A blueberry treat

Fresh blueberries from the Berry Patch in Nevada await sampling by elementary students in the Des Moines last summer. About 600 students who participated in the district’s summer feeding programs had the opportunity to taste fresh-from-the-farm carrots, kohlrabi, peppers, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes and asparagus as part of a pilot project to encourage healthy eating. This month, students at four Des Moines elementary schools will have fries made with sweet potatoes from Table Top Farm in Nevada to celebrate National Farm to School Month.

More about this Des Moines school program [PDF], supported by a special project grant from the Leopold Center’s Marketing and Food Systems Initiative

More about Farm to School Month activities in Iowa, including farmers markets at two Ames elementary schools, in our October Notes newsletter