Hopewell Elementary School was recently honored with the Best in New Jersey Farm to School Award. New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher presented the award to the school during the state’s Farm to School week, held Sept. 24 to 28.
“We applaud Hopewell Elementary School and the entire community of stakeholders who make these Farm to School activities so impactful,” Fisher said, adding that many of the school’s initiatives exemplify the spirit of the award. These include the school’s outdoor garden, their commitment to sourcing local produce, Take Your Parent to Lunch Day, and their partnerships with Princeton University and Sustainable Jersey for Schools grants.
Principal David Friedrich and his staff were on hand to accept the award and to share their successes with the students and gathered guests at an assembly which took place during lunch in the cafeteria.
“At Hopewell Elementary School, we embrace Farm to School practices ranging from growing produce in our outdoor garden and indoor hydroponic vertical farm to its infusion in our homemade organic lunch program,” Friedrich said. “We couple that with a strong educational component and close partnerships with local farmers and chefs.”
Hopewell Elementary has hosted a school garden since 2008 and has been engaged with local farmers from surrounding counties including Double Brook Farm, Chickadee Creek Farm and Morganics Farm to share their production techniques, agricultural stories and traditions with students.
New Jersey schools that entered the Farm to School recognition program for the current school year were required to show evidence of working with farmers and the community to ensure students have access to healthy Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables in their school cafeterias and classrooms.
Joining Hopewell Elementary as Farm to School Recognition Program Schools are:
Bankbridge Elementary School, SewellCanfield Avenue School, Mine HillElms Elementary School, JacksonKIPP Cooper Norcross Academy, CamdenLakeside Middle School, MillvilleMemorial Elementary School, FreeholdMount Arlington Public School, Mount ArlingtonMount Vernon School, NewarkNewark Educators Community Charter School, NewarkPaterson Public School No. 8, Paterson
Schools received Jersey Fresh Farm to School promotional materials kits including a Jersey Fresh Farm to School banner, aprons, taste test stickers, Jersey Tastes posters and seasonality charts.
Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week was designated as the last week of each September by a law signed in 2010. During this week, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture showcases schools that connect with New Jersey farmers to purchase local produce for school meals to increase student consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Farm to School activities can include, but are not exclusive to:
Nutrition education, including taste tests with produce purchased from local farmsHarvest meals serving locally sourced products from New Jersey farmsFarm to School curricular tie-ins that connect the cafeteria to the classroom or school gardenVisits to or from local farms that teach students how food is grownSchool garden education that ties directly into what is already being taught in the classroom
To learn more, visit www.farmtoschool.nj.gov.
From left: Helen Corveleyn, STEM facilitator, Hopewell Elementary School; Roberta Hodsdon, USDA special nutrition programs director; Paul Anzano, Hopewell Borough Mayor; David Friedrich, Hopewell Elementary School Principal; Beth Freehan, NJDA Farm to School coordinator; Rose Tricario, NJDA food and nutrition division directory; NJDA secretary Douglas Fisher pictured with Hopewell Elementary School students.,
