Arlington Echo will be celebrating Maryland Homegrown Lunch Week. As part of the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program, our school system is participating in this national initiative (http://www.farmtoschool.org) to bring locally grown produce into schools. This is a great opportunity to talk with students about how purchasing locally grown produce can be part of restoring the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, two schools (Annapolis Sr. High and Ferndale Early Childhood Center) have received grants from USDA to provide fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables as snacks throughout their school day during this school year.
In addition to the obvious health and nutrition benefits, choosing locally grown produce has many environmental benefits as well. Produce grown locally does not need to travel long distances, so the amount of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants is greatly reduced. It often needs less packaging, and contains fewer preservatives. Most local farms are family owned and grow many different kinds of vegetables on the same property. These farms naturally support much greater biodiversity, and use fewer pesticides and fertilizers as conventional corporate farms. Supporting local agriculture keeps funds in our local economy and helps to preserve rural land in our state. For more information on the environmental benefits of eating locally grown produce, please see the following links (***Disclaimer: while the following sites contain useful information; some information may not represent the view of Arlington Echo or Anne Arundel County Public Schools. As with any web site, use your discretion before using with students) :
http://www.buyfreshbuylocalcr.org/
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/
http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/buylocal/
http://www.foodroutes.org/
http://www.isec.org.uk/toolkit/factsheet.html
If you or your students are interested in obtaining locally grown produce on a regular basis, the following are some resources:
Local Farmer’s Market – http://www.mda.state.md.us/md_products/farmers_market_dir.php or http://www.localharvest.org/
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) – Several farms in the area offer subscriptions for a growing season. Families who subscribe to these farms, pay a subscription fee at the beginning of the season and received weekly boxes of fresh seasonal vegetables throughout the summer. Some farms offer spring, fall and winter subscriptions as well. Some local CSAs can be found at: http://www.buyfreshbuylocalcr.org/Where%20to%20Find%20Local%20Foods.pdf In addition, Ivy Brand Farm (http://www.ivybrand.com/) and A Cook’s Café (http://www.acookscafe.com/) also offer CSA subscriptions.
Grocery Stores: Some grocery stores are now offering some locally grown products, however, the definition of “local” can vary widely. It is best to ask the produce manager which items are locally grown. In doing so, we create greater demand for local produce. It is also important to become familiar with the seasons various fruits and vegetables are harvested in MD. For a list of seasonal availability, see the following link: http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/results.asp?season=18&state=21
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