Asheville Cafeteria Managers get a taste of local produce on farm tour

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project ( ASAP) has organized a farm field trip on Monday, August 7 for all Asheville City Schools Cafeteria Managers.  The idea behind the hands-on tour is to deepen the connection between school food service and farmers that grow our food, and to build awareness of our local agriculture.  The trip includes a tour of Full Sun Farm, vegetable taste tests, and lunch prepared by Chef Laurey Masterton featuring locally grown ingredients.

WHO :

Full Sun Farm, farmers Alex Brown and Vanessa Campbell

Asheville City Schools (ACS) Cafeteria Managers

Cindy Lawler, ACS Child Nutrition Director

Chef Laurey Masterton, Laurey’s Catering & Gourmet to Go

JaneAnne Tager, Eat Better Learn Better of Isaac Dickson Elementary

Dewain Mackey, Madison Farms (invited)

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project

WHEN :         8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Monday, August 7, 2006

WHERE :       Tour starts at the Asheville City Schools central office at 85 Mountain Street.  Participants will travel together to Full Sun Farm in Sandy Mush and will return to the central office by 1:30 pm.  (For directions to Full Sun Farm, click here: http://www.buyappalachian.org/details.php?id=26)

WHY : Farm to school programs connect schools to local farms with the objective of supporting local farmers, serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, and providing health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime.

Farm to School is part of the Growing Minds-Healthy Bodies initiative to reduce childhood obesity in Western North Carolina and to promote physical activity and healthy weight, especially among economically challenged families.  Four WNC counties have active Farm to School programs, providing over 11,000 students with the opportunity to eat fresh, locally grown produce.

PHOTO OPS :

• School food service staff touring Full Sun Farm
• Taste test of 20 different tomatoes and other crops
• Chef Laurey Masterton preparing lunch of locally grown food

ABOUT GROWIN G MINDS-HEALTHY BODIES:

Growing Minds-Healthy Bodies is a partnership of Children First of Buncombe County, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, and MANNA FoodBank.  The Partnership’s goal is to increase access to fresh produce and provide education about nutrition and physical activity so that children and families can make healthy lifestyle choices.

Growing Minds-Healthy Bodies is part of the Fit Together Initiative, funded by the NC Health & Wellness Trust Fund and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina, a long-term comprehensive statewide overweight and obesity prevention initiative uniting $4.5 million in public and private resources.  For more information, please visit: www.fittogethernc.org.

~

Shelley Booth

Growing Minds-Healthy Bodies Coordinator

A partnership of Children First, MANNA FoodBank

and Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project

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828.259.9717