Iowa School Children Meet a Farmer
Where does your food come from? If you say “the supermarket,” then stop reading and go sit in the corner. But the truth is a lot of people don’t know where their food is grown, raised, cooked, whatever. That’s why the Iowa City School District is taking time to introduce kids to farmers.
“We’re looking to introduce the kids to their local farmers,” a spokesperson from the Johnson County Local Food Alliance told the Iowa City Press-Citizen. “We want to make it fun because eating local is delicious and healthy.”
Recently, Iowa farmer Andy Dunham talked to a group of kindergartners and first- and second-graders gathered in the gymnasium about his farm, Grinnell Heritage Farm, and showed pictures of his operation.
Students also visited four stations throughout the school; seeing how corn is used to make popcorn, learning how to compost uneaten food, and tasting locally grown vegetables, like carrots and sweet potatoes.
And unlike when I was in school – I was too busy hating the world and sleeping in class – kids in Iowa actually liked farmer Andy’s presentation. One little girl even said, “It’s cool because we don’t get to go to farms and stuff.”
For more on local food and the local food movement, check out Laura’s post on how Americans lost their connection with food. It’s freaky.
Image credit: vanhookc
