Farm Fresh Sharing is a feature where we spotlight federal nutrition program contracting entities (CEs) from Texas and across the country who take part in farm to school activities. We will also answer questions from you. On a quarterly basis, we will feature an interview with a Texas CE. The goal of this section is to provide connections between CEs, answer questions about Farm Fresh programming, and share success stories. If you are interested in sharing your experiences and inspiring other CEs, please fill out this survey.
This month, we are featuring Houston Independent School District (ISD) as our Texas CE spotlight. Houston ISD is the largest district in Texas. They have a teaching farm called HISD Food & Agriculture Literacy Center at Mykawa Farm. Find a link to watch a video about this agricultural field trip destination at the end of this section.
Q: How long have you been participating in Farm Fresh Programming?
A: Houston ISD has been participating in Farm Fresh Programming for over 10 years. Our participation in programs like Farm Fresh Initiative has evolved to include providing nutrition and gardening education to students and participation in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).
Q: What has been your biggest challenge in connecting with local producers?
A: The sheer volume of produce that is needed for Houston ISD has been an issue in connecting with local producers. We are working on collaborating with local producers and food depots to incorporate some produce in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.
The short duration of when a particular produce item is available is also difficult to manage with the procurement process of such a large school district.
Q: Do you have a specific resource you use to find producers in your area?
A: We have used the TDA's mapping tool for producers that are in Texas. Sometimes just simply attending farmers' markets is a good way to meet local producers.
Q: What is your students' favorite local product?
The students' favorite local produce in the past have been peaches and watermelon. We have used chef demonstrations to create enthusiasm around our state fruit - grapefruit - with some success. Fresh grapefruit in Chef Brittany's "Grapeful Parfait" with granola, yogurt, and grapes, was a hit.
Q: Do you have a garden?
A: We have a 6.5-acre farm where we grow food that is used in the child nutrition program and to educate students about where food comes from, how food can be cooked, and the nutritional benefit of eating fruits and vegetables.
Q: How did you go about setting it up (funding, maintenance, harvesting, volunteers)?
A: Our Director, Betti Wiggins (read more about Betti here: HISD blog), brought the idea of a district farm to HISD from her previous work in Detroit, Michigan. Our funding is provided by a mix of sources to support our growth and development. HISD's Nutrition Services provides support for salaries; we have received grants from USDA-NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service), TDA, Whole Kids Foundation, Houston Methodist, Capital One, Dow, The Cactus Jack Foundation, and The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation to support our farm to school programming; we've partnered with The Mission Continues, The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's Black Heritage Committee, and the Boy Scouts to host volunteer days to help our farm and school gardens across Houston ISD.
Q: How does your district support Farm Fresh efforts?
A: Our district supports our efforts by providing staff with salaries, and schools love coming out to the farm for field trips. We partner with several HISD departments, such as Career and Technical Education, and Benefits to support and educate students and staff about food. We partner with HISD Grants Development, Community Outreach, and the HISD Foundation to seek funders and partners.
Q: How do you introduce administrators and teachers to the realities of sustaining a garden?
A: About 99% of schools say they want a garden, but they don't realize the work that's required to make it sustainable. These educators don't always have the competencies needed to integrate garden education with core curriculum subjects, and extra training is required to make programs successful. To help teachers with developing the skillset of being a garden educator, we will be hosting a professional development series to help teachers develop the skills to have a sustainable garden program and integrate garden education with STEM education and the core curriculum. We have partnered with Texas A&M's Learn, Grow, Eat & GO and the EdEN Lab at the University of Texas to help the teachers develop those skills.
Q: What kind of educational activities have you been able to implement?
A: Our education is three-tiered when it comes to educating students beyond the plate. From seed to tray, we educate our students in gardening, nutrition, and culinary skills. Our school gardening program helps students understand how food is grown in soil and hydroponically. Our nutrition education program dietitians go into schools to teach students about making healthy meal choices and we do activities at our farm such as a My Plate relay race where students work together in groups to form a complete meal. Thirdly, we do culinary education with chef demonstrations in the schools and at the farm and last year we launched the HSD Café video series to teach parents about cooking healthy meals. When we bring students to the farm, they participate in activities related to vegetable production, nutrition, food tasting and demonstrations. We also share career opportunities in agriculture, food, and nutrition with the students.
Q: How do you promote the local products you use?
A: We promote the local products mostly by utilizing chef demonstrations and nutrition education classes.
Q: What advice would you give a CE trying to decide if/how to participate in Farm Fresh Programming?
A: Start small and see where the program grows from there. Get creative and don't be afraid to make mistakes, the biggest mistake could be not starting the program and seeing what support you have to make it successful.
HISD's Food and Agriculture Literacy Center at Mykawa Farm has its own page on the HISD website: Mykawa Farm. Be sure to check out their video touring the farm, too. It's well worth the exciting 15 minutes to watch!
If you have questions regarding the Farm Fresh Initiative or suggestions for E-Harvest content, fill out this form: E-Harvest questions/suggestions. Select questions will be answered in this space when there is not a CE spotlight.