Farm to School workshop to be held Sept. 11 in Whittier

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Local elementary school teachers and practicing school dieticians, as well as students studying elementary education and dietetics, will have an opportunity to learn about the components of the Farm to School Project during a workshop set for Saturday, Sept. 11.

The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Shelton family farm in Whittier. Participants will learn how to integrate school gardens, farm field trips, classroom cooking and locally grown food into the school curriculum and cafeteria.

Partners in implementing the Farm to School Project in Jackson County are Western Carolina University, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and the Jackson County Public School System. The national Farm to School Network works to promote regional community-based food systems and to connect children to their agricultural heritage.

Transportation to the workshop will be provided, if needed, and the event will conclude with a locally grown lunch. The cost is $10, but it is waived for WCU students.

For more information about the workshop, contact Molly Nicholie, Growing Minds Program coordinator for the ASAP, at 828-236-1282 or e-mail molly@asapconnections.org.

For more information about WCU’s participation in the Farm to School Project, contact Patricia Bricker, assistant professor in the Department of Elementary and Middle Grades Education, at 828-227-3352 or e-mail bricker@wcu.edu.