(SURF CITY) – The New Jersey Department of Agriculture today presented Ethel Jacobsen School in Ocean County with the Cream of the Crop Award during a visit to the school’s classrooms, garden, and cafeteria. The presentation took place during the celebration of the 14^th Annual Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week and the Second Annual Ag Literacy Week being held September 23-27.

“Ethel Jacobsen has an excellent program and adding the Agricultural Literacy component compliments the outstanding curriculum already in place,” NJDA Secretary Ed Wengryn said. “They have a wonderful school garden, and a winter light garden is a regular reminder to students about how food grows and where it can originate.”

Spearheaded by school nurse Bianca Aniski, Ethel Jacobsen Elementary School has had a school garden for the last 15 years. Today’s Farm-to-School celebration included the school’s Garden Ambassadors transplanting cabbage and broccoli seedlings that were started by summer volunteers. In the garden, the plants are labeled, by the students, in both English and Spanish in the world language classes.

The school also regularly participates in Jersey Tastes, where students can try different offerings. For today’s event they were given an opportunity to taste test a garden-fresh salsa created straight from the schoolyard garden. The Farm to School curriculum at Ethel Jacobsen incorporates math and Ag Literacy lessons, which include reading age-appropriate books relating to growing plants, agriculture, and a journaling project where students can create their own story from watching plants grow. Farm to School lessons are also used in science, English Language Arts, music, art, physical education, health, wellness, cooking sessions and MyPlate Nutrition.

“With Bianca’s leadership, Farm to School here has continued to thrive and we are excited to accept this honor,” Ethel Jacobsen Principal Frank Birney said. “The students are enthusiastic with what takes place throughout the year and it’s very rewarding to see them learn more and mature as they progress through the program.”

Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week celebrates the partnerships being built between state farmers and schools which encourage schools to purchase produce from local farmers to incorporate into meals. 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 farms.
• Harvest meals serving locally sourced products from New Jersey farms.
• Farm to School curricular tie-ins that connect the cafeteria to the classroom or school garden.
• Visits to or from local farms that teach students how food is grown.
• School garden education that ties directly into what is already being taught in the classroom.

The influence of the Farm to School Program has led to 500 schools purchasing local. More than 350 of the districts buying local have implemented cafeteria programs using Harvest of the Month promotional material to highlight the nutritional value of local items.  More than 250 districts use a curriculum that ties cafeteria meals to healthy eating education and/or field trips to farms.

Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week was established by law in 2010 to bring attention to the Farm to School Program, which connects schools to local farmers to increase the amount of local fresh produce available for consumption by students during the school day.

To learn more, visit www.farmtoschool.nj.gov.

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 To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or Twitter @NJDA and @JerseyFreshNJDA.