Growing Minds, the farm to school program within ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project), is introducing an immersive curriculum designed around 10 crops grown in North Carolina. “I Tried Local…” A Toolkit for Engaging Kids with Local Food and Farms is designed for use in early care and education (ECE) through second grade classrooms.
Each of the 10 units begins with an overview of the crop, including geographic and cultural origins, nutrition facts, and growing tips, as well as a video from our Meet Your Farmer video series showcasing a North Carolina farmer growing the crop. Other components include a lesson plan that aligns with educational standards, children’s books with discussion prompts, a fun coloring page, and a recipe that can be made in the classroom or shared with families. You can move through the units in any order that makes sense based on your growing region, curriculum, or program structure. The toolkit also has a plethora of additional resources around how to implement farm to school with gardens, classroom cooking, farm field trips and farmer visits, and local food in meals or snacks.