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Announcing New York Agriculture in the Classroom's Teacher of the Year: Cathy Carr
 At Banford Elementary School in Canton, NY, you can find Cathy Carr's 1st through 3rd grade students learning about agriculture out in their school garden, in their classroom cooking center, and during math, literacy, and science lessons.
While Banford Elementary School's gardening program is relatively new, the impact of Carr's integration of it into her curriculum is clear. From creating planting grids with her math students to designing promotional posters for the garden as part of language arts lessons, Carr routinely incorporates the real work of growing food into learning opportunities for her students. She has developed a classroom cooking center that uses produce grown in the school garden to teach about nutrition, the importance of trying new foods, and food preparation skills. The class worm "farm" helps students build science skills while learning about ecosystems, life cycles, and healthy soil.
Carr has a demonstrated commitment to exploring agricultural topics not only with her students, but also their families, other school staff, and the broader school community. She includes gardening information and opportunities to participate in her parent communication. Carr regularly attends garden work days outside of school hours, facilitating garden activities with youth participants during her personal time.
High School Agriculture Teacher Carol Wright describes Carr as "a wonderful elementary teacher who promotes agriculture and gardening to not only her students, but also the families and other staff that she works with in that building. It's certainly a benefit to the agriculture program here at Canton Central School to have such a positive role model for agriculture in the elementary school."
Carr will be formally recognized as the 2012 New York Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year at the New York Farm Bureau's Spring Conference in Albany. She will attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Loveland, CO in June.
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Climate Change & Agriculture - Research-based factsheets and information from Cornell Climate Change Program Work Team, including "Farm Energy, Carbon, and Greenhouse Gases" and "Farming Success in an Uncertain Climate".
USDA Farm to School - Updated resources organized by topic area including: Farm to Childcare, food safety, nutrition and agriculture education, procurement, resources for farmers, school gardens, and more. Check out this bimonthly E-zine developed for secondary educators and their students. Each issue features current events, classroom resources, activities, and grant opportunities that enhance standards-based science, applied technology, and social studies curricula. Animal Science Careers - New online resource from Cornell Animal Science helps students explore the diversity of career opportunities working with animals. Resources for teachers, too. Ideas & Inspiration: Winter is prime time for gathering together, sharing food traditions, and continuing to explore agriculture and food systems in your classroom. You can taste test root veggies, make plant part soup, explore the wheat to bread process, make butter from cream, and invite a farmer, producer, or baker to your classroom. |
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by David and Phillis Gershator, illustrations by Emma Shaw-Smith
Blending English and Spanish, the story follows wheat seeds to bread at a family's table, including the people and processes involved each step of the way.
For a blog article on the history of wheat production in NYS, ideas about its future, and some sources of NY grown wheat berries and flours, visit Food Systems Network NYC.
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Recipes and Lesson Plans:
Not sure if your students will like these root veggies? Conduct a taste test and begin building a classroom culture where tasting new things is a positive learning experience. Meeting the farmer who grew the veggie can help, too. See VT FEED's Guide to Taste Testing Local Food in Schools for more information.
Information on storing and preparing beets, including recipes and nutrition information. Use vegetables that are NY grown and/or in season where possible. Using canned and frozen vegetables is a great opportunity to discuss how we preserve food to last us through winter months. Lesson plan has activities for science, art, language, and math connections. |
 Vermont Food Education Every Day (VT FEED) is a Farm to School program run as a partnership of three Vermont non-profit organizations.
Take a look at their free tools and resources including guides for connecting farmers and schools, using local produce in schools, curriculum units, success stories, and more.
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Opportunities:
Captain Planet Foundation Grant - Applications due January 15th. Grants for activities that promote and support high-quality educational programs that enable children and youth to understand and appreciate our world through learning experiences that engage them in active, hands-on projects to improve the environment in their schools and communities.
'I Can Grow' Youth Garden Award - Urban youth gardening programs apply for this award by Dec 23rd for a chance to win vegetable and herb plants, money for program supplies, on-site assistance, and a Flip camera to document your garden program.
Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Grants - Applications due December 31st. Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or nonprofit K-12 school that is developing or currently maintaining a school garden project that will help children engage with fresh fruits and vegetables.
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Regional Workshops
We are currently planning spring 2012 workshops. If you are interested in partnering with us to bring agricultural education programs to your area please contact us at NYAITC@cornell.edu or 607-255-9253.
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) Conference
January 20-22, 2012
Check out the website for more information.
2012 Agriculture Literacy Week
March 19th-23rd, 2012
For more information about this state-wide event please visit our website.
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