On September 27, Warren County Middle School had their annual Ecology Field Day, organized by Larry West of the Warren Soil Conservation and Water Department. Warren County Cooperative Extension has contributed each year, and this year FoodCorps got to present to every sixth grader at the county's middle school on behalf of Extension. Other participants included USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, NCDA & CS, NC Forestry Service, and Newell Farms Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. The field day was a huge success, reaching over 175 students!

FoodCorps Service Member Caroline Stover, shown right, presented a program with 8 groups of students throughout the day. First, one student turned into a plant with all six plant parts before our very eyes! Her classmates learned the purpose of her roots, stems, leaves, flower, fruit and seeds. Next, the group was shown various fruits and vegetables, and asked to identify and analyze which plant parts we eat regularly to maintain our health.

We also sang a fun Plant Part Song created by the Banana Slug String Band to make sure we remembered our plant parts for the review - a plant part relay race!

Norlina, NC:  Last week students at Northside’s Bulldog Academy explored a special part of their school: the cafeteria. Each day of the week, one grade prepared healthy snacks for the entire Academy using fresh fruits and vegetables. This exciting experience was made possible with the help of Warren County’s Child Nutrition Director Robert Parker, Northside Elementary’s cafeteria staff, and FoodCorps Service Member Caroline Stover.

“This was a great chance to spend some quality time with students and encourage healthy snacks to be eaten at home,” said Mr. Parker.

The students first engaged in a nutrition lesson, and then headed to the cafeteria to prepare a healthy snack with the professionals. Snacks were made from fresh pears, broccoli, carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes. The young chefs exclaimed the new foods were “Delicious!” and then got to serve the snack from behind the lunch line and spread new knowledge to their peers.

Apart from getting to try new foods that quickly became their favorites, the students were so excited to be able to tour the cafeteria and prepare food with Ms. Durham, Northside's very own cook. The bulldogs have a new respect for all the work that goes into making their lunch everyday.

Students also received several nutritious recipes using seasonal produce to take home to their families during the week. One parent claimed their student had been asking to go to the store for broccoli and carrots all week!