Results of a community-based participatory research project on farm-to-school connections in the Holyoke public schools by UMass Professor Krista Harper (anthropology and CPPA), CPPA alumna Catherine Sands (G ’08), and undergraduate anthropology major Molly Totman (’10) will be presented at Nuestras Raíces’ and the Holyoke Food and Fitness Policy Council’s “Farm to School FEEST!” at the Holyoke Health Center on Tuesday, December 14th from 5pm to 7pm. The event is open to all community members.
Nuestras Raíces youth have been working with Dr. Harper on a Photovoice project, with support of Sands, Executive Director of Fertile Ground, documenting how fresh produce grown at Holyoke’s Nuestras Raíces Farm is served at lunch in the Holyoke Public School system. Totman also carried out participatory action research with the youth group as part of this fall’s project. All of the season’s work will be celebrated by sharing a youth-prepared healthy meal and presenting the photographs documenting the farm to school process.
Farm to School connects schools (K-12) and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local and regional farmers. This past season La Finca, the Nuestras Raices Farm, provided the school system with 580lbs. of tomatoes, 100 heads of lettuce, and 50lbs of green peppers.
According to the Bach Harrison “2009 Prevention Needs Assessment Survey Report for the Holyoke District”, 75% of Holyoke students do not consume enough vegetables on a weekly basis for good nutrition. Students who are dependent on school lunch eat 5 out of 21 meals at school and those who also participate in breakfast programs consume almost half of their weekly meals at school.
FEEST stands for “Food Empowerment Education Sustainability Team,” a nationwide youth-led community potluck initiative where communities come together to prepare a delicious and healthy meal and then eat together family-style while learning more about healthy, sustainable food systems. The Nuestras Raices youth program has led local FEEST efforts since summer 2010.
The goal of the event is to gain support from community members to ask for fresher and healthier school food. The youth will be preparing healthy food with fresh produce for attendees to try.
-About NUESTRAS RAICES
Nuestras Raíces is a grass-roots organization that promotes economic, human and community development in Holyoke, Massachusetts through projects relating to food, agriculture, and the environment. The organization provides a safe place where the youth get all the help and training they need to succeed in their goals. Positive encouragement and guidance allows them to feel like they can and will succeed in life.