Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School, through a state grant, is expanding its nutrition program so pre-school children can have a more in-depth understanding of how healthy fruits and vegetables are grown and sustained.
For the last several years, bi-weekly, Wintonbury hosts a “Try Day” so children can taste a fruit or vegetable. Past “Try Days” featured broccoli, green peppers, honey dew melon, star fruit, pomegranate, cucumbers, lettuces and mangoes.
Wintonbury last year was awarded $25,000 dollars through the CT Grown for CT Kids grant. With the funds, Wintonbury teachers Amy Albrecht and Lisa Thomas are collaborating with several Bloomfield community partners to enhance Wintonbury’s original “Plant it, Grow it, Eat it” nutrition program started by Wintonbury teacher Mary Munson in 2015. That program involved the startup of “Try Day” and included stocking the existing greenhouse with soil, seeds, gardening tools, books and educational resources. These materials enabled students to grow food in the greenhouse. Stop and Shop supplied the fruit and vegetables for the bi-weekly “Try Day.”
Wintonbury children now also grow food in the school’s courtyard, in gardens adjacent to classrooms and on a one-acre parcel of land at Auerfarm, set aside for Wintonbury. The long-term goal is to grow some of the foods there for “Try Days.”
The school has a long-standing partnership with Auerfarm, located in Bloomfield. Wintonbury and Auerfarm staffs regularly meet to discuss pre-school-specific farm, nutrition and science lessons. Every three weeks, Wintonbury children visit the farm to explore science concepts that follow the seasonal farm calendar. There is also a new kitchen at Wintonbury, where the children can learn about cooking procedures.
“What is special about this program is that children see the full cycle of how food is made and then they can consume it,’’ said Wintonbury Principal Samantha Straker. “The on-site Kid’s Kitchen is a place where the cooking or preparing of food can be done with children.”
Straker said kitchen items, such as a dehydrator, blender and kid-friendly kitchen tools were purchased through the state grant.
State Rep. Bobby Gibson, a district school administrator, was the author of the state bill that funded the grant. He said the purpose of the grant is to raise awareness among children about nutrition and making healthy food choices. The funds will also increase access to local farms, provide professional development to staff on nutrition and farm curriculum and incorporate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) into the school curriculum.
“This farm-to-school initiative helps children to understand the importance of healthy living and nutrition,” Gibson said. “It also gives them a respect and an appreciation for the role of agriculture in a global society and how they can protect and nurture the source of our foods. Bloomfield now has the potential to be a state and national model for farm-to-school curriculum.”
A key partner in this Farm to School project is Micro2Life, LLC, in Simsbury, one of a small number of minority-operated farms in the country. Owners Zania Johnson, a Bloomfield native, and Manny Marte have designed preschool specific nutritional education lessons that include growing and eating microgreens and lessons on the evolution of seeds. They recently led in-class professional development sessions for Wintonbury teachers.
Over the spring and summer, a group convened – comprised of Wintonbury staff, Micro2Life, Bloomfield High Director of Harris Agriscience & Technology Center Jaunice Edward and Bloomfield Food Service Director Nick Carambelas - to discuss farm and food curriculum.
Edwards said, eventually, her vo-ag students could support the Wintonbury children by sharing their research about hydroponics and how it connects to growing foods.
Carambelas, an executive chef, said there is great value to teaching children how to grow fruits, vegetables and plants.
“It teaches students proper nutrition and what to look for,’’ he said. “They see where food comes from and it also introduces them to new foods that they may not have seen before.”
When children grow their own vegetables and fruits, Carambelas said, it creates “a sense of ownership. ‘’ For example, they may not want to try broccoli or a certain fruit at home, but will be more apt to try it if they personally helped to grow it.
All agree that Bloomfield is positioned to expand, district-wide, its Farm to School instruction. There are many elements in place, including:
- The program at Wintonbury
- Auerfarm’s location in town
- An active local farm in Simsbury
- BHS’ vibrant vo-ag and culinary programs
- Having an executive chef who is the director of the district’s food services program.
Carambelas said the larger vision is the school district having school menus that serve meals that are mostly locally and school-grown.