ST. LOUIS – Farm to school, a movement that strives to offer healthy local foods and educational opportunities, allows students to learn where their food comes from, why food is good for their bodies and even how to grow their own food. The National Farm to School Network (NFSN) launched in 2007 to foster the vision of farm-to-school programs in local, state, regional and national settings. NFSN’s mission is to increase access to local food and nutrition education, to improve children’s health, to strengthen family farms and to cultivate vibrant communities. Over the last 20 years, schools have created farm-to-school programs to help achieve this mission. These programs include creating school gardens, procuring local foods from community farms, and educating students in agriculture, food, health and nutrition.
Today, we celebrate Farm to School month in October. It is the perfect time to celebrate all things local, including dairy, the original local food! While dairy foods may not be top of mind when thinking of local, most dairy farms are actually within 100 miles of a student’s school. This allows milk to travel from the cow to the carton in just 48 hours. “Many students do not realize that the milk on their breakfast and lunch tray every day is actually from a local dairy farm,” said St. Louis District Dairy Council (SLDDC) nutrition educator and registered dietitian Jessica Kassel. “When the students discover this, they immediately want to visit the farm to meet the farmer and cows that created their delicious and nutritious milk.”
In addition to being local, milk provides 13 essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin D, protein and B vitamins. The nutrients in milk and dairy foods help students’ bodies build strong bones, create energy, grow strong teeth, build and repair muscles, and keep digestion on track. “School milk is nutritious, delicious and locally sourced. Dairy farmers are part of the community and are committed to providing wholesome safe foods for schools to offer as a part of a balanced breakfast and lunch,” Kassel said.
St. Louis District Dairy Council challenges students, parents and schools to celebrate Farm to School month this year by discovering the dairy farm within their community by using the Moo to You! program. Moo to You! is a colorful collection of posters highlighting Illinois and Missouri dairy farms. Moo to You! can be found at www.stldairycouncil.org, under “Our Programs” and the “Farm to You” tab. Click on each pin on the map to find a local dairy farm in the bi-state area.
Additional information on local dairy farms and dairy foods, can be found on SLDDC’s website or by calling (314)-835-9668, or e-mailing info@stldairycouncil.org. For easy and tasty recipes, check out SLDDC’s Facebook and Instagram at STLDairyCouncil.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Smoothie
This perfect combination of warm fall flavors and dairy deliciousness is a great way to kick off the day or to savor a nutritious dessert.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 oz.) pumpkin, chilled
- 3 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1 container (6 oz.) low fat vanilla yogurt
- 2 cups low fat milk
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 2 Tbsp. graham cracker crumbs, optional
Instructions
Place all ingredients (except graham cracker crumbs) in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour 1/6 of mixture into glasses.
Top each serving with a teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs (optional).
Enjoy!
Optional: Visit a local pumpkin patch and pick out your own sugar pie pumpkin to make your own pumpkin puree! See the recipe for homemade pumpkin puree below.
Roasted Pumpkin Puree: Wash the pumpkin and cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from the center. Place the pumpkin halves on a sheet pan and roast in an oven at 350oF for 45 minutes or until pumpkin is fork-tender and golden brown. Peel off the skin and discard. Puree the pumpkin until the mixture is smooth (you may need to add water if mixture gets too thick). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
About the St. Louis District Dairy Council
The St. Louis District Dairy Council (SLDDC) is a nonprofit nutrition education organization funded by local dairy farmers. Since 1932, SLDDC has served 131 counties in central/southern Illinois and eastern Missouri as the go-to educational resource and advocate for the role of dairy foods as part of a healthful diet. As The Nutrition Education People, we are proud to spread knowledge to local communities, bridging the gap between local dairy farmers and consumers. The staff is comprised of professionals with experience in nutrition, food service management, education and communications, and we take pride in delivering engaging programs throughout the communities we serve.