Slow Food USA National Congress

April 14, 2012

Louisville, KY

How to Use Garden to Cafeteria and Youth Farmers’ Market Programs to Engage Your School Gardens in the

Cafeteria and Community

Andrew Nowak & Gigia Kolouch

Slow Food Denver

Our Mission:

Slow Food Denver’s Seed To Table School Food Program creates meaningful relationships between young people and food in order to transform the school food system. By placing an emphasis on hands-on experiences, community interaction, and the pleasures of the table, SFD-STT projects help to strengthen the food communities of tomorrow by engaging youth today. We work closely with Denver area schools to teach students where their food comes from, how to prepare it, who grows it, the importance of food choices and the pleasure of sharing with friends and family.

Slow Food Denver: Seed to Table

Partnerships are Important!

Seed Starting

Seed To Table: School Gardens

Spring Planting

Making pesto

Seed To Table: Taste Education“Feeding themselves”

Fresh tortillas

A morning harvest

Seed To Table: Garden to Cafeteria“Feeding the School”

Selling to the cafeteria

Ready to sell!

Seed To Table: Youth Farmers’ Markets“Feeding the Community”

Selling to the community

ChallengesWho are the key

people?What kind of

produce items?BarriersHow to grow and

handle food safely with kids?

Food Safety Protocols

Traceability

Slow Food DenverDenver Urban

GardensDPS Food &

Nutrition ServicesDenver Dept of

Public Health and Environment

GTC Program: Challenges & Partners

Partners

Identify responsibilitiesFood Service

DirectorGTC LeaderSchool Kitchen

ManagerPrincipalStudentsClassroom TeacherPTA/PTOCounty Health Dept

GTC Program: Key People

Working together!

VegetablesLettuce RadishesCucumbers

CarrotsTomatoes PeasPeppers BroccoliCabbage CelerySummer Squash

WatermelonsCantaloupeApplesPeachesPlumsStrawberries

GTC Program: Produce items

Fruits

Barriers from the Garden- Is the produce going to be safe from the garden?

Barriers from the school kitchen- My workers do not know how to clean fresh veggies.

Barriers from the school menu- How do we serve produce from the garden?

Barriers from the students- Students will not like the fresh produce.

Barriers from the principals- We only have 15 minutes to serve lunch.

GTC Program: Barriers

Good Agriculture Practices

No pesticides/herbicides

Safe use of manureClean waterSoil testsGarden free of

animalsHarvest

unblemished produce

Wash handsHealthy studentsSanitize Harvest

BucketsWash of produce with

clean waterDirect to cafeteriaProper cleaning and

storage in kitchenTraceability

GTC Program: GAP & GHPGood Handling Practices

Food Safety Protocols

Based on GAP/GHPSanitized harvest

basketsNo ill studentsProper hand

washingInitial wash with

potable water in the garden

Harvest recorded on Tracking Sheet

GTC Program: Denver schoolsGTC harvest equipment

Harvest Day: GTC Leader

Check in with Kitchen Manager

Sanitize harvest baskets

Get studentsWalk through gardenHarvest and washTake to cafeteria

GTC Program: GTC LeaderGTC at Ellis Elementary

Harvest Day: Weigh inWeigh vegetables in

the cafeteriaStudents record

weights on Tracking Sheet

Students sign their names

Kitchen Manager signs Tracking Sheet

GTC Program: Traceability

Working the scale

Harvest Day: School Kitchen

Produce is washed in cool water in Produce Sink

Produce is stored in separate container marked “School Garden”

Refrigerated for 24 hours

Produce used on salad bars

GTC Program: In the kitchenHarvest at Steele Elementary

GTC Program: Educational Opportunities

2011 Harvest Totals15 schools1,135 pounds24 Produce items$1,249 paid to

schools

GTC Program: Compensation

The BIG check

Visioning Exercise

Close your eyes? Imagine you are at a Farmers’ Market.

What did you see?What did you hear?What did you smell?Did you taste anything?What did you feel?

Youth Farmers’ Markets

Why do a YFM?EducationalFood accessFundraisingCommunity supportLocality &

SeasonalityWhere does your

food come from?

Youth Farmers’ Markets

Fairview YFM

Adult volunteersYFM committeeHarvestingMarket set upFarm produceYFM BankMarketing

Youth Farmers’ MarketsGetting ready at Cory!

Student helpersSalesmanHarvestingCash registerMarketingSamplesClean up

Youth Farmers’ Markets

“May I help you?”

Full YFM Set upTentTablesTable clothsBasketsCash boxSignage

Youth Farmers’ MarketsThe team is ready to go!

Simple YFM set up

Youth Farmers’ Markets

Simple Marketing

Market opens!After schoolPlaced in near high

traffic areaLasts 30-45 minsStudent permission

to stay after school

Youth Farmers’ Markets

A big crush!

Chef demo: Retired chef

Youth Farmers’ MarketsChef demo: Community

YFM CoalitionSlow Food DenverDenver Urban

GardensYFM CommitteesYFM ContractProduce pickup at 4

farmsStorage at DUG

cooler

Youth Farmers’ MarketsUnloading Farm Produce

Sorting and weighing produce

Youth Farmers’ MarketsA very full YFM cooler!

YFM Program: Educational Opportunities

2011 YFM season29 school sites3 Boys & Girls Clubs141 Markets23,080 pounds sold$26,313 in sales$16,774 from farms$8,997 in profits

Youth Farmers’ Markets

Late season produce

23 School Districts24 Community Partners

Seed To Table: GTC/YFM WorkshopImportant Partnerships

Slow Food USA National Congress

April 14, 2012

Louisville, KY

How to Use Garden to Cafeteria and Youth Farmers’ Market Programs to Engage Your School Gardens in the

Cafeteria and Community

Andrew Nowak & Gigia Kolouch

Slow Food Denver