Children & Parents Day goes on the road with outreach initiative and joins National Apple Month and Farms To School Month and coordinates farmers to present healthy snack demo to first grade students

The Children & Parents Day's outreach initiative celebrated Farm To School Month at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach with healthy snack creation demo by local farmers in Kathy Wilsher's first grade class on October 30, 2013.

L-R: Mrs. Wilsher, first grade teacher at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach, Florida; Eva Webb and Carole Williams of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. The Florida Farm Bureau Federation gifted Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class with nutrition posters, a Florida agriculture poster and the book Gardening for Grades: Florida Agriculture In The Classroom.

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation led the cooking demo of creating a healthy snack using fruits and yogurt.  The clever first-graders watched, observed and helped to make yogurt parfait and a spring salad topped with locally grown sweet peppers from Pero Farms and salad dressing created using yogurt.  The students had a surprise delight when eating the sweet peppers.

The clever first -raders watched, observed and helped to make yogurt parfait and a spring salad topped with locally grown sweet peppers from Pero Farms and salad dressing created using yogurt.  The students had a surprise delight when eating the sweet peppers

Children & Parents Day is held annually in the Spring season.  The annual family event has evolved to include culinary components.  As an additional outreach initiative, a program was created to help support National Farm To School Month in October which was designated by Congress.  Farm To School Month is defined as any program that 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. Farm to school programs exist in all 50 states, but since farm to school is a grassroots movement, programs are as diverse as the communities that build them.

There were many connecting points between Farm To School Month and Florida's agriculture history.  The lesson included the history of the State of Florida which is celebrating 500 years since the arrival of Spaniard explorer Juan Ponce de Leon in year 1513. The quincentennial has been baptized Viva Florida.  The agriculture movement began when Florida was incorporated as a State in 1845.  Pioneer Florida farmers grew pineapples, tomatoes, mangoes and varied fruits and vegetables.



The clever first-graders watched, observed and helped to make yogurt parfait during the snack-making demo led by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation.  The farmers demonstrated the feasibility of making a healthy snack using fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and yogurt.

Specifically, the theme for October 30th was Scratch Cooking day for Farm To School Month.  The purpose of scratch cooking was to develop recipes using fruits and vegetables to accent a meal or snack. October is also the official month of the Apple fruit therefore apples were perfectly coordinated into the Farm To School healthy snack. Ms. Eva Webb and retired cattle farmer Carole Williams representing the Florida Farm Bureau Federation led the healthy meal demo created from scratch using apples along with other fruits, vegetables and yogurt.

For the snack-making demo at Trinity Lutheran, the farmers sourced fruits and vegetables from local farmers and from the local Target store. Many Florida grown fruits and vegetables are sold locally at national grocery stores.  The students learned about produce that's grown locally in Palm Beach County that include sweet papers, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries.  The first graders were taught that fruits and vegetables provide the important nutrition building blocks for body that are Nitrogen, Potassium, Protein, Phosphorus and Sulfur.

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation gifted Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class with nutrition posters, a Florida agriculture poster and the book Gardening for Grades: Florida Agriculture In The Classroom by Lisa Gaskalla.

 

Trinity Lutheran is the oldest parochial school in southern Palm Beach County. It was established in 1905 by German settlers to Delray Beach who were farmers from the Country of Germany and Saginaw County, Michigan.

United States Senator Bill Nelson has recognized the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History's Farm To School event held in Kathy Wilsher's first grade class at Trinity Lutheran.  Click here to read the letter.

Click here for Sun-Sentinel/Delray Forum news story.



Farmer Carole Williams, Fallan Patterson and Eva Webb at Trinity Lutheran School for Farm To School Month.



Trinity's first grade ambassadors greeted and guided the special guests from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation to the Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class.



Trinity's first grade ambassadors greeted and guided the special guests from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation to the Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class



Trinity's first grade ambassadors greeted and guided the special guests from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation to the Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class



Trinity's first grade ambassadors greeted and guided the special guests from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation to the Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class. The building behind the students and directly to right is Trinity's original 1904 church building that served as the first building used for Trinity more than 100 years ago.



Under the canopy.  Mrs. Wilsher welcomes the special guests from Florida Farm Bureau Federation



The farmers are coming!  Florida Farm Bureau Federation representatives arriving to Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach.  The farmers featured Florida grown fruits and vegetables that are also sold locally at national chain grocery stores.



Designated teacher of the year by Georgia-Florida Lutheran Schools Association, Mrs. Wilsher at Trinity Lutheran.



Representing the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, Ms. Carole Williams, a retired cattle farmer from New York, in the first grade class at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach, Florida for Farm To School Month.



The Florida Farm Bureau Federation gifted Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class with nutrition posters, a Florida agriculture poster and the book Gardening for Grades: Florida Agriculture In The Classroom.



Representing the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, Mrs. Carole Williams, a retired cattle farmer from New York, in the first grade class at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach, Florida for Farm To School Month.



Strawberries, raspberries and cherry tomatoes. For the snack-making demo at Trinity Lutheran, the farmers sourced fruits and vegetables from local farmers and from the local Target store. Many Florida grown fruits and vegetables are sold locally at national grocery stores.



The first grade class at Trinity Lutheran School in Delray Beach, Florida celebrated Farm To School Month and Apple Month by hosting representatives from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation for a snack-making demo using fruits and vegetables from Florida farms.



Apples, strawberries and raspberries for the yogurt parfait



Yogurt for the parfait in the first grade class at Trinity Lutheran for the Farm To School Month.



Yogurt for the parfait in the first grade class at Trinity Lutheran for the Farm To School Month.



Yogurt for the parfait in the first grade class at Trinity Lutheran for the Farm To School Month.



Eva Webb of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation distributes to the first graders at Trinity Lutheran fruits and vegetables for the yogurt parfait.



Eva Webb of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation distributes to the first-graders at Trinity Lutheran fruits for the yogurt parfait.




October is also National Apple Month.  This fruit was part of the healthy mix of fruits used in the yogurt parfait at Trinity Lutheran School in Delray Beach for Farm To School



First grade students at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach helped to create a healthy snack, the yogurt parfait for Scratch Cooking Day for Farm To School Month



First grade students at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach helped to create a healthy snack, the yogurt parfait for Scratch Cooking Day for Farm To School Month



First grade students at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach helped to create a healthy snack, the yogurt parfait for Scratch Cooking Day for Farm To School Month



First grade students at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach helped to create a healthy snack, the yogurt parfait for Scratch Cooking Day for Farm To School Month



The "City Manager" for Mrs. Wilsher's First Grade class enjoying the yogurt parfait. First grade students at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach helped to create a healthy snack, the yogurt parfait for Scratch Cooking Day for Farm To School Month



First grade students at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach helped to create a healthy snack, the yogurt parfait for Scratch Cooking Day for Farm To School Month



First grade students at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach helped to create a healthy snack, the yogurt parfait for Scratch Cooking Day for Farm To School Month



First grade students at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach helped to create a healthy snack, the yogurt parfait for Scratch Cooking Day for Farm To School Month



First grade students at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach helped to create a healthy snack, the yogurt parfait for Scratch Cooking Day for Farm To School Month



Farmer Carole Williams assisted first graders at Trinity Lutheran with making a spring salad using sweet peppers from Pero Family Farms of Palm Beach, Florida for Farm To School and its Scratch Cooking Day.



Representatives from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation visited Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach, Florida



Teacher Mrs. Wilsher with the "City Manager" for first grade displaying nutrition posters from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation.  Mrs. Wilsher's appoints students from her class to serve as "City Manager."  The 'City Manager" led the students with word recitation and identifying the food items found in the posters.

 

Teacher Mrs. Wilsher with the "City Manager" for first grade displaying nutrition posters from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation.  Mrs. Wilsher's appoints students from her class to serve as "City Manager."  The 'City Manager" led the students with word recitation and identifying the food items found in the posters.



Teacher Mrs. Wilsher with the "City Manager" for first grade displaying nutrition posters from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation.  Mrs. Wilsher's appoints students from her class to serve as "City Manager."  The "City Manager" led the students with word recitation and identifying the food items found in the posters.



Spring mix snack featured sweet peppers from the local Pero Family Farms in Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class at Trinity Lutheran School in Delray Beach, Florida for Farm To School Month and its Scratch Cooking Day.  The salad dressing was created from yogurt.

 

October is also designated National Apple Month.  Apples from Target Stores accented the yogurt parfait snacks for National Farm To School Month celebrated in the first grade class at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach 



Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class was gifted with bags of Florida Crystals' brown sugar from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. Florida Crystals is a local sugar cane farm in Palm Beach County, Florida

Spring mix with strawberries and Pero Family Farms sweet peppers for National Farm To School Month at Trinity Lutheran School

Spring mix snack featured sweet peppers from the local Pero Family Farms in Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class at Trinity Lutheran School in Delray Beach, Florida for Farm To School Month and its Scratch Cooking Day.  The salad dressing was created from yogurt.



Spring mix snack featured sweet peppers from the local Pero Family Farms in Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class at Trinity Lutheran School in Delray Beach, Florida for Farm To School Month and its Scratch Cooking Day.  The salad dressing was created from yogurt.




Apple poster from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation provided to Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach.  October is National Apple Month and Farm To Schools Month.



L-R: "City Manager" for Mrs. Wilsher's first grade class at Trinity Lutheran in Delray Beach and Lori J. Durante, volunteer coordinator for annual Children & Parents Day: Celebrating the Apple Fruit set for Sunday, February 23, 2014 in Boynton Beach, with Florida Farm Bureau Federation's Eva Webb and retired farmer Ms. Carole Williams.



Click Here to read Sun-Sentinel February 16, 2014 cover news story about Apple celebration for Children & Parents Day.

Go here to read blog about artist-in-residence classroom activity of Children & Parents Day


About Trinity Lutheran School:

TrinityLutheran School was established in 1905 by German farmers who were early settlers in Delray Beach. Trinity Lutheran School is the oldest parochial school in Delray Beach.  The church opened one-year prior in 1904 as the 4^th oldest church in Delray Beach.

About the Florida Farm Bureau:

This year, Florida Farm Bureau Federation celebrates 72 years of service to agriculture. With about 147,000 members, Florida Farm Bureau is the state's largest agricultural organization. There are Farm Bureaus in 60 counties in this state, where agriculture is second only to tourism in economic importance.  The Florida Farm Bureau Federation's mission is "to increase the net income of farmers and ranchers, and to improve the quality of rural life." The vision of the FFBF is "Florida Farm Bureau will be the most effective, influential and respected Farm Bureau in the nation. To truly be recognized as Florida's Voice of Agriculture.

About Children & Parents Day:

The annual non-profit Children & Parents Day presented by MLFH was established in 2005 with the purpose of providing a fun-filled day of family adventures with arts, crafts and history education activities for children. The event has grown to include culinary experiences  and features local farmers, local chefs and local artists.  Lori J. Durante established the program which is sponsored by the Target corporation, the Patricia Ann Ravo Fund and the Boris & Edith Rueger Fund.  Children & Parents Day is one of the Official Community Event Partners for the State of Florida's Viva Florida campaign.  Children & Parents Day has also joined National Nutrition Month and the Let's Move Campaign to fight childhood obesity. The event is held annually at the historic Boynton Woman’s Club in Boynton Beach.  The ninth annual Children & Parents Day is scheduled for Sunday, February 23, 2014.