All of West Hartford’s public elementary schools, and King Philip Middle School will hold farmers’ markets the week of Oct. 20, and schools will also take the ‘Eat Real’ challenge.

Submitted by Susan Kamin, Growing Great Schools

Farmers Markets will be held at West Hartford’s public elementary schools and King Philip Middle School. Photo courtesy of Growing Great Schools.

Autumn conjures thoughts of a bounty of healthy, seasonal produce such as apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, pears, squash, carrots and winter greens. West Hartford Public School students will celebrate these foods and more the week of Oct. 20, with student-run farmers’ markets held at elementary schools and King Philip Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 23.

The farmers’ markets, which are coordinated by the community-based non-profit, Growing Great Schools, Inc., are meant to teach students about local farm offerings and sustainable food systems.

The markets are followed on Friday, Oct. 24 by Food Day, a nationwide celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainably produced food and a grassroots campaign for better food policies.  The theme in the school lunchrooms that day will be Eat Real. At the beginning of the week all elementary teachers will be distributing to students an Eat Real challenge work sheet.  All of the student who complete the challenge will be entered in a drawing to win prizes.

Parents and staff are invited to stop by their school’s market at dismissal on the 23^rd and purchase fresh, organic produce, as well as local honey and breads. Parent volunteers pick up the goods the morning of the markets and then the students sell them at their individual schools at the end of the school day.

Students sell produce at a previous Norfeldt Elementary School farmers’ market. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Suppliers include Oxen Hill Farm, Urban Oaks, George Hall Farm, High Hill Orchard, Stonewall Apiary, Hartford Baking Company and La Petite France in West Hartford Center.

“October is National Farm to School month so student run farmers’ markets and Food Day activities are a natural fit to celebrate, while helping to teach children life-long lessons about healthy food and where it comes from,” says Liz Isaacs, who is a board member and one of the chairs of Growing Great Schools’ Farm to School committee. “Kids are often more likely to to try fresh fruits and vegetables when they learn about where they come from and their benefits. And when we buy from farms in our community we support the local economy.”

Each school puts a different spin on the market based on what works for their community. Some schools offer crafts like pumpkin painting, some sell after-school snacks like popcorn and granola, while others feature cooking demonstrations. Apple cider, generously donated by The Farmer’s Cow, a local company, will be sold at some schools with proceeds going benefiting the schools’ health and wellness efforts.

In addition to selling goods from local farms, several of the schools will feature a local chef, who is part of Growing Great Schools’ Chef to School program. The chefs will be sampling and selling seasonal products they have prepared in their restaurant kitchens with these proceeds also going back to the schools’ health and wellness efforts.

Last year Growing Great Schools made a commitment to donate at each seasonal market $600 toward food bags to be sent home with children of families in need.  Growing Great Schools sees it as an opportunity to provide equal access to healthy food to all children in the district, which is part of the organization’s mission.

The day after the farmers’ markets, Friday, Oct. 24, the Food Day Eat Real Challenge will culminate in the school lunchrooms with a special Eat Real salad bar. It will feature a cranberry orange quinoa, which is a complete protein. The Growing Great Schools Chef partners will be making salad dressing and Hartford Baking Company will be providing whole grain rolls to accompany the salad and healthy soup. The schools with gardens will also offer on the salad bar the items they have harvested.

“We are going to ask students that week to take the Eat Real Challenge,” says Melissa Cyr, Growing Great Schools board member and Food Day coordinator. “Students will pledge to eat healthy and then report back on the smart choices they made during the week. Maybe they ate a rainbow of veggies, checked labels for short ingredient lists or switched from chips to homemade popcorn.  We want to get them thinking about making better choices.“

Growing Great Schools, Inc. inspires communities to create a culture of wellness by connecting food, health and the environment. The vision of Growing Great Schools is to empower students and their families to become active participants in their nutritional and physical health, while caring for the planet.