School District of Pickens County, SC - Farm To Student 2024/2025
2024/2025 EDITION
School District of Pickens County
C elebratin g local food, local farmers & nutrition education!
I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E E N R I C H M E N T
School District of Pickens County Student Nutrition Services is proud to be participating in Farm To Student serving healthy foods, celebrating local farmers & promoting nutrition education!
School District of Pickens County Wellness Policy
C elebratin g local food, local farmers & nutrition education!
Sweet Potatoes | Basil | Cabbage
Asparagus | Strawberries
December
April
May
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are grown on 2,000+ acres across South Carolina.
There are 400+ varieties sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are grown underground!
Sweet potato roots are harvested 90120 days after planting.
Sweet potatoes are a popular Thanksgiving side dish.
Sweet potatoes are a type of starchy root vegetable. Jewel most popular sweet potato.
Sweet potatoes and yams are NOT the same thing!
Sweet potatoes can be orange, yellow, red, white or purple.
Orange sweet potatoes are the sweetes t.
Potassium
Potassium supports balancing fluid in the body & proper function of the
Once potassium enters the body, it functions as an electrolyte
Helps to keep the body
Electrolytes help amount of water in the body.
FUN FACT:
Potassium is THIRD most abundant mineral in the body.
Potassium helps promote bone health.
The body is made up of approximately 60% water.
Potassium helps to regulate muscle contractions.
98% of the body’s potassium is found in its cells.
Many runners eat foods high in potassium before a run to prevent muscle cramps
Basil
Basil is a type of type of herb that grows well in South Carolina’s climate.
Basil can be grown indoors best when planted during the
Basil grows best with hours of sunlight a day. varieties of basil.
Basil has been cultivated for 5,000+ years.
Basil is the main ingredient in pesto –a sauce commonly used in pasta dishes. Basil should be harvested B E F O R E it flowers. Basil is one of the most popular herbs in cooking. weeks to be ready to be harvested after planting.
Once a basil plant starts to flower, it begins to lose its flavor
Tyger River Smart Farm
Tyger River Smart Farm is a farm specializing in greens
Tyger River Smart Farm was started in 2012 by Ryan Oates
Check out
Tyger River Smart Farm preparing pesto (made from their basil) for your school!
Tyger River Smart Farm uses hydroponics to grow all their produce.
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in nutrientrich water rather than soil.
S U P P O R T L O C A L
Tyger River Smart Farm is located in Reidville, SC.
Cabbage
South Carolina’s Sandhills region main producer of cabbage in the state.
Cabbage has been harvested for making it one of the OLDEST
Cabbage can grow up to 6 feet tall
Cabbage leaves have a waxy coating.
400+ varieties of cabbage.
Cabbage:
“coldweather veggie. ”
Early cabbage takes days cabbage takes 87 days.
The most popular varieties of cabbage:
1. Green Cabbage
2. Red Cabbage
3. Savoy Cabbage
Vitamin K
Vitamin K supports proper blood function, bone growth & kidney health. The body has the ability to create vitamin K on its own.
2 main forms of vitamin K: K1 and K2.
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble which means… It absorbs better into the body when eaten with foods with some fat like olive oil or avocados!
Vitamin K helps the body heal from wounds.
Vitamin K helps produce proteins that bind themselves to calcium - this helps build strong bones.
Vitamin K supports heart health .
Vitamin K is found throughout the body in the liver, brain, heart, pancreas & bones.
Vitamin K plays a role in proper blood function- specifically with clotting.
Collard Greens
Collard greens are the official state vegetable of South Carolina.
Collard greens are tastier & nutritious in the colder January – April.
Collard greens are a member of the cabbage family.
Popular Varieties of Collard Greens:
1. Blue Max
2. Georgia
3. Vates
4. Champion
5. Flash
6. Heavy
take 6 8 weeks to go from seed to ready for harvest. The stem can be 24 - 48 inches long.
“The Wild Cabbage Plant”
Collard greens are biennials, which means they have a life cycle.
Collard greens produces small, yellow flowers.
These yellow flowers attract insects which is responsible for the pollination
Collard greens are a type of cruciferous vegetable
Calcium
Calcium supports healthy bones & teeth as well as proper blood & muscle function.
Calcium is the 5th most abundant chemical element in the Earth’s crust.
Calcium helps keep muscles working properly.
99% of the body’s calcium is stored in the bones blood, muscles & other tissues.
Calcium supports heart health.
Calcium helps form bones and teeth and keep them healthy.
Calcium helps to heal cuts & wounds.
Calcium is the MOST abundant mineral in the human body.
Asparagus
Most asparagus grown in South Carolina is planted in February or March.
In ideal conditions, asparagus can grow up to 10 inches a day!
Watch asparagus grow!
Asparagus roots can grow 20 feet deep.
Elite Pak
Elite Pak is the largest fresh asparagus producer & packer in South Carolina.
Elite Pak partners with Haigler Farms & Oak III Farms to supply their asparagus.
Haigler & Oak III Farms are both multigenerational family farms.
Elite Pak has operations in both the U.S. and Canada.
Elite Pak’s goal is to bring the freshest asparagus they can to the plates of all Americans.
Strawberries
South Carolina is home to 40+ strawberry farms
Strawberries are a type aggregate fruit .
fruit to ripen in the spring.
Strawberries are a type of aggregate fruit.
Spartanburg County grows the most strawberries in South Carolina.
3
Main Types of Strawberries:
1. June-bearing 2. Ever-bearing 3. Day-neutral
200 seeds.
Strawberries are the ONLY fruit with seeds on the outside.
Strawberries are a part of the rose family.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C supports the immune systemthe body’s defense against infections.
ENERGY booster!
Vitamin C is also referred to as “ascorbic acid.”
Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help protect against damage caused by exposure to harmful substances in the environment.
The body cannot make vitamin C on its own - it has to come from food.
Vitamin C helps keep you happy & healthy! What do you call a vitamin that improves your eyesight?
A Vitamin C!
Vitamin C is a very important vitamin for healthy gums & teeth.
Dixie Belle Farms
Dixie Belle Farms is a fourth generation fruit & vegetable
Dixie Belle Farms’ strawberry growing season begins in late March & lasts until early June. Dixie Belle Farms picks all their strawberries by hand.
Dixie Belle Farms originally started out just growing peaches
Dixie Belle Farms planted their first strawberry crop in 201 7.
Dixie Belle Farms harvests, packs & all their produce.
Cotton Hills Farm
Cotton Hills Farm is a & operated fruit
Cotton Hills Farm was established in 1882 by the Cotton Hills Farm has 3 farm locations in South CarolinaLowrys, Chester & Richburg.
Cotton Hills Farm offers farm on Saturdays in October! hence the name!
South Carolina produces around MILLION gallons of milk per year.
South Carolina is home to around
South Carolina’s top 3 milk producing counties are Newberry, Bamberg & Orangeburg.
South Carolina’s most consumed dairy product is cheese…with ice cream following closely behind.
South Carolina is home to 25 dairy farms.
Dairy Farmers of America
”We work to preserve the ability to pass down the farm to the next generation.”
Diary Farmers of America is a group of nearly 10,000 dairy farmers across the U.S.
ALL DFA dairy farms are family owned & operated. School District of Pickens County serves PET milk.
PET milk is a Dairy Farmers of America brand.
Two family farms supply milk for PET – Eberly Family Farm & Windcrest Holsteins.
Eberly Family Farm is a first-generation dairy farm.
