Gleaned Food Providing Educational Opportunities for the Next Generation
CHCV’s work in the community falls into three focus areas – waste reduction, hunger relief, and educational opportunities. The wide network of Farm to School relationships with area schools we have developed over the last 10 years is a critical part of our educational effort.
Although these school partnerships are a less visible aspect of our work, they are equally important in addressing the root causes of wasted food and food insecurity. By providing the next generation with the information and tools needed to understand and appreciate the benefits of nutritious food, including its impacts on their mental and physical health, we are helping to break the cycle of food insecurity.
Our work to bring gleaned food into the classroom aims to excite, inspire, and inform children and their families about the benefits of nutritious, fresh local food. Our school partners have noted what is unfortunately a larger societal fact – that students too frequently eat heavily processed foods. Teachers use our contributions to introduce kids to healthier eating options, sustainable farming methods, and ways to minimize waste.
Whether through gleaning on area farms with family or school groups, enjoying meals utilizing CHCV donated food as part of a childcare program, or exploring new foods at school through our Mystery Box program, our work impacts hundreds of young learners yearly.
Continue reading to learn more about the ways we use gleaned food to engage the next generation in the benefits of nutritious fresh produce.
What is this vegetable? Where did it come from? How can I use it?
A tomato rainbow Mystery Box - Did you know they ripen from the inside out?
“Mystery boxes are a great way to get creative with food and then eat a tasty treat.”
— Thorfinn, 6th grader at Doty Memorial School
“The skills that are developed using the 'Mystery Box' lead to a lifetime of food justice and understanding of food access for students that otherwise might not have access to fresh, local produce”
— Mystery Box Teacher
Mystery Boxes
Mystery Boxes are available to teachers working in grades K-12, with the majority being received by elementary classrooms. The “mystery” produce in each box – different each time a class participates – is used as a learning tool to jumpstart a lesson in math, science, research, writing, or art. Students may need to identify the vegetable first and then do an exploration/engagement activity before preparing and tasting it as a class.
“After tasting beets, some of us asked our parents to buy them for us at home.”
— Berlin Elementary School student
Mystery boxes were born through a partnership between CHCV and Berlin Elementary school teachers in 2015. Since then, students in six schools – and as many as 17 classrooms at a time – have received the boxes. The current Berlin Elementary School teacher partner had this to say about Mystery Box Day:
“There is so much excitement when the box arrives in the classroom. We all stop what we are doing and quickly find out what the mystery product is. Then, we brainstorm, what can we cook with the ingredient, just like on those TV shows – here is the ingredient, what will you cook?”
— Lynn Wagner, Teacher at Berlin Elementary School
Mystery Boxes help students engage with food at a deeper level. Williamstown Elementary students cooked gleaned potatoes and peppers outside over a fire. This experience of handling and cooking food for oneself is an important step in dismantling barriers to food security.
Our partner classroom at Doty Memorial School in Worcester is excited to share a favorite recipe:
Snacky Apples
Slice apples thinly
Spread peanut butter or favorite nut (or non-nut) butter on each apple slice
Top with a spoonful of granola,
a drizzle of honey and
a pinch of sea salt
Gleaning Field Trips
We also partner with schools to set up field trips to local farms, so that students can directly participate in gleaning and have a hands-on, in-real-life experience with the local food system.
CHCV offers gleaning field trips for school groups each fall. Most of these groups are already receiving the Mystery Boxes or using gleaned produce in the classroom. The opportunity to come out into the fields and orchards – to visit the farms where the food is grown – broadens their appreciation for the food and the substantial effort needed to produce and distribute it.
Chopping up the vegetables from CHCV to make the Roasted Roots.
School Cooking Programs
CHCV supports a number of school programs that are using donated gleaned food to jump start in-class cooking inspiration.
One of those programs is the Main Street Middle School (MSMS) Sustainability Program. MSMS uses their partnership with CHCV to help students understand how gleaning food that would otherwise be wasted can be used to help address food insecurity issues in the local community.
Through the Sustainability Program, MSMS students use donated gleaned produce to cook multiple times a week and then distribute the food to local food pantries and other partners in Montpelier. They have been roasting up a mix of different root crops for their single serving containers of Roasted Roots (see picture below), as well as burritos stuffed with various vegetables and proteins we have available.
Roasted Roots delivered to the Montpelier Food Pantry
“Our Sustainability Class at Main Street Middle School in Montpelier used the apples to make applesauce and applesauce bread. We used the squash in chili, burritos, roasted roots and pasta sauce.
We then created ready to go meals and donated them to local organizations like Just Basics of Montpelier and the Roxbury Food Shelf.
Your donation has helped me understand that food waste is an issue that can be prevented and that kids like us can help our community. Farms like yours make Vermont unique”
— MSMS Sustain Student, as part of a thank you note that was sent to a farm that donated produce to MSMS Sustain through CHCV.
“Community Harvest of Central Vermont is a key component of our local food system and community and has been a foundational partner in the creation of our sustainability program. Their organization has helped Main Street Middle School's students learn about local food systems, the practice of gleaning and how important local, nutritious and healthy food is for our communities. Our program wouldn't be possible without CHCV’s help and the fresh gleaned produce they provide!”
— Don Taylor, Main Street Middle School Sustain Teacher
CHCV also partners with school cooking classes, giving them the raw materials that help to inspire excitement in the kitchen.
“This is an incredible program that not only gets local fresh, healthy food out to the students that live in our community, it also helps them to learn a life skill, how to prepare these food items. It's been great seeing many of them take recipes home, wanting to cook for their families. Many of the foods we get, the students have never tried, this has been a wonderful experience for everyone. Researching recipes and nutritional facts for these foods have brought about some awesome conversations. The students have received wonderful compliments when sharing these foods in the cafeteria! I also like that the students [are asked by CHCV to] write thank you notes to the farmers, it's important that they recognize and appreciate the labors of others. This has been a great experience for all involved.”
— Sandra Drown, Northfield Middle & High School cooking class teacher
Early Childhood Education Programs
CHCV helps the youngest children in our community get excited about eating nutritious, fresh produce through our donations to afterschool cooking classes, and by providing gleaned produce to childcare programs. CHCV early childhood education partners – all of whom serve lower-income families in our community – help instill good nutrition habits, and encourage children to share their excitement about what they are learning with their families. The food CHCV donates provides children with hands-on access to vegetables that many of them have never seen before and is the first step in building healthy eating habits.
Fresh veggies being cooked up for the children at Family Center of Washington County to try.
“CHCV is amazing! They not only provide fruits and vegetables, but meat, eggs, dairy, and bread as well — a true cornucopia! The variety delights and challenges the children I feed, and they continue to grow their palates as I continue to introduce new foods as well as re-introduce foods they are still skeptical of. It’s great seeing the kids broaden their tastes by continued exposure to foods. CHCV is essential to the well-being of our program.”
— Food & Nutrition Manager at the Family Center of Washington County
CHCV excites children about nutritious, fresh food. A Farm to School partner shared, “Connecting students to local farms through CHCV has been invaluable. They learn about the seasonality of foods and to be creative cooking potatoes many ways.” Educators use our donations to expose children to healthy eating choices, sustainable growing practices, and waste reduction techniques.
