ChicopeeFRESH - Blog!

An Udderly Amazing Adventure at Gillette Stadium

8/8/2019

We had a blast at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough yesterday at the Dairy Innovation Challenge! We were lucky enough to bring a team from Dupont School to experience this unique and informative event.

The day started with a photo shoot with Pat the Patriot, followed by some dairy trivia (who knew cows could smell so far?!) and a rotation of activities to help us learn more about dairy farming and nutrition. We enjoyed hearing from Kies Orr, a dairy farmer at Fort Hill Farms in CT, who showed us some of the different components of a cow's diet. At lunch time, dairy took center stage in the amazing spread. We treated ourselves to creamy mac and cheese, and whipped up some fun concoctions at the milk flavor bar. And let's not forget the chocolate chip cookies, perfect for dunking!

After lunch, it was time for the students to buckle down to the challenge -- how do we get students to drink more milk in schools?! According to the New England Dairy Council, only 17% of students are getting 2 or more servings of dairy per day. We heard some awesome presentations from schools across the state. Dupont student, Mariah, worked with a group from Worcester, coming up with the idea of a "Moo Mobile," or a wheeling cart featuring a variety of customizable dairy options. Way to go, Mariah!!

Once the presentations wrapped up, everyone got a behind-the-scenes look at Gillette stadium. The rain cleared up just in time for our tour, as we made our way through the corporate boxes, media box, clubhouse, and then down into the opposing team locker room.

On the whole, we had a moonificent day learning and creating with teams from across the state. We're honored to have been selected to participate and hopefully we can add some innovative dairy items to our menus this year!

Garden Makeover: Bowie School

8/6/2019

Drum roll please.........We're thrilled to unveil the recent makeover of the Bowie School Garden!

With funds raised by the PTO and a grant from SeedMoney.org, Bowie commissioned the Chicopee Comp Horticulture program to construct brand new raised beds. There are now 10 raised beds in the garden, and they are flourishing this season with help from the Fire Department and our Farm to School Team. There's a variety of crops growing--everything from kohlrabi to strawberries--and our Salad Days beds are looking ready for a bountiful fall harvest. A big thank you to everyone who has worked to improve the garden this year! We can't wait to see how Mrs. Schofield and her students use the garden this school year.

Before:

Before: Bowie school garden beds were rotting and soil was eroded. Beds were overrun with weeds.

After:

After: 8 brand new raised beds. Beds topped up with soil and have been kept weeded and watered this summer. Plus a new garden sign! More to come :)

Garden Snapshots

8/6/2019

It's August, and our gardens are in full bloom across the city! We hope you enjoy this gallery of garden snapshots from our 7 school gardens. Our gardens are located at P.E. Bowe, Bowie, Dupont, Lambert Lavoie, Litwin, Stefanik, and Streiber. If you are interested in helping out with garden maintenance, please email Greta at gshwachman@cpsge.org. Thank you!

August Harvest of the Month: Peaches!

8/6/2019

Fruit lovers rejoice! Juicy, fragrant, delicious peaches are finally in season! There's so much you can do with peaches, where to begin? You can grill them and top them with vanilla ice cream; make a sweet peach salsa; slice them up and add them to a salad; make jam and cobbler; and the list goes on! Click below for a simple and refreshing peach sorbet recipe that's bound to delight the whole family on a hot summer day!

Peach Sorbet Recipe

Harvest Spotlight: Sage

8/6/2019

Nutrition Facts

Sage like most herbs have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as well as anticancer actions. Some health benefits of sage is increase in brain function and protecting the brain.

How to Harvest

Most herbs are great to be harvested in morning or early afternoon to have the ultimate freshness, especially sage. When harvesting sage you either can harvest leaf by leaf or cut an entire stem off, using scissors. If this is your first time growing sage only harvest lightly then for the years to come you can pick as much as you want.

Fun FAct

Sage was rubbed on teeth to make them whiter in nineteenth-century America.

Chicken Breasts With Fresh Sage Recipe

Insider Tip: Sage pairs well with butternut squash! For a delicious pasta dinner, cook pasta in butter with sage and garlic, and then toss in roasted butternut squash and sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese. Yum!

Harvest Spotlight: Parsley

8/6/2019

Nutrition Facts

Not only is parsley a source of vitamins and antioxidants but also has health benefits. Parsley has breast cancer protection, fights inflammation, strengthens bones, and helps with digestion.

How to Harvest

To harvest parsley, you need scissors because like other herbs parsley likes to be snipped. When harvesting parsley grab a handful of parsley then you snip at ground level.

Fun FActs

Parsley stems have a stronger flavor than the leaves. Add chopped parsley at the end of cooking for a burst of freshness.

Parsley Pesto Recipe

Harvest Spotlight: Basil

8/6/2019

Nutrition Facts

Basil contains antioxidant vitamins and phenolics, is a rich source of vitamin K, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium and dietary fibre.

How to Harvest

The method to harvesting this herb differs depending on the amount you intend to pick. For small batches, just pick it off the amount you want from the plant. For larger batches, you pick top down. Cut back a third of the plants height, if cutting the entire stem of the herb plant. Cutting by thirds allow the plant to produce more, allowing you to harvest more.

Fun Fact

Basil repels insects like mosquitoes. Basil has properties that are toxic to mosquitoes.

Strawberry-Basil Shortcake Recipe

Harvest Spotlight: MInt

8/6/2019

Nutrition Facts

Mint has the highest antioxidant level. Benefits of mint is that it has anti-inflammatory agent that reduces seasonal allergy symptoms.

How to Harvest

You need scissors and a basket to be able to harvest mint. When harvesting mint you should cut 1-2" above the ground.

Fun Facts

The US produces 70% of the Worlds peppermint and spearmint

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Insider tip: There's tons of mint ready for harvest at the Stefanik Garden!

Harvest Spotlight: Zucchini/Summer Squash

8/5/2019

Nutrition Facts

Zucchini and summer squash provide nutritious value to your diet. Zucchini and summer squash provides vitamins B6, riboflavin, folate, C, and K, and minerals, like potassium and manganese. Health benefits of zucchini are improvement in digestion, lowers blood sugar level, improves thyroid and adrenal functions, and boosts energy.

How to Harvest

Zucchini and summer squash that are ready to harvest are 6-8 inches long and are firm and dark green or yellow. Harvesting zucchini and summer squash, you can use a knife, scissors, or pruners. With the tool you cut about 1" to 2" from the body of the fruit. If you don’t have a knife or scissors you can use your hands. Grab the zucchini or summer squash fruit and twist it. Pulling the zucchini or summer squash may cause damage to the zucchini or summer squash and the plant.

Fun FAct

The world’s largest zucchini on record was 69 1/2 inches long, and weighed 65 lbs. Bernard Lavery of Plymouth Devon, UK, was a farmer who grew the vegetable.

Zucchini Brownie Recipe

Lemon Yellow Squash Bread Recipe

Harvest Spotlight: Green Beans

8/5/2019

Nutrition Facts

Green beans are a good source of vitamins A, C, K, B6, and folic acid. In terms of minerals, green beans are a good source of calcium, silicon, iron, manganese, potassium, and copper. Other benefits of eating green beans are reduced heart disease, and detoxifying harmful metabolites.

How to Harvest

Green beans are ready to harvest when the bean is 4 inches to 7 inches long and a width a little bit larger than a pencil. Harvesting green beans, grasp the bean where the bean and vine meet and just pull.

Fun Fact

In the city of Blairsville, Georgia they have a festival called Green Bean Festival. On every last Sunday in July the city honors the vegetable, celebrating with cooking contests, beauty pageants, and other fun activities.

Shrimp and Green Bean Stir-fry Recipe