| JULY IS
National Blueberry
& Ice Cream ......
& Hot Dog Month! |
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Greetings!
I hope this edition of Food for Thought finds you enjoying a NH summer. It's that time of year where the farmers are working from sun-up to sunset and we get to reap the benefits of healthy,delicious,fresh food all summer long. With that in mind we have not only highlighted NH Farmers' Markets,but are planning a November charity dinner event based on locally grown food with a Thanksiving theme. Your invitation will arrive shortly! It promises to be a delicious and enjoyable NH evening!
We'd like to extend an offer to either a commodity expert or an educator who would like to share an article with our aitc community. This month Kris Mossey of NHFMA (NH Farmers Market Assoc.) shares her pen with us! Please feel free to email Lisa with your article and maybe you'll be next month's guest writer.
This newsletter marks the closing of our fiscal year at NHAITC, we would like to thank all our supporters who have generously donated their time, supplies or money as we continue to educate NH youth about their connection to agriculture. Your efforts are appreciated more than you'll ever know. I wish you all a safe,healthy & happy summer,
Lisa -
NHAITC Director of Education |
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 Farmers' Market Season is Here!
New Hampshire Farmers' Markets are in full swing this summer! There are 80 farmers' markets in communities across the state offering an amazing array of produce, locally raised meats, eggs, honey, maple syrup and lots of other products made at the farm such as cheese and jams and jellies. Everything from A (apples) to Z (zucchini)!
It is important that our families in New Hampshire have the opportunity to meet and talk to their local farmers. At a farmers' market you can get to know the farmers in your community. It is the ideal place to find out what fruits and vegetables are grown in NH and when they are at their peak flavor and quality. Many farmers will share their favorite recipes with customers. This connection with the people that grow and produce food in our state helps young people understand why it is important to buy and eat local. Supporting your local farmers' market supports your local farmer. In doing so, open space and the rural character of our state can be preserved.
Shopping at a farmers' market provides an educational opportunity to teach children about the impact consumers have on our world. Using canvas tote bags and limiting the use of packaging materials helps the environment. Buying locally means that less fuel has been used to transport the product from the farm to the consumer. It's "green" to shop at your local farmers' market!
Food tastes better at your local farmers' market because it is picked fresh, often that same day! When fruits and vegetables taste great they are more likely to be eaten. It is also fun to shop at the market and plan your meals around the produce that is offered. The taste, touch, smell, sight of attractive displays of fruits and vegetables and the pleasant sound of customers chatting with each other and the farmers makes shopping at a farmers market a healthy shopping experience for families.
Farmers' markets provide an educational and healthy shopping experience for communities in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Farmers' Market Association has a complete listing of markets on our website at www.nhfma.org. Visit your local farmers' market this season!
Kris Mossey, President, New Hampshire Farmers Market Assoc. |
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THE BOOKSHELF
A Visit to the Farmers' Market By Peggy Sessel-Ohelan, Ed.D. This easy to read picture book is about the benefits of shopping at the market and stresses the importance of variety, color, and freshness of foods. An excellent introduction for children with
beautiful photos
Get Kids Involved in Active
Learning about Nutrition! 
All About.. Farmers' Market
By Peggy Sessel-Ohelan,Ed.D. Now you can get kids moving, singing, talking, coloring, cutting, and exploring with "All About Farmers' Markets: A Teaching Guide for Classrooms, Camps, and Community Programs."
Filled with activities for children in PreK through 2nd Grade, this companion to "A Visit to the Farmers' Market" incorporates nutrition education with language arts, social studies, science, music, physical activities, and more. Many activities are adaptable for older children as well. Ten units include topics such as "Thinking About What We Eat," "Making Good Food Choices," "From Farm to Market," and "Tastes and Textures of the Market." Each unit has clearly stated main concepts and learning objectives that address current health education standards and cross curricular approaches. All of the 40+ activities are original and were developed specifically for the book by the author. Activities include games, songs, reproducibles, ideas for parent involvement and suggestions for field trips.
The Farmer's Market 
By Marcie R. Rendon
& Cheryl Walsh Bellville
This book presents a colorful, behind-the-scenes look at two families who run stalls at a farmer's market, by following the families to their farms and greenhouses. Children will see how everyone works together to grow the foods and flowers that fill the market. A book for middle aged school children that places emphasis on families working together to survive.A wonderful book about farming families filled with great photo's.
The Vegetables We Eat 
By Gail Gibbons *With so much national concern about child obesity and nutrition, this accessible,inviting introduction to vegetables,aimed at the picture-book crowd,is certainly timely. Following the tried-and-true formula found in her previous titles, Gibbons matches concise,simple text with bright,cheerful watercolor-and-ink artwork,and she adds more information in text boxes placed within the pictures. The facts range from the most basic ("It is good for us to eat vegetables. They are nutritious.") to the more advanced, such as a definition of hydroponics. Gibbons' survey is visually inclusive; the pictures show families of all shades enjoying vegetables in different ways. And the scenes in the garden, and then on the farm and at the supermarket, show both small- and large-scale production. A final page adds more interesting veggie trivia.
*Editorial provided by Booklist |
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Farmers market lessons for prek-2
A five part kindergarten lesson plan that focuses on the farm. This lesson plan is to help children learn about the farmers' market in a fun interactive art activity,as well as through math and language skills. |
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Quick Links to Websites Worth a Peek! | |
www.nhagintheclass.org
NH farmer's market website |
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August 2-8 2010
National Farmers' Market Week
How will you celebrate?Let us know and we'll share your ideas through our facebook page and our website.
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Did you Know that...
* CA, NY, IA, IL, PA, WI, MI. MA, OH, and KN are the states with the most farmers' markets.
*The USDA estimates there are an average of 31 vendors per farmers' market, providing opportunities for more than 130,000 direct-marketing farmers across the country.
*4,685 farmers' markets were listed in the USDA Farmers Market National Directory for 2008, and USDA estimates approximately 4,800 in 2009.
* More than 740 markets operate nationwide between November and May, a time often considered 'off season', This number is growing.
*The USDA's Agriculture Census reported more than $1.2 billion in direct farm-to-consumer sales in 2007, the majority of these at farmers' markets.
*Farmers' markets accepted over $40 million in WIC (Women,Infant and Children) & SFNP (Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program) vouchers in 2008 - making fresh food available to millions of low income families.
*Farmers at farmers' markets donate hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh produce to local social service agencies across the country each year. |
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NH Ag in the Classroom
295 Sheep Davis Rd
Concord,NH 03301
Lisa Nevins, lisan@nhfarmbreau.org
603-224-1934 |
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT 
