NH Farm to School Newsletter Fall 2009

Fall 2009 Issue 4
Woodland Heights Elementary School Buys Local Apples with Support
from Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program
Thanks to support
from the USDA
Fresh Fruit &
Vegetable Program,
Laconia’s Woodland
Heights Elementary
School students are
enjoying locally
grown foods. FFVP
provides funds to schools with 50% or more
students receiving free or reduced lunch, specifically
for purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables, offered
free to students at non-meal times during the
school day.
Woodland Heights has been a recipient of the
FFVP for the last 2 years. The school is using this
support to serve 600 - 700 pieces of fruit or
vegetables a day, free of charge to students. The
fruit and vegetables are set up in the cafeteria
between breakfast and lunch. Students are welcome
to help themselves, or bring items to distribute to
their classrooms. This fall, students are enjoying local
McIntosh apples from Surowiec Farm in Sanbornton.
According to Tim Goossens, Laconia school
food service director, there were some hurdles
during the first year of the program, but the entire
school staff worked to overcome them. Kitchen
manager Tess Seymour embraced the program and is
a key player in its success. Woodland Heights is one
of three Laconia schools participating in FFVP.
Statewide, 59 schools are receiving FFVP funds.
Laconia’s elementary and middle school
cafeterias all offer salad bars with fresh vegetables
and fruit. At Woodland Heights, the salad bar is
offered daily, and according to kitchen staff, the kids
love it and have come to expect it. Usual offerings
include lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers,
celery, broccoli and cauliflower. Salad bars are a
great place to include some NH grown vegetables.
The school’s food service staff is particularly
interested in buying some locally grown lettuce.
Farm Profile: Surowiec Farm
Surowiec Farm started
out as a dairy farm in
1917, and has been in the
family ever since. In
1971, the farm’s first apple
trees were planted. Since
then plantings have been
expanded to include strawberries, blueberries,
vegetables, flowers, and pumpkins. For farmers Steve
& Katy Suroweic, the growing season starts in the
greenhouses in February and ends in early
December. They offer PYO apples and berries, and
sell their produce at their farmstand, and at area
farmers’ markets. The farm hosts school tours, and
currently sells apples to Laconia, Rumney, and
Winnisquam schools. As for the future of the farm,
Steve and Katy would like to expand but have run
out of room on their land so they plan to focus on
continuing to do what they do, only better. In
addition to farming, Steve also serves with the local
fire department and is the president of the NH Fruit
Growers’ Association. The farm is just a short drive
off Route 93 at Exit 22. It’s worth the trip just to
see the spectacular view from the farm. You can find
them online at www.surowiecfarm.com
Greens are Growing at Dover High School
On September 7 (Labor Day) a group of Slow Food Seacoast members
gathered at the Dover High School to plant seeds in the school’s
greenhouse. The event was part of a nationwide campaign called “Time for
Lunch,” a national day of action to get real food into schools. The event was
organized by Amy Winans, UNH Restaurant and Hospitality Management
lecturer and Michelle Moon, Slow Food Seacoast leader. Dover High School
students plan to grow greens to supplement the lettuce used in the Dover
schools, and set up a salad bar in the high school cafeteria once a week as a
meal option.
Slow Food volunteers were joined by farmers Shawn and Sarah Stimpson of Sustainable Farm Products, an
organic farm in Strafford. Shawn demonstrated seed sowing and helped get the first planting of lettuce
started. In order to supply the schools with lettuce continuously, new batches of lettuce will need to be
seeded regularly. Agriculture Instructor Heather Fabbri and her students will be managing the greenhouse and
reseeding as needed. This fall, the students discovered that the lettuce did not grow as quickly as expected
because greenhouse temperatures were too warm. They are considering planting other more heat-tolerant
crops in the greenhouse, such as cucumbers. For now, the lettuce continues to grow. Heather and her
students also maintain a small vegetable garden where they have harvested carrots, tomatoes and broccoli to
sell to the culinary program at the high school, and recently planted garlic for next year’s harvest.
Fall Recipes
Maple Apple Carrots
Un-Fried French Fries
1 large red onion-sliced
3 Tbsp butter
1 large bag baby carrots or 2 lbs. local carrots,
peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 medium tart apples cut into wedges
1 1/2 lbs. baking potatoes - about 2 medium
1/4 cup reduced fat italian dressing
1/4 cup grated parmesan
Cook onions in butter until tender. Add carrots,
syrup, salt and pepper. Cook covered over low
heat 15 minutes. Add apples and cover. "Simmer
15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Stir
occasionally. ""Serves 8.
Preheat oven to 425. Wash potatoes and dry. Cut into
1/4 inch strips and put in bowl. Add dressing and
cheese. Toss well. Arrange on baking sheet that has
been sprayed with Pam or other oil. Bake 12 minutes.
Turn potatoes and continue baking for 10-12 minutes
until brown and crisp. "Serves 6.
Recipes courtesy of Dr. Norman Crisp School in Nashua,
from their school community cookbook “Cooking the Crisp
Way”
About NH Farm to School
A project to connect New Hampshire farms and schools
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The NH Farm to School Program engages farmers, distributors, food service directors,
teachers, health educators, and administrators in adopting farm to school practices by
negotiating simple, affordable systems for local purchasing; creating and distributing
support materials for schools; conducting educational workshops and presentations;
and serving as a resource to provide information on how to integrate farm to school
into curriculum and cafeteria.
Visit us online for lots of resources and information: www.nhfarmtoschool.org.