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Evelin Ilves visited a farm and school participating in the “Farm to School” project
30.09.2012
Evelin Ilves visited Washington Stoddert Elementary School and Rocklands Farm, which participate in the "Farm to School" project – the goal of which is to provide children with healthy food and show them where and how the food is grown.
The "Farm to School" project brings together local farmers and schools of Washington with the purpose of supplying school caterers with healthy farm produce. The goal of the project is to keep children healthy by giving them fresh and homegrown food, thereby also supporting the local economy. Visits to farms are also organised to show the children how food is grown.
Rocklands Farm organises instructive farm tours for the children and also sells its produce to families living in the surrounding area. "Close co-operation with local families allows Rocklands Farm to reorganise their life and work in such a way that they can spend a considerable amount of time on introducing the food chain to children. The method employed – families giving the farm a fixed lump sum payment in spring and getting a box with fresh vegetables, eggs and meat every week during the season – makes the life of a farmer safer, the produce a bit cheaper and is an example worth following for us," Evelin Ilves said.
In a co-operative effort between the national organisation "National Farm to School Network" and its local branch, the non-profit organisation DC Greens, Stoddert Elementary School and entrepreneurs, a garden for growing healthy food (Stoddert Garden) has been planted in the area surrounding Stoddert Elementary School, where Evelin Ilves visited.
A number of smaller gardens can be found within the 370 square metre area, such as a separate herb garden, tutorial garden, berry garden and a composting area as well as a greenhouse that the students built using recycled plastic bottles.
Classes are held for the students in the garden and they are also welcome to participate in the work of the gardening club, which gathers after classes. A schedule of volunteers for watering the garden has been drawn up for the summer period.
Evelin Ilves also visited the CentroNia Centre in Washington, which focuses on multicultural and multilingual education; one of the programmes harboured by the Centre involves offering children, their parents and employees of the educational centre locally produced healthy food, which is low in sugar and high in fibre, whenever possible.
Additional information about "Farm to School": www.dcfarmtoschool.org
Additional information about Rocklands Farm: www.rocklandsfarmmd.com
Additional information about Stoddert School Garden: dcgreens.org/the-stoddert-garden
Additional information about CentroNia Educational Centre: www.centronia.org
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