Last week, November 7 – 11,  Headwaters Farm-to-Table Program joined in celebrating the third annual Virginia Farm to School week, a VDACS initiative to increase the amount of fresh and nutritious Virginia grown products offered in schools and to promote opportunities for schools and local farmers to work together.

During our Local Foods Week,  there was a more-than-usual abundance of fresh food available in the lunch line at Rappahannock County Public Schools  including Farm at Sunnyside’s lettuce mix, radishes carrots and kale;  Waterpenny Farm’s Butternut squash, salad greens, and kale;  Williams’ Orchard apples, and Adams’ Slaughter House beef burgers. A Seasonal tasting of Baked Kale Chips sourced from the Farm at Sunnyside and prepared by the Culinary Arts Classes was served in both cafeterias.  Farmers were invited to attend the tasting and local food lunch to share stories and answer questions about their farms.

After-School addresses the needs of at-risk and accelerated children and is available to 3rd, 4^th, and 5^th grades meeting twice a week from November 1 – December 13.   We hope to do two to three more sessions from January to May.  Our schedule includes a snack, an outdoor activity, homework help and tutorial assistance, an enrichment activity and group time.  The program is focused on giving children who are at-risk academically and/or socially, the extra attention and opportunity to develop confidence and successful homework routines.  The program staff includes Teens Mentors from Rappahannock County High School.

The inaugural session currently enrolls 24 students. The children are involved in enrichment activities led by community volunteers teaching Dance, Art, Science and Games.

Our Teen Mentors, volunteers and leaders were trained by the 4-H Program Leader in Rappahannock County in a two day workshop held after school at the elementary school.  The program manager for After-School is a former  educator with 28 years teaching experience in Rappahannock County.  Many of our volunteers are former mentors in the Starfish Mentoring program.  The teen mentoring program will provide our teens an opportunity to experience community service and realize the benefits of helping others.

14th Annual Taste of Rappahannock

http://www.rappnews.com/2010/10/07/from-farm-to-table-to-video/7927/

Filming video for "Local Leaders, Big Responsibility" Contest sponsored by Liberty Mutual and The Atlantic.

Learn how statewide leaders are changing the food in their school by connecting with local growers, working to change policies at the state and national level, eat a locavore lunch of student-grown greens, roasted veggies, and locally-raised free range chicken, and take a tour of one of the leading innovative programs in the state that is teaching kids in the classroom, in the garden, and in the lunchroom that FOOD MATTERS.

In the afternoon, teachers will be trained by professional Ag in The Classroom trainers to incorporate agriculture into everyday teaching using Virginia SOL standards. All current teachers who are interested in this training can attend this portion of the workshop for free!

Register at the Headwaters Farm-to-Table website or call Anna Garcia at the Headwaters office 540.987.3322 to register.

Get kids in your schools to love salad the way these kids do!

Workshop sponsored by Headwaters, the Rappahannock County Public Education Foundation and the Farm-to-Table Program—Growing Pride in Rappahannock County Public Schools