Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, MI - Farm To Student 2025
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools
C elebratin g local food, local farmers & nutrition education!
D I G I T A L M A G A Z I N E E N R I C H M E N T
Working together to nourish the minds and bodies of the future.
“We believe that children who learn to make healthy food choices & be physically active at school will continue these habits into adulthood.”
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools’ Wellness Policy
Celebratin g local food, farmers & nutrition education!
Mushrooms| Cherries | Potatoes | Lettuce | Navy Beans
Avocados | Asparagus | Peaches |
January
March
February
March
March
May
June
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a common form of that are considered a vegetable.
Most mushroom farms are indoors so farmers can replicate natures perfect conditions.
Popular types of mushrooms include White Button, Crimino & Portabello which are all the SAME mushroom; they are just harvested at different ages
Umami –a primary taste found in mushrooms.
Some mushrooms stay underground for YEAR S.
White Button mushrooms are the most commonly grown type of mushroom.
Fungi are the LARGEST have classified 2,189 mushrooms as edible.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D supports the development & maintenance of bones, teeth & muscles.
Vitamin D is the ONLY vitamin that the body can make on its own.
Vitamin D helps prevent cavities.
Vitamin D supports the immune system
Vitamin D is known as The Sunshine Vitamin. ”
Only a few foods like oily fish contain vitamin D.
Most people get the majority of their vitamin D when their skin is exposed to the sun
Vitamin D can help boost happy moods!
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium & phosphate from food.
Calcium and phosphate are essential for strong bones.
Cherries
Cherries are a type of stone fruit - a fleshy fruit that contains a hard “pit” inside.
Honeybees
cherry trees main pollinators.
Bing cherries –the most popular variety of cherry.
Tart cherries are most often used for baking.
2 main types of cherries: tart & sweet.
Cherry trees can grow up to be 33 feet tall!
Cherries grow on trees that are known for their flowers – the cherry blossom.
Over 1,000 varieties.
An entire cherry tree can be harvested in just 7 seconds.
A typical cherry tree produces ~ 7,000 cherries.
A cherry tree can survive and produce fruit for around 100 years.
Fiber
Fiber supports movement through the digestive system
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate body doesn’t digest, it simply passes through.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water…it helps regulate blood sugar levels and removes cholesterol from
Insoluble fiber is sometimes referred to as “roughage. ”
2 types of fiber:
1. Soluble fiber
Insoluble fiber
Fiber is ONLY found in plant foods.
Fiber helps to regulate the body’s use of sugar.
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water…it helps food move throughout the digestive system.
BOTH forms of fiber are important & beneficial to overall health.
Dairy & meat products do not have any fiber.
Eat Good .
Feel Good .
Do Good .
March is National Nutrition Month
Let’s celebrate! National Nutrition Month is all about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating habits. a time to learn how to keep our bodies strong and healthy! Eating nutritious foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains and proteins gives us energy to play, learn and grow.
Potatoes
Potatoes are a starchy vegetable - specifically, a tuber.
U.S. farmers produce around 4.5 million pounds of potatoes every hour.
35% of potatoes are turned into French fries.
Tubers are vegetables that grow underground at the base of the root.
In 1995, potatoes became the first vegetable grown in
Potatoes are also referred to as “spuds.”
AUGUST
13
National Potato Day
Potatoes are grown in all 50 states. Potatoes are an annual plant.
Potatoes are the 2nd most consumed food in the U.S. after dairy products.
Potatoes are a part of the nightshade family.
Potassium
Potassium supports balancing fluid in the body & proper function of the muscles and nerves.
Once potassium enters the body, it functions as an electrolyte.
Electrolytes help amount of water in the body.
Helps to keep the body
Potassium is the THIRD most abundant mineral
The body is made 60% helps promote .
Potassium helps to regulate the heart rate
Potassium helps to regulate contractions.
Many runners eat foods high in potassium like pears before a run to
Due to the climate, most of the lettuce grown in Michigan is grown in greenhouses
Darker green lettuce leaves are MORE LEAST MOST
Lettuce plants grow to be 6 - 12 inches tall.
Iceberg lettuce (also known as crisphead) is the most popular type of lettuce in the U.S. 2.
Lettuce grows best in cooler climates.
Crisphead
Looseleaf
Romaine
Revolution Farms
Revolution Farms is a 3 acre state of the art greenhouse that specializes in
Revolution Farms’ indoor facility allows for their lettuce to be in season year-round!
Revolution Farms grows eight different varieties of lettuce.
Revolution Farms was founded by John Green & Chip George.
Revolution Farms is located in Caledonia, Michigan.
Revolution
Revolution Farms packs &
Beans
Michigan produces over 400 million pounds of bean each year.
Michigan is the # 1 producer of black beans in the U.S.
Michigan grows a wide variety of dry edible beans black beans, pinto beans, navy beans & many more!
Beans are the seeds of flowering plants –typically grown in pods.
Beans have been cultivated by humans for 6,000 years. All beans are legume family
There are over 40,000 different types of beans.
The World’s Tallest Bean Plant was over 45 feet tall – equal to 3 fully grown giraffes stacked on top of one another.
Waldron Farms
Waldron Farms grows their dry beans on over 900 acres of land.
Waldron Farms is a family-owned & operated farm specializing in dry beans.
Three generations of the Waldron family currently work on the farm full time.
Waldron Farms began in 1876.
Waldron Farms is located in Crystal, Michigan.
Country Ridge is Waldron Farms’ dry beans processing facility.
Country Ridge can process 120 100-pound bags of beans per hour.
Country Ridge processes beans from many Michigan farms.
Avocados
Avocados are a “single-seeded berry. ”
Avocados are a FRUIT!
90% of avocados grown in the U.S. are grown in California.
There are 500+ varieties of avocados that can vary is size, texture & Hass avocados the most popular
Hass avocados are native to California.
Avocado trees range from 60 feet tall. It takes a minimum of a YEAR to grow an avocado.
Avocados need a lot of sunlight to grow.
An avocado tree produces around 60 pounds
Avocados ripen AFTER they are harvested.
Healthy Fats
Saturated fats can be found in foods like whole milk, cheese &
Healthy fats are essential for brain development. fats are good for Remember…not all fats are bad!
Healthy fats are essential for growth & development.
Trans fats are produced through food processing.
Fats belong to a group of large molecules called lipids.
Word Scramble
SRYBDTAHEROCA
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TVAIINM C
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BEIRF ENPRTOI
Asparagus
Asparagus is a type of stem vegetable.
In ideal conditions, asparagus can grow up to 10 inches a day!
Watch asparagus grow!
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. soluble which means…
Vitamin K helps the body heal from wounds.
It absorbs better into the body when eaten with foods with some fat like olive oil
Vitamin K helps produce proteins that bind themselves to calcium - this helps build strong bones.
Vitamin K is found throughout the body in the liver, brain, heart, pancreas & bones.
Vitamin K supports heart health .
Vitamin K plays a role in proper blood function- specifically with clotting.
Peaches
Peaches are a type of stone fruit - a fleshy fruit that contains a hard “pit” inside.
Peaches come in two main categories – clingstone & freestone.
There are over 300 varieties of peaches.
Freestone peaches are the most common.
Once pollinated, peaches take 3-5 months to reach harvesting point.
“Persian plum”
Peach trees can produce fruit for 12 years.
1 peach tree can produce up to 66 pounds of fruit each year.
Peaches are in peak season from June - the end of August.
Peach trees usually grow to be around 25 feet tall.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A supports good vision, growth & immunity
Vitamin A helps see better at night more vivid colors during the day
How far can you read down this eye chart?
Vitamin A has antioxidant properties.
Vitamin A can help speed up the healing process of cuts & scrapes.
Vitamin A supports the immune system to fight off infections.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin – which means it absorbs better into the body when eaten with foods with some fat like avocados!
Strawberries
Strawberries are a type of aggregate fruit a collection of ‘little fruits’ held together.
Strawberries are a part of the rose family.
Strawberries are the FIRST fruit to ripen in the spring.
Peak strawberry harvesting season is April - June.
1. June-bearing 2. Ever-bearing 3. Day-neutral strawberry has 200 seeds.
Strawberries are the ONLY fruit with seeds on the outside.
90% of the strawberries grown in the U.S. are from California.
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.
Milk is a type of dairy product –most commonly made from cows.
1 serving contains
Milk is made up of 85-95% water with the rest being fats, proteins, carbohydrates & vitamins
Breeds of Dairy Cows: 6
1. Ayrshire
2. Brown Swiss
3. Guernsey
4. Holstein
5. Jersey
6. Milking Shorthorn
Holstein cows all have a unique pattern of spots!
1 cow produces around 6 gallons of milk per day. Cows can SEE almost 360 degrees and SMELL up to 6 miles away!
dairy farms!
Protein
Protein builds, maintains and replaces the tissues in the body.
Protein helps to transport & store nutrients throughout the body.
18 - 20% of the body is protein.
EVERY cell in the human body contains protein.
The body cannot store protein long term… which is why protein needs to be consumed daily.
Protein is made
blocks.
Protein plays a big role in building and repairing muscles.
Protein is a MACRONUTRIENT . A macronutrient is a nutrient that the body needs in LARGE
Protein helps maintain fluid balance throughout the body.
