Pesticides and kids

Docs Say Choose Organic Food to Reduce Kids Exposure to Pesticides

This article supports the idea that organically grown food is better for you. The reason being, that “babies of female farm workers in California showed small but significant developmental and motor delays when their mothers were exposed to pesticides at levels similar to those deemed acceptable in conventionally grown produce while pregnant.” Although there have not been any studies done, there is no real concrete proof but, since childhood exposure to toxins is known to be harmful, organically grown produce is becoming a clearer choice for children.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/10/22/163407880/docs-say-choose-organic-food-to-reduce-kids-exposure-to-pesticides#

Posted by Dornel E. Student at CAS

Edible schoolyard training

Dear Educators and School Gardeners, Edible Schoolyard NYC is delighted to announce the launch of Edible Academy, a series of professional development workshops coming soon to our Brooklyn Showcase School. You are invited to experience our interdisciplinary, standards-based, K through 5 curriculum in action.  In each workshop, we will model instruction in the garden and the kitchen, offer practical tips on starting and maintaining school gardens, suggest ways to encourage community involvement, and guide participants in adapting our lessons to the unique circumstances of their own schools.  All participants will receive 36 fully developed fall and winter lessons covering kindergarten through fifth grade, as well as sample curriculum and recipes from our kitchen classrooms.  Workshops will take place from 9am to 3pm at P.S. 216, 350 Avenue X, in Brooklyn.  Each workshop will include the following sessions: Instruction in the Garden Classroom Instruction in the Kitchen Classroom School Gardening 101 Community Outreach Integrating ESYNYC Lessons into Your Curriculum We are inviting educators and school gardeners to participate, free of charge, in our first workshops.  If there are others who you think might be interested, please pass this email along to them.  Click on the links below to register for one of the following dates: Tuesday, November 6 (registration deadline is 10/26): http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4562644994# Friday, November 16 (registration deadline is 11/2) http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4584237578 Friday, November 30 (registration deadline is 11/16) http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4584390034 Please contact Liza Engelberg at le@esynyc.org if you have any questions.  We hope to see you at an upcoming workshop! Thanks! -- Natasha Eziquiel-Shriro | Program Coordinator | www.esynyc.org | nes@esynyc.org | 347-565-0100 | 350 Avenue X Brooklyn NY 11223

Great News! WITS is back

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/28/nyregion/new-york-city-revives-school-lunch-program-that-uses-professional-chefs.html?_r=1

"The organizer of the program, Wellness in the Schools, also known as WITS, was praised for bringing healthy meals, made from scratch, into cafeterias....."  WE AGREE!

National Lunch Program's Meat from California Slaughterhouse Closed For Animal Abuse

Here is a link to a video that exposes extreme cruelty to animals.  This video prompted the USDA to shut down the California slaughterhouse.
http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DZRS-kzgoRq0%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded

In the related New York Times article, it is stated that that slaughterhouse supplies 21 million pounds of meat to the National Lunch Program. 
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/22/work-at-slaughterhouse-is-halted-after-graphic-undercover-videos/

Why do our kids get such low quality food that is produced without care and compassion?

City Ends Wellness in the Schools Program

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/18/nyregion/new-york-city-ends-school-lunch-program-that-used-professional-chefs.html

Give USDA Feedback on the 6 Cent Rule

Help Make Sure Schools Meet the Healthy New Meals Standards  - Give USDA Feedback on the 6 Cent Rule It is time to send USDA your comments on the new school meals rule on incentive funds and compliance with nutrition standards. Establishing an effective process for certifying schools to receive the six cent performance-based reimbursement is crucial to making the new healthier school meals standards a success. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act included a six cents per child per lunch incentive to “ensure that the increased investment would yield improved benefits for children in higher quality meals, supporting efforts to combat childhood obesity.” Through July 26, 2012, USDA will be accepting comments on the proposed rule, Certification of Compliance with Meal Requirements for the National School Lunch Program Under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Contacts: Geri Henchy, ghenchy@frac.org, (202) 986-2200, x3025 and Madeleine Levin, mlevin@frac.org, (202) 986-2200, x3004. TAKE ACTION  Follow these steps to comment on the rule: 1. Download FRAC’s model comments (MSWord document). Make sure to enter your organization’s name in the text of the comments, and make any changes you want. 2. Go to Regulations.gov. 3. Add your contact information, and use the upload file to submit your comments.

Does the School Food Diet work?

I read Bittman's June 26th posting in the NYTimes Opionator and thought I would share.

The piece describes recent research published in Journal of American Medical Association that explains  why overly processed foods should be avoided.  After having looked at many of our school's meals and finding that they all come frozen, I feel this is something we should all be concerned about:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/which-diet-works/