Through the FYI program, more than 150 children from Kids Cafe sites in D.C., Maryland and Virginia learned about the health benefits of incorporating eight servings of fruits and vegetables into their meals every day.  Each group of kids practiced making “packed snacks” by matching kid-friendly snack foods with fruits and vegetables they’re likely to encounter at school, home or their community center. 

So instead of eating plain salsa and chips, a “packed snack” adds peaches, black beans, corn and cheese to that store bought salsa and it is then served with whole wheat crackers.  Now that’s a snack that is good for you, tastes great (just ask the kids) and is very filling!

During field trips to Clagett Farm, the kids had the chance to harvest and taste-test veggies and herbs from the garden. And they worked together to create healthy snacks that included fruits and vegetables with other familiar ingredients.

All of these activities aim to increase children’s comfort level with eating fruits and vegetables.  By engaging kids with new tastes and textures, FYI hopes to increase the likelihood that they will gobble up at least eight servings of these essential foods on an everyday basis. This summer’s FYI participants had a lot of fun and we think they’ll head back to school ready to include fruits and vegetables with their meals whenever they have the chance.

This past Friday morning nine grant recipient organizations came to Clagett Farm for their introduction to the Fresh Produce Grant program. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day! Staff learned the specifics of the program including, how to weigh produce at the wash station and new vegetable varieties. They also tasted recipes that highlighted “spicy mix” a zesty mixture of garden greens that are unfamiliar to many people.   Jodi Balis, the Director of Nutrition Education made a delicious spicy mix soup, and my favorite—turkey meatballs with spicy mix and quinoa. So tasty!

Once the specifics of the program were out of the way, the group headed outside to tour the farm with Michael Heller, the Director of Clagett Farm. This gave participants a broader view of the importance of local sustainable agriculture.  Michael explained some of the sustainable growing practices used at Clagett Farm and how this type of agriculture effects the soil and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.    Check out the video below to see what Michael says about soil:

The Fresh Produce Grant program is a partnership between the Capital Area Food Bank and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation owns the farm, and runs various programs—including a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), tree nursery, and educational programs about the Chesapeake Bay and sustainable practices to protect it.

It seems like agencies that serve underprivileged people are always stretched to their limits.  So our challenge with the FGU program is to help agencies to learn about how to grow, store, and prepare fresh produce in a way that is exciting, but also manageable for busy agency staff members. Ultimately, our goal is to not only provide healthy food to front line organizations, but to help them become their own source of fresh produce through farmers markets, urban gardening, and partnerships with local growers.

Some agencies are a little hesitant at first, but they get the hang of it in no time. After two years of participating in the FGU Fresh Produce Grant, Martha’s Table has started growing their own produce on location! Last summer they built raised, movable garden beds in an underutilized parking lot by their trash bins.  This will be a learning tool for the kids in their daycare program. Bounty from the garden will supplement the produce received from Clagett farm to help feed kids in the daycare, as well as folks from the “McKenna’s Wagon” mobile food pantry. Growing in the beds are wax beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, kale, celery, morning glories, and lots of herbs. They even built a trashcan compost which can be easily rolled for aeration.  Check out the Martha’s Table post to see the whole story of their urban garden adventure!

Aromatic herbs help deter the smell from the trash bins behind them.

Can you believe they did all this in a matter of weeks? Go Martha’s Table!

The FGU Fresh Produce Grant is a partnership project of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Clagett Farm and the CAFB with the goal of providing up to 50% of Clagett’s harvest to low-income individuals in the Washington, DC metro area.  We invite you to help us Share the Harvest by contributing to this wonderful collaboration. For more information about the FGU Fresh Produce Grant, or to get an application for your CAFB agency visit our FGU page.

Share the Harvest is an innovative collaboration between the Capital Area Food Bank and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. This collaboration enables the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Clagett Farm to distribute up to 50% of its annual harvest to low-income families and underserved communities in the Washington metro area.

This past harvest season, Capital Area Food Bank partner, SOME (So Others Might Eat), used Clagett Farm produce in meals served to clients at residential addiction treatment programs. SOME received over 2,400 lbs of produce throughout the 26 week harvest season, but numbers can’t measure the entirety of the program’s impact as expressed by Brian Bilenki of SOME:

“Part of our mission is to serve people with respect and dignity. Serving people fresh, chemical-free produce gives our clients worth. It restores dignity to them. Food is ingrained in people; it’s so much of who they are. There’s nothing more nutritious than the food received from Clagett Farm, and we are showing our clients that they deserve to receive it.” -Brian Bilenki, SOME

Share the meaningful gift of local, sustainably grown produce for our neighbors in need! Help us Share the Harvest in 2010 and donate in honor of a friend or family member this holiday season.  Click here for more information or Donate Now!