Harvest Item of the Month

Creating lifelong healthy eaters by connecting the cafeteria to the classroom and the community

Harvest Item of the Month introduces farm fresh produce or locally preserved foods to thousands of students in Bellingham cafeterias through the school lunch program.  This year, students will taste fresh fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, apples, winter squash, brussel sprouts, potatoes, pears, green beans, asparagus, radishes and more.  Nutrition Services will continue to make new connections with local farmers and food producers to help expand the selection of local foods.

Here are some ways that you can share the Harvest of the Month experience:

• Talk about upcoming Harvest Item of the Month foods at home - look up fun facts about each Harvest Item of the Month on www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.
• Serve Harvest Item of the Month foods at home - watch for special promotions of these seasonal foods in local stores and get your children involved in shopping, selecting a recipe and preparing the foods at home. Kid-tested recipes are available at http://healthyrecipes.oregonstate.edu.
• Buy lunch on Harvest Item of the Month days. If your children are not regular school lunch participants, buying lunch on the Harvest Item of the Month day sends a message that you support our Farm-to-School efforts to purchase local foods directly from farmers for school meals.

Each month educational materials are provided for students, teachers, and parents. Harvest of the Month provides a great opportunity to try new foods, talk about food choices and think about where our food comes from.

See the calendar below, and click on the link to the Whatcom Farm-2-School website for more details on each month.

http://www.whatcomfarmtoschool.org/