for Ukiah Daily Journal
Fourth-grade students from Calpella Elementary got a tasty treat last week. With the help of county Environmental Health, which contributed the cost of busing, students from several classes took a field trip to the Parducci Wine Cellars' 15-acre organic farm, accompanied by parent volunteers and "teacher" Amy Binkley.
"Welcome to Parducci Organic Garden," shouted Jess Arnsteen, the winery's head organic gardener. Arnsteen led half the students at a time on a row-by-row tour of the gardens, which are planted in order to grow food for Parducci employees. "Take a look at the plants in the beds," said "Farmer Jess" to the students. "What does it feel like? What does it smell like?" Arnsteen asked, encouraging them to get up close and personal with the plants. Students marveled at the variety of plants in the herb garden- sniffing and pinching tiny sprigs of chamomile, basil, cilantro, Echinacea, mints, sage, oregano and marigolds- to name a few.
"That's a strong plant," said one student to another- referring to the pungent aroma of basil. "Yeah, it defeated us," responded the friend.
"Whoa, look at that one!" cried another student, gazing at the impressive stand of zinnias. "It's huge!"
Arnsteen pointed at a newly planted bed, filled with tender baby lettuce, arugula, cabbages and kale- growing for a later winter harvest. He encouraged aspiring young gardeners to plant a fall garden right away.
The group passed a huge patch of squash, pumpkins and cucumbers, and the kids couldn't resist "oohs and ahhs" as they passed by the pumpkins, growing almost visibly on the ground. Cars honked occasionally, as motorists traveling south on Highway 101 observed the school buses and the students filling up the garden, which can be seen from the highway.
A single sheep was selected to act as "greeter" to the students, and they eagerly fed the docile animal as Arnsteen used the sheep for a teachable moment. "Who eats the corn stalks after they're done growing?" he asked the students. "The sheep!" cried several children. "After the stalks are fed to the sheep, they poop, and the fertilizer goes back into the garden. What do we call that?" he asked. "The cycle of life!" answered one.
Nutrition educator Leah White attended the event, and with Terry d'Selkie, Mendocino County/UUSD Program Director for Network for a Healthy California, the pair provided a little onsite nutrition education for the students.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to take local elementary students to an organic garden less than five miles from their school. Most of the students didn't know this garden existed. This fits directly into our 4th Grade California History Standards, which stress agriculture literacy and awareness," says White.
d'Selkie made sure students went away with three concepts: Farm 2 Table, which defined how food travels, identifying the Four Seasons and understanding the concept of local - how close farms are to their consumers. She held up photos of vegetables and fruits in season and explained the nutritional value of each item.
"We conduct an impact evaluation to see how our program is changing student eating behaviors," says d'Selkie. "In July, we reported that four out of five students were eating 22 percent more fruits and 35 percent more vegetables than during the pre-survey, which was conducted earlier this year," she continues. "We have a five-pronged approach to help make these behavior changes," d'Selkie explains. "One of our goals is farm field trips." The other four elements are Harvest of the Month, which brings fresh produce and fruit supplied by local farmers into school cafeterias, garden enhanced nutrition education, the Cooking in the Classroom series and finally, the "Rethink Your Drink" campaign, which focuses on students making healthier beverage choices, including the option to forego sugary drinks and drink only fresh water.
As students boarded the bus, their hands were full with fresh tomatoes, peppers, herbs and ears of corn. "Look what I've got!" said one student, arms filled with vegetables. "I'm going to take these home and make a whole dinner," smiled another.