Joey Jacques Wins Jr. Iron Chef Competition!

In our March Newsletter, we wrote about Bellows Falls Union High School students competing at Junior Iron Chef VT. Due to a winter storm, the competition was postponed and was rescheduled for April 2nd. Due to rescheduling, teammate Kevin Patterson could not compete, so Joey Jacques had to cook solo—a rarity at Jr Iron Chef, where teams are usually three or more students.  

However, cooking solo did not damper the team's abilities. In fact, Joey won the Mise en Place award cooking by himself! Quite a remarkable achievement! 

Coach Jake Gallogly remarked that “watching Joey cook was pretty awesome. I don't know if he noticed or not, but all of the judges and many of the coaches kept coming up to me and asking if he was really competing alone. They were really impressed.”

So Jake wasn’t completely surprised when they announced Joey’s name as the winner. But the extra reward came when the captain of the judges told Jake, “his dish was by far the best, and they’d pay for it in a restaurant!” I had felt exactly the same when I tasted it during a practice session.

Jr. Iron Chef helps build confidence in students and offers them a unique opportunity. Jake reflects, “Jr. Iron Chef is a great program. All three times that I have had the opportunity to coach a team, I feel that the kids walked away with more confidence in the kitchen. Cooking aside, I think some of the students that participate in the program aren't always involved in competitive sports, so showing up to the expo center with all the energy and the big crowd of people there has to be exciting. Everyone needs a few butterflies in their stomach once in a while!”

We’ll be waiting with anticipation to see if Joey competes again next year. 

Westminster Center School Celebrates Farm and Field Day

Stuffing scarecrows, painting pumpkins, cooking lunch over hot coals, and playing musical chairs… These are not your everyday school activities. But this is how the students at Westminster Center School spent the morning of October 29, when they celebrated their first Farm and Field Day. 

Students from grades K-6 took part in six different activities crafted to link students to the outdoors and celebrate the harvest season. In addition to the excitement of scarecrows, pumpkins, and musical chairs (renamed “Boo-tiful Music!” in honor of the holiday), students went on a story walk, harvested kale from the garden for lunch, watched working farm equipment in action, and watched as the chicken for their kale salad cooked over coals in the outdoor cinder block kitchen, the “Cinder Cafe,” built especially for this event.

Despite the frigid temperatures, students were excited to be outside. “The best part is you get to have fresh air!” remarked Scarlett, a second-grader. “I’m having fun! It’s very fun!” exclaimed first-grader Anthony Lakeside. And fourth-grader Jenny said her favorite activity of the day was harvesting kale. “You get to peel all the leaves off!”

The librarian and Garden Coordinator, Mandy Walsh, said she was inspired by a similar event at Newbrook Elementary several years ago. Mandy has been growing the Farm to School program at Westminster for years and was excited to host her first Farm and Field Day. “We are so lucky to have the resources of gardens, animals, woods, and fields, and we live in a historically agricultural community. The day was about celebrating what's around us, coming together as a school community, and being joyful.” In reflecting on the success of the event, Mandy remarked, “I think that in the big picture, the best student learning happens when students get to be outside, working together, trying new things (food and activities). These are the days our students remember with fondness when they think back on their elementary school days.”

The Farm to School Team at Westminster is already planning future events and is flush with ideas of building on the tradition they’ve started. One thought was that perhaps next year, the sixth-graders could lead the stations rather than the teachers. Cheers to Westminster Center School for growing and cultivating leaders in the Farm to School Movement!

Open for Business: BUHS Farmstand Persists Throughout Remote Learning

Remember the last time you split a restaurant bill with friends—how long did it take? If it’s anything like my experiences, it always ends up being far more complicated than expected. Now, imagine splitting the grocery bill for 30 teachers and divvying up cases of potatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, arugula, and more. Add in special orders (Terra Nova coffee, anyone?) and delivery, and you’ve got the Brattleboro Union High School’s (BUHS) Virtual Farmstand. 

Despite the pandemic restrictions, BUHS students in the F.A.R.M.S program (Foundations of Agriculture, Reading, Math, and Social Engagement), with the help of teachers Alison Kelly, Erica Cross, and Lauren Allembert, managed the school’s buying, which sold over $2,500 worth of local food to school staff over the past year. School staff would place their orders via a Google Sheet developed by Food Connects, and the Food Connects Food Hub would then deliver the bulk order directly to the school. From there, students handled all communications to the staff, measured and packed individual orders, and sent invoices to their customers. Taken all together, the BUHS Farmstand is a standout example of how Farm to School in the upper-grade levels can be interdisciplinary, hands-on, and engaging for the entire school community. 

“The Farmstand was an anchor for many of our students this past year. Not only did it keep learning hands-on during the pandemic, but it helped our students build community within the school." says BUHS teacher Lauren Allembert. 

Students practiced their math skills—dividing orders, measuring out correct weights, and tallying up invoices. The class had to create systems to manage the flow of fresh produce through the classroom and back out to customers. Individuals honed their communication skills via emails to teachers and when delivering orders.

School staff were excited to support the students in their real-world learning. Added benefits for the school community included an easy way to buy local foods and lower prices since they were buying directly from the Food Hub. 

The F.A.R.M.S. program does much more Farm to School as well. Students grow crops in raised beds built by the Windham Regional Career Center, practice culinary skills using local foods, and learn about the natural sciences through the lens of horticulture. The program is also open to a wide audience, explains Allembert, “the F.A.R.M.S. program creates an opportunity for all students in our community to engage at any level. Students have taken sustainability coursework, participated in the farmstand, and others have completed community service within the C.S.A."

Looking to next year, the class is excited to get their farmstand back in person. While the virtual format was an innovative pandemic solution, the sense of community fostered through the physical stand can’t be replaced.

Summer Garden Art Series

This summer, alongside the open garden hours at schools, students and parents can participate in a variety of art activities in school gardens. The River Gallery School of Art, the In-Sight Photography Project, and the Human Art of Play will offer fun art and garden-based activities throughout the summer. Create a bug poster, learn about cyanotype art, and join in on circus yoga. All activities are free and supplies are provided. Students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, who are welcome to join in the fun! The Summer Garden Art Series is a collaboration between Food Connects, RiseVT, WSESD, and Tara Gordon, Food Connects Garden Coordinator. Be on the lookout for the 2020 open garden hours, announced in May.