Farm to University to Kids:  Teaching and Learning with Fresh, Local Produce

by Tammy Vitale

It’s not late-breaking news that vegetable consumption is positively correlated with good health and negatively correlated with obesity and most chronic diseases. Nor is it any surprise to hear that vegetables are consistently the least favored foods among children and young-adults, or that research confirms that people of all ages consume more produce when they are involved in growing and preparing it.

USU Student Organic Farm Volunteer Helping to Build a Hoophouse

What is new, however, is a collaborative project between the Utah State University (USU) Student Organic Farm and the USU Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences (NDFS). Started in 2008, the USU Student Organic Farm provides a “hands-on” laboratory for teaching students in the College of Agriculture about best practices in organic farming and gardening. The student-run farm distributes CSA shares on campus and sells produce to students and faculty. This past summer, when weeds were plentiful but USU students were not, the farm benefited enormously from high-school-aged paid interns supported by Federal stimulus funding for “green jobs” from Americorps.

In a new partnership led by NDFS Department faculty researcher, Dr. Heidi Wengreen, and funded by the Carol M. White Physical Education Program, CSA shares were purchased from the USU Student Organic Farm to support experiential learning about fresh, local produce at Canyon Elementary School, a Title 1 School near campus. Activities planned and executed by NDFS faculty, dietetics undergraduate students and graduate students included:

• Field trips to the Student Organic Farm for second and fifth graders where they learned about composting, season extension techniques, plant parts, and flavor preferences

• Distribution of produce to schools for “tasting tables” to introduce students and teachers to fresh, local, seasonal produce

• Incorporation of fresh produce from the Student Organic Farm into school lunch programs

• Introduction of “sensory-based” (as opposed to nutrient-based) nutrition education in classrooms and the cafeteria

• Distribution of produce and recipes to students, parents, and teachers for home consumption

• Parent/child food preparation classes focusing on simple-to-prepare and low-cost meals utilizing seasonal vegetables

The farm, the elementary school students and their families, and USU College of Agriculture students and faculty all benefit from this collaboration. Kids will broaden their horizons and stimulate their senses about vegetables – and will hopefully encourage their parents to follow their lead. Vegetables are the vehicle for dietetics students to practice service learning concepts at their finest: teamwork, teaching and communication skills, food literacy, and basic gardening and food preparation skills. Farm organizers have been able to plant more varieties of produce and fund new projects by selling the additional CSA shares. The project also provides rich opportunity for research. Data is being collected and examined to determine whether these efforts result in the ultimate behavior and attitude change: children and families enjoying and consuming more vegetables!