Farm to school programs connect K-12 schools with local growers of fruit, vegetables and other fresh produce. The goal of farm to school programs is to improve student nutrition, encourage health, nutrition, and food supply education, and support local and regional farmers. For more information, including case Studies, Promising Practices and Resources from across the Stat, visit http://www.coloradofarmtoschool.org
e-Newsletter Archive
The Connecting Land and People Newsletter has been published since 2005. It lists brief references to sites,resources and events that are selected for their interest to teachers, students and the interested public.
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Colorado Farm to School Program
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Our Water Planet – How Much Do You Know?
Groundwater is a key source of drinking water and water for growing food, but worldwide— according to a recent article by Michael Ricciardi on PlanetSave.co—we may be depleting this precious resource. To check out the post visit http://planetsave.com/2010/10/15/our-water-planet-how-much-do-you-know/
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Food, Fiber & Natural Resource Education
Helping students and teachers understand their world, including food, fiber and natural resources, is an increasingly important job. CFA has distributed more than 6 million Colorado Readers, 60,000 Understanding Water activity books and 9,000 interactive CDs—free to Colorado Educators. In addition, more than 700 teachers have attended the Summer Ag Institute. Most of these materials, and many more, are available at www.growingyourfuture.com.
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Plants Have a Social Life, Too
After decades of seeing plants as passive recipients of fate, scientists have found them capable of behaviors once thought unique to animals. Some plants even appear to be social, favoring family while pushing strangers from the neighborhood.
Research into plant sociality is still young, with many questions unanswered. But it may change how people conceive of the floral world, and provide new ways of raising productivity on Earth's maxed-out farmlands. Read more on Wired.com
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Plants in Motion
Created by the University of Indiana, Plants-in-Motion is an educational site worth slowing down for. Although our lives depend on plants for virtually everything that keeps us alive (oxygen, food, fibers, lumber, fuel, etc.), their lives remain a secret to most of us. The reason is simple—plants live on a different time-scale from ours. Although not usually obvious in the relatively hyperactive activities of humans, plants are in constant motion as they develop, search for light and nutrients, avoid predators, exploit neighbors, and reproduce. Time-lapse photography allows us to easily see the movements of plants and clearly demonstrates that plants are living organisms capable of some extraordinary things. Read more…
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Realize Science Technology Grant For Agriculture To Award $5,000 Of New Technology Supplies To Teachers
The Realize Science Technology Grant for Agriculture in the Classroom will award $5,000 worth of cutting edge science education equipment to teachers across the U.S. this spring.
Those awarded the grant will receive new hand-held video microscopes with software to take still pictures, video, time-lapse movies, etc. The grant is sponsored by STR - School Technology Resources (www.schooltr.com) who is looking for creative, innovative and educationally valuable uses of hand-held video microscopes in teaching agriculture for this competitive grant based on the quality and value of the submissions.
Applications and details are now available online at: http://schooltr.com/Teacher_Resources/realize_science_grant.html. The deadline for applications is March 31, 2011. Notification of grant awards will be sent out by April 15, 2011.
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Up Close and Personal with Bugs
MyTinyGarden.com is a cool site for those with an interest in insects that features some truly amazing close-up photography. You can even view an aphid being born—a great introduction to insects! Check it out…
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Shocking! A-maizing! An Earful! Corny! But True?
An engineer from the University of Illinois thinks it may be possible to "teach" corn to provide its own nitrogen. If this works farmers won't need to add expensive nitrogen fertilizers to the soil. Check out this 90-second podcast and many more at Windows to the Universe.
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High-Tech Agriculture
This video adapted from ATETV features some of the new technologies being applied in the agricultural industry. The video demonstrates how GPS can be used in a tractor to guide it through fields and how GIS analyze collected data to help a farmer make better planting decisions. It also emphasizes the growing job opportunities for students with computer and mechanical skills as technology is used increasingly and in a wider range of occupations, including farming. Have a look…
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Keep Our Food Safe
Eating food that's wholesome, safe and plentiful is a basic expectation we all share. At our dinner tables, in our children's lunchrooms and at neighborhood restaurants, we all take for granted the inherent safety of the food we consume daily. This website includes timely information and podcasts concerning food safety. http://www.keepourfoodsafe.org/
