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Harvest Festival 2003
Harvest Festival 2003 continued Block Institute’s celebration of New
York agriculture and its commitment to agricultural education. Over the
past several years our participation in New York Harvest for New York
Kids Week activities has grown. Block Institute stands firmly committed
to helping to teach our students, families and staff about New York’s
farms and farmers, and what it takes to get our food from the ground to
our plates.
Preparations began in the summer. A local
farmer met with the classes and they planted a
variety of crops in large containers and in the
ground on school property. Crops included:
lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini,
squash, beans and a variety of herbs.
Classroom activities revolved around the individual vegetables and
everything about their nutritional value, where and how they are grown
and how they can be eaten. Block Institute services primarily
developmentally disabled children and adults in an integrated setting.
Physical and occupational therapists developed skills for planting.
Associated craft activities and classroom lessons encouraged students to
explore the textures of soil, water and leaves and to develop other
external stimuli. The farmer, along with classroom staff, helped
students weed, water and ultimately harvest their crops. The classes met
with our Director of Food Services and it was decided that our “big”
project this year would be to turn all of the vegetables grown into jars
of vegetable salsa……
800 JARS OF SALSA!!!!
All through the summer, classes harvested their crops, washed and cut
up the vegetables, made the salsa recipe and helped seal it into
sterilized jars. A contest was held to design the label. In the end, 800
jars of salsa were prepared to give away to students, staff and guests
the day of the Festival. It was quite a fun and educational project.
During New York Harvest for New York Kids Week several classes were
invited to tour our local “Greenmarket”. They learned first hand what it
takes for a farmer to bring his crops to market and they got to sample
the “wares”.
October 3rd 2003 was the big day!!
Our food services department served a New York themed lunch which
included a special dish created by our Director of Food Services – New
York Apple Soup. The classes displayed the agricultural lessons they had
participated in and samples of the produce they had grown. The entire
campus was decorated with New York agriculture and pictures of farmers
and farms. Activities included:
Future Farmers of America Club – John Bowne High School -
students from the FFA at John Bowne High School set up a planting
station. Each student got a hands on lesson in how to plant and take
care of a houseplant and then they got to keep their plant.
Cornell Cooperative Extension – representatives from the NYC
office put on a demonstration of how to make healthy snacks using New
York apples. The apple roll-ups that they distributed were a big hit
with everyone!!
Live Animal Petting Zoo – a farm from Long Island brought a
host of animals for the children to learn about and interact with. These
included rabbits, goats, chickens, turkeys, sheep and tortoises.
“The Farmer in the Dell” – musical presentation by several
classes.
New York Delicacies Tasting Table – each class chose a
different New York produce item. The class prepared a recipe using that
item. The recipes were put together in a cookbook, and there were plenty
of samples of each dish for everyone to taste.
Agriculture Activity Center – children stopped at different
booths that either offered something to wear (I ♥ NY Vegetables
stickers) or something to eat (New York State Apples or “Make Your Own
New York Dairy Milkshakes”) or some craft to do (farm animal art) or
something to play (“toss the salad” or potato sack races). Our
specialists arranged an assortment of craft and therapeutic activities
all agriculturally themed.
Agricultural Displays – our Adult Day Habilitation Center
presented a “Here’s to Your Health New York” resource fair. Each group
presented a table that showed healthy uses for New York agricultural
products.
Pumpkin Decorating Contest – each class received a pumpkin to
decorate and the results were judged for New York State prizes.
Homegrown/Homemade Salsa – everyone present received a jar of
Block Institute Vegetable Salsa. Our salsa recipe won first prize at the
Queens County Agricultural Fair in Sept. 2003.
Craft Sale & Bake Sale & Farm Social – Our Adult Programs at
2214 Stillwell Ave. participated in a craft and bale sale in keeping
with the New York agriculture theme. Music and dancing abounded and
everyone tasted the homemade salsa and partook in samplings of New York
produce.
Block Institute was especially honored this year by the participation
of numerous state and local officials. NYS Commissioner of Agriculture
and Markets, Nathan Rudgers and NYS Assemblywoman Adele Cohen addressed
the students at a special assembly and were presented with our homemade
salsa by proud students. Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz
took a guided tour of the program and our “farm”. The event was covered
by the local media and received a mention on the ABCTV Evening News.
The day was a huge success!!!
Students, Staff, Families and Guests all learned about local produce
and what is grown in New York State. Teachers report that there is an
increase in the students’ awareness of where their food comes from. The
cafeteria staff reports a bigger interest in healthy fruits and
vegetables. There is a growing pride about what is grown in New York, in
general, and what was grown in our own gardens in particular. Our
gardens have grown in scope and classes are already lining up to work in
them next season.
This year, for the first time, students got a chance to talk with New
York State farmers and to actually witness them at market. The trip to
the Brooklyn Greenmarket was a big success. It helped to bring to life
the message we had been teaching all summer. One of our disappointments
the past few years was in not being able to increase the children’s
contact with actual farmers. Hopefully we took a step in the right
direction and will be able to expand our program in the future.
Watching students cuddle the bunnies, feed the chickens or harvest
tomatoes has made this a truly wonderful experience for all of us
involved with the planning of this event. When you see a child’s face as
they finally make the connection between what they planted in the ground
and what is on their lunch plate….it makes it all worthwhile!
Planning begins soon for next year’s Harvest Festival 2004!!!
Click
Here for Harvest Festival 2003 Pictures
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