Agriculture Literacy Day 2013

By the Numbers… Agriculture Literacy Week 2013

26 schools
96 classrooms
5 boroughs
2,356 students
1 high school partnership
34 volunteers
100% of books donated (Cornell Cooperative Extension and Random House)
24 jars of honey donated (Let it Bee Honey)
0 sick or late volunteers

Hope reads The HoneyBee Man to a group of 2nd graders.

 

High School students from Abraham Lincoln High School read to 2nd graders at PS 102 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

 

Sonya reads to second graders at PS 42 in Manhattan.

 

Sequencing the steps in the production of NY honey.

 

More sequencing!

A future beekeeper?

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“The World Begins at a Kitchen Table”

A dear friend of mine sent me this poem.  It sums up much of what Spoons is about. Wishing you all a joyous Thanksgiving.

Perhaps the World Ends Here

The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.
The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.
We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.
It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.
At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.
Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.
This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.
Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.
We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.
At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.
Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.

“Perhaps the World Ends Here” from The Woman Who Fell From the Sky by Joy Harjo. Copyright © 1994 by Joy Harjo.

Healthy Eating Advocacy in Action- Volunteer Spotlight

Congrats to Spoons volunteer and former Program Leader Sonya Alonge for taking steps to make Halloween healthier this year in her community. “I enjoy taking my sons each year to the local YMCA for the annual Halloween party,” Sonya explained  “but I was concerned about the amount of sweets and candies available to the kids. So I challenged the Y to send a different message. Let’s use Halloween to show families HOW to change eating habits and make healthier, fun snack choices.” Sonya was elated to see they listened. This year’s Halloween party menu featured cups of chilled fresh grapes, popcorn with Chex cereal, sautéed chicken wings and bottled water. Even the gift bag give-aways had half the amount of candy of previous years.

“Honestly, it made me realize that one person, acting on one idea can really make a difference. Each of us is a change agent and together we can make healthy eating for our kids a way of life.”

Thank you Sonya for all the work that you do for Spoons and for the passion you bring to teaching children, their families, AND their communities about healthy eating and good choices.

Want to be a change agent too? Volunteer for Spoons Across America!

Take a Taste with Spoons: Photos from Day 2

On Tuesday, volunteers from Spoons Across America visited 10 more classrooms across the city to teach 3rd graders about the elements of taste and eating locally. One of our goals is to help students to have a healthy and happy relationship with food and to create lasting, positive food memories. Apples taste sweet and sometimes a little sour, but maybe they also taste like a cool fall day at your Aunt’s house….or perhaps they make you think of dunking for apples as a child… Maybe, for these kids, they’ll remember the time that a caring adult came to their school just to share something they cared about with them. Food memories are important things and we take them with us wherever we go in life.

Some more pictures from our classes…

The ingredients for the elements of taste.

What does it look like?

What does it smell like?

What does it taste like?

He LOVES the apples!

I think they like the apples!

Happy Kids!

Take a Taste with Spoons: Photos from Day 1

Take a Taste with Spoons kicked off a week of programming today at several schools across New York City. Students explored the elements of taste and sampled locally grown apples donated by Briermere Farm in Riverhead, New York on Long Island (really local- only 75 miles away!). A few pictures…..

Take a Taste supplies are ready to go!

Good scientists take notes on what they observe and experience.

Some tastes may surprise you!

…and not all “tastes” are tasty! But can you describe it?

Some will like it, and other will not…But “don’t yuck someone’s yum”!

Thank you to our volunteers….

…we couldn’t do this important work without you.

Volunter Training at ICC

Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who are providing Take a Taste programming to NYC public school students!

What a wonderful night we had at the Take a Taste with Spoons volunteer training!  Attending were chefs, nutritionists, students, parents, food enthusiasts,  artists- all people who think it’s important to teach our students about healthy eating and understand the importance of creating lasting food memories. Thank you again to all who are giving their time to support Spoons. We couldn’t do what we do without our great crew of volunteers!

Take a Taste begins Monday, October 22nd, but it’s not to late to get involved. We continue to look for classroom assistants to help our trained volunteers. You can sign up online. Once again, thank you to the International Culinary Center for hosting our training and being such a wonderful supporter of Spoons Across America.

Volunteer Training Tomorrow! (10/17)

Want to to teach children about healthy eating, local produce and the elements of taste? Then join Spoons Across America as a volunteer in the NYC public schools. Our first program of the year, Take a Taste with Spoons: Apples, begins next week and we are looking for volunteers to help implement the curriculum in classrooms across the city. Register online and join us at the volunteer training Wednesday night from 6:30-8:00.

Through this program, students learn about the elements of taste, sample locally grown apple varieties, and take an apple recipe home to share with their families.  These activities are designed to celebrate fresh, local, and seasonal food and encourage direct and long lasting connections with locally grown produce and farmers.

Can’t volunteer the week of October 22nd but still want to help? Fill out a registration form to keep up-to-date on future opportunities.

Volunteer for Take a Taste with Spoons

Spoons Across America is kicking off our 2012-2013 program year in the NYC public schools and we invite YOU to volunteer!We are seeking adults who are passionate about food and healthy eating and who want to share their passion with children. Chefs, food professionals, culinary students, nutritionists, farmers, retirees, teachers, and more- we want you!

Our first program of the year, Take a Taste with Spoons: Apples, will be held October 22- October 26. Through this program, students learn about the elements of taste, sample locally grown apple varieties, and take an apple recipe home to share with their families.  These activities are designed to celebrate fresh, local, and seasonal food and encourage direct and long lasting connections with locally grown produce and farmers. We are looking for volunteers to help implement curriculum in 3rd grade classrooms across New York City.

Register online today and we will contact you with details. Can’t volunteer the week of October 22nd but still want to help? Fill out a registration form to keep up-to-date on future opportunities.

Spoons Board Member, Bill Yosses, Receives Award for Sterling Performance

Congratulations to Spoons Board Member, Bill Yosses, on receiving Food Arts’ September 2012 Silver Spoon Award for sterling performance. Yosses, executive pastry chef at the White House, has always been an advocate for healthy eating. ‘“Education is the part I love,’” says Yosses, who now harvests vegetables with school groups in Mrs. Obama’s kitchen garden” as well as serving on the Board of Trustees for Spoons Across America. You can read the entire article here…

Spoons Volunteer Wins 2012 Culinary Legacy Award

We are so excited and proud of Spoons volunteer, Kubee Kassaye, winner of the prestigious Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) 2012 Legacy Award for culinary achievement. LDEI is an invitational organization of women leaders in food, beverage and hospitality whose mission is education, advocacy and philanthropy. Kubee, a graduate of New York City College of Technology (City Tech) is a long time volunteer with Spoons Across America, and describes this and other volunteer experiences as influencing the chef she has become today. “For Spoons Across America,” says Kubee, “I was able to teach the children how to grow fresh produce and to create meals with fresh ingredients. They were so eager to learn.”

Read more about Kubee here: Learning to Cook on her Mother’s Knee in Ethiopia

Want to volunteer with Spoons Across America? Check out our programs for children starting this fall.