Northeast Farm to School Institute

ChicopeeFRESH is thrilled to announce that we have been selected to participate in the 2016-2017 Northeast Farm to School Institute! The Institute is a "unique year-long professional learning opportunity that helps school teams take their Farm to School work to the next level." As part of the Institute, our team (pictured below) journeyed to the gorgeous Shelburne Farms in VT to take part in a three day retreat where we networked with other FTS teams, participated in workshops, and put our heads together with a coach to develop a mission and action plan. We had an absolute blast at the retreat! Not only did we enjoy delicious farm fresh meals, but we took inspiration from the beautiful setting and the incredible teams around us to set goals for our FTS program. 

Meet the team:

"WE DIG OUR LOCAL FARMER!" From left to right: Becky Barrett (Chef Manager at Lambert-Lavoie Elementary School), Rachel Harb (Sustainable Food Systems Coordinator), Greta Shwachman (FoodCorps Service Member), and Harry Brandt (1st Grade Teacher at Bowe Elementary). Not pictured here is team member Ann Juliano (Chef Manager at Chicopee Comp).

By the end of the three days, we came up with the following goals to accomplish in the cafeteria, classroom, and community during the 2016-2017 school year.

Cafeteria:

1. Increase local purchasing by 2-5% 
2. Increase professional development opportunities for food service staff and enhance the image of cooks within the school community

Classroom:

1. Increase opportunities for teachers to integrate FTS into the curriculum (through PD for teachers; lessons & resources; and connections between school gardens and math & ELA curriculum)
2. Explore establishing 2-3 food systems-related culminating projects each year as district practice 

Community:

1. Increase awareness and visibility of our efforts (create community buy-in) through marketing, events, etc.
2. Identify important stakeholder networks and develop clear "asks" for each

If we accomplish these goals, we will be closer to realizing our overarching vision for ChicopeeFRESH, to provide every student in the district with access to locally sourced, nutritious school meals, as wells as experiential learning opportunities in the classroom and garden. 

Watch our digital Story:

​The retreat included a workshop on digital storytelling. To tell our story to other members of the Institute, we created this digital story that depicts the success of the Bowe School Garden, led by 1st grade teacher and team member, Harry Brandt. We hope that Harry's enthusiasm for FTS will spread across the district and inspire other successful school gardens in Chicopee!