Somerville Farm to School Project

On Thursday, October 23, the Somerville Food Security Coalition hosted Come to the Table—an exciting Food Day event at the Winter Hill Community Innovation School.   More than 150 kids and adults gathered for an evening of food and fun that included a raffle, fun activities, dinner provided by the Tufts Food Rescue , and a wealth of information about food security resources in Somerville. Enjoying a yummy dinner!   Activities for all ages were ample! SomerVIVA tested guests’ palates with a side-by-side taste test of bottled and tap water. To the surprise of many, the tap water was the clear favorite! Tap water taste test Attendees also marked their favorite grocery stores and markets on a map of Somerville, creating a unique view of food in the city. Our youngest guests enjoyed a coloring station that stressed the importance of eating plenty of fruits and veggies. Dot survey There were food samples, too! Community Cooks handed out tastes of their yu...

We are still celebrating Food Day and National Farm to School Month! Today we held an apple taste test at the Winter Hill Community Innovation School. Students tried the ubiquitous Gala apple alongside the rare Macoun variety. Students took varied approaches to choosing their favorites. Some chomped on small bites of each apple and thought carefully about their selection. For some it was a tough decision. "Both of them are amazing," said 6th grader Luiz. Other students knew their favorites immediately, yelling out "Definitely this one!" pointing to the Gala. Principal Chad Mazza let his favorite be known by voting for the Macoun. Vote for your favorite! It was a very tight race, but in the end the Gala inched out the Macoun for the win! It was clear that the students enjoyed tasting both apples. As a 3rd grader named Luis told us, "These apples are soooo yummy!!" Content provided by Karyn Novakowski, Somerville Farm to School Proj...

In celebration of Farm to School Month and Food Day, we held the first of seven school wide apple taste tests this past Monday. We call the event A Tale of Two Apples. Each week we will visit a different school cafeteria and share two unique apple varieties with the students. Students will taste and vote for their favorite apple. The results will be shared with the students and here on the blog. We will also share apple variety facts with students and teachers. The West Somerville Neighborhood School tried Gala and Honeyscrisp apples.  Over 200 students participated in the taste test with 72% of the students choosing Honeycrisp as the clear winner!

Our Food Day celebrations are quickly approaching! For a full list of events in Somerville please visit the Food Day events page . How is the Somerville school district celebrating? On Monday, October 20 we kick off a series of apple taste tests featuring local apples! Our first varieties are Honeycrisp and Cortland both from Lookout Farm , Natick, MA. Students will taste and vote for which apple is their favorite! On Thursday, October 23 the Somerville Food Security Coalition presents Come to the Table. Join us at the Winter Hill School, 115 Sycamore Street, 5-7pm, for an evening of FUN and FOOD! On Friday, October 24 our school lunch menu will feature local items! Check back in for photos of the events.

On the heels of Food Literacy Month, comes National Farm to School Month , Mass Harvest for Students Week , and Food Day (October 24). So many food holidays! Check out these posts about Food Literacy Month and how we celebrated . For more on our  National Farm to School Month , Mass Harvest for Students Week , and Food Day  celebrations keep reading! CORN SHUCKING On Thursday, October 2 we will be hosting a Corn Shucking Event at every Somerville Public School. Parents and students are invited to shuck a few ears of corn during morning drop off.  The corn will be served, later that same day, to all students who receive the school lunch. Volunteers from Groundwork Somerville , UMass Extension , Shape Up Somerville , and Somerville Public Schools will be generously donating their time to help with the success of this event. A TALE OF TWO APPLES For seven consecutive Mondays, beginning on October 20, we will be hosting a lunch time apple taste test...