USDA Celebrates Food and Nutrition at the Inaugural Fall Festival

Halloween has passed, but here in DC the fall leaves are still beautiful despite all the rain we’ve been having--and last Friday USDA had a great end of season party.

At our first fall festival, people visited the last USDA farmers market of the season, saw cider made in our very own People’s Garden, and sampled homemade butternut squash soup. Check out photos from the event here.

Our event mirrored those happening all over the country as farmers markets become more and more popular as places to gather, buy fresh food, and where you can literally get to Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food. In fact, according USDA research, among the top five reasons that people shop at farmers markets are: access to local food, support for local agriculture, and knowing how food is produced.

While we are celebrating growth in farmers markets—more than 5,200 are operating this year—can you believe that 14 markets have been in continuous operation for more than 100 years? There are even a few markets that have been around as long as America itself. Every Friday from June to November for the last 14 years, USDA has held the outdoor market in a parking lot at its headquarters. Customers are a mix of USDA and other federal employees, tourists and people who live in the area—an average of 2,500 hundred of them each week during the peak season. Click here to find a farmer's market near you!

We’re proud of our market, and along with the General Services Administration, we’ve written a guide on how other federal agencies can start markets of their own. To access the booklet, find a farmers market in your area, and learn a lot more about farmers markets and direct marketing research, visit our Farmers Markets and Local Food Marketing website.

In contrast to the market, the People’s Garden is just finishing up its first season and the first year of the 3-year transition period to becoming certified organic. I had the pleasure of dedicating the Garden back in April, on Earth Day, and since then we have harvested more than 300 pounds of produce and donated it to the DC Central Kitchen. The Garden also provided the setting for summer-long Healthy Garden Workshops that taught people everything from how to make compost to creating window boxes.

And although our outdoor activities are winding down, we’ll start our indoor farmer's market on December 2. Who says all good things must come to an end?

- Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan 

Permalink  |  Posted: 02:36PM Nov 02, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [1]

Healthy Food and Physical Activity – The Right Start to Life

Secretary Vilsack credited First Lady Michelle Obama for the beautiful weather in Washington, D.C., as the White House hosted students from seven local schools for the Healthy Kids Fair. The First Lady and USDA teamed up with local chefs and nutritionists for cooking demonstration and nutrition stations as well as physical activities led by representatives from Playworks and the local YMCA.

Before the food tastings and physical activities began, the First Lady highlighted the importance of teaching healthy habits while children are young so they make the right choices later in life. She discussed eating healthy and nutritious foods, and how physical activity is critical to overall wellbeing. “We don’t want our kids to exercise because we tell them to, we want them to exercise because it’s fun and they enjoy it,” said Mrs. Obama.

Vilsack announced the re-launch of the Healthier U.S. School Challenge that recognizes schools doing the right thing by serving healthy meals, getting junk food out of vending machines, and promoting physical activity and nutrition education. To underscore the importance of healthy, nutritious meals for our nations youth, Secretary Vilsack recalled President Obama’s first instruction when starting at the Department of Agriculture: ‘I want our children to be fed more nutritious meals.’

“It’s incumbent upon all of us to do everything we possibly can to give you a good start on life and that means making sure you are well fed,” said Vilsack. “It also means acknowledging schools that take the extra step of providing nutritious meals but that you have time in a busy school schedule for physical activity.”

After addressing the students and parents gathered on the South Lawn, the First Lady and Secretary Vilsack visited food stations to sample baked eggs and baked apples using honey made from the White House honey bees. There was also zucchini quesadillas that Mrs. Obama noted tasted a lot like pizza and an “Eat the Rainbow” station where students could sample fruits and vegetables from all corners of the globe including star fruit, jicama and pomegranates.

The First Lady challenged students at the physical activity stations by showing her skills with a hula-hoop, double dutch jump-roping and an obstacle course.

Watch videos from the day's events on the USDA's YouTube channel. 

Permalink  |  Posted: 06:19PM Oct 21, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [1]

Bellville School Recognized for Outstanding School Nutrition Environment

USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon joined elementary school students in Bellville, Texas to award their schools “Gold” in USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge for their outstanding achievements in improving their school nutrition environments.  Their schools, West End Elementary and O’Bryant Primary School along with O’Bryant Intermediate School, which earned gold last year, are Bellville’s three elementary schools and now all HealthierUS Schools.

April Pinkham, Bellville’s Director of School Nutrition said their schools took the Challenge because they wanted “recognition for their school nutrition program and school meals in general. “She said their school meals are “healthier than they’ve ever been” and she “takes pride in contributing to the health of our Nation’s school children.”

Bellville elementary schools partake in various physical activities to teach children about being physically active.  Last year they held a Nutrition Olympics where children had the opportunity to compete in watermelon weight lifting, coconut bowling and the grapefruit shot-put.  In partnership with Kelloggs, Bellville schools will reinstate last year’s Zumba dancing program for students to enjoy again this year. 

Permalink  |  Posted: 04:42PM Oct 15, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [1]

Secretary Vilsack Meets with Teachers, Parents, Kids in Knoxville for National School Lunch Week

Secretary Vilsack stopped in Knoxville, Iowa, at a Healthier US School Challenge Gold Award school on Monday of National School Lunch Week for a roundtable discussion with school administrators, local, state and federal nutrition program staff, teachers, parents and students representing three schools in the district about improving nutrition in schools and the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization efforts.
 
“The first thing President Obama said to me when he offered me the job as Secretary was that he expected me to make sure our children were getting nutritious food in school,” Vilsack said.

 Vilsack heard from fifth grader Vicki Adrian that she’s interested in getting more whole grains into school meals, and high school students Jenna Harms and Kirk Gannon suggested that kids might balk at first about being offered healthier choices, but once they get used to the food, they’ll appreciate it.

 Miss Iowa, Anne Michael Langguth, was at the roundtable because one of her projects this year during her reign is to highlight healthy lifestyles. She impressed upon the Secretary that helping students understand why the schools are choosing healthier foods will make the changes easier to accept and appreciate.
 
Principals from Knoxville’s West, Northstar and East Elementary schools gave examples of how they were improving nutrition and physical activity in classes and how they would like to do more.   They remarked that several education efforts, such as the seatbelt campaign, had started with children and spread to adults, and the idea of making healthier food choices could follow that path.  Child Nutrition Administrators from the school district, state and federal levels contributed ideas about direct certification, lunch price changes, universal free breakfasts, and cross-program eligibility to help remove participation barriers.

 Two area chefs who have helped the Iowa Department of Education staff with Team Nutrition grant work were at the roundtable.  Benjamin Whitmore and Ephraim Malag,  President and Vice President of the Iowa chapter of the American Culinary Federation, suggested increased use of fresh produce from local farmers could help interest students in healthier meals. The chefs also offered a taste test for students and guests at lunchtime, featuring slices of an Apple Chicken Salad Wrap, starring Iowa apples, pumpkin seeds and edamame.
 
Students escorted their guests into the cafeteria after the roundtable for lunch, where they enjoyed baked chicken nuggets with whole grain coating, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, white cake with dried cherry sauce, and a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables at a “choice bar.”

Permalink  |  Posted: 05:33PM Oct 14, 2009 by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]