable discussion that allowed participants to connect, share ideas, and brainstorm new possibilities for the future of Farm-to-School programs in the region.
“Farm-to-school influenced me on how I look at ingredients and incorporate them into my daily life. I feel as if every school should have Farm-to-school because not all children are fortunate enough to experience local ingredients. By participating in farm-to-school, I have learned that I really enjoy fresh and locally-sourced ingredients.” – Grace Staples, Derby student
