Farm to School Month | October 21, 2019

Fresh & Local:

Farm to School Month

Market Umbrella’s farm to school program, Harvesting for Health in Louisiana is now in its second year, and is working with New Orleans public primary schools to help implement all three elements of farm to school. Along with our partners SPROUT NOLA and the LSU Ag Center among others and with USDA Farm to School funding, we work with partner schools to help build, refurbish or enhance school gardens, integrate the garden into curriculum and curriculum into the garden, and bring locally sourced produce into the cafeteria over the course of an academic year. We are working with farmers in our vendor network to connect them directly to schools, and to help them gain certifications needed to sell to produce distributors, which can help expand production all while increasing fresh, local produce on local lunch menus, and elsewhere. We’re working to finalize this year’s school cohort by the end of the month. If your school or one you know is interested in participating in this programming, contact angelina@marketumbrella.org.

Picks of the Week:

Seeds to Success

If you are a farmer, teacher, distributor, student, child nutrition director, school administrator, ag professional or non-profit working in farm to school, or if you are curious about what the whole thing is about, join us at the 2019 Louisiana Farm to School Conference, a two-day event which will take place on October 22-23 in Baton Rouge. Tuesday afternoon is a grower/buyer meet up from 4-7pm and Wednesday hosts traditional conference activities with tracks on sourcing, growing and learning for practitioners in any of the three walks of farm to school. Keynote speaker Poppy Tooker should not be missed. Hope to see you there!

The Great Louisiana Satsuma Peel

This year, thousands of New Orleans students of public, primary schools will celebrate the Great Louisiana Satsuma Peel! National Farm to School Month happens to coincide with the return of one of our favorite local fruits, the first of the citrus - satsumas! Satsumas, a relative of the mandarin have their origins in Japan and have found a welcoming home here in the southeast Louisiana citrus belt. The perfect size for small hands, the satsuma is featured in the Peel as all the students in a school peel and eat a satsuma at the same time in celebration of local produce sourcing in local schools. There are still a couple of weeks left in October - if your school is interested in participating, contact angelina@marketumbrella.org.

Meet Me at the Market

The Meet Me at the Market program at Crescent City Farmers Market is often the first place many local children get to encounter the hard working families that produce the food we eat. Children in grades pre-kindergarten through sixth meet farmers, learn to identify produce, and understand that food is not just something that comes from a shelf. This unique, hands-on experience is part of our Farm to School programming.

Vendor of the Week:

L’Hoste Citrus

Lester and Linda L’Hoste of Braithwaite, Louisiana will return to the Uptown and Ochsner markets soon (maybe this week) for their 24th year of selling citrus at the CCFM. Lester is proud to be one of the only certified organic citrus growers in the region, and has recently retired from his day job as a chemist, giving him extra time to grow his citrus and expand his farm. For now, look for his table full of organic satsumas and persimmons - he says it’s among the highest quality crops he’s ever had. In the coming months as we delve deeper into citrus season you can expect meyer lemons, navel oranges, blood oranges, grapefruit, and kumquats, too.

Tuesday’s Green Plate Special:

Del Fuego Taqueria

Del Fuego Taqueria, the Magazine Street taqueria serving Mexican street food is heating things up at the Green Plate Special tent in October. Come see and taste Crescent City Farmers Market produce in a salad or wrap. This Tuesday, Del Fuego’s all about Satsumas, Squash & Ceviche! Satsuma Aguafresca, Satsuma Shrimp Ceviche, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Wraps, Salads, salsas & dips! Swing by for breakfast or lunch Tuesdays in October from 9-1pm.

Recipe of the Week:

Cochon’s Satsuma Mojito

Let’s be honest, teachers are the unsung heroes of the world. So raise a glass, a satsuma Mojito by chef Donald Link, to be specific, to all of the educators that we trust with the minds of our children. Find the recipe on Chow Hound and get your favorite teacher a big bag of satsumas!

What’s your favorite dish to make after visiting the Crescent City Farmers Market? Share your recipes with us on Instagram or Facebook or even Twitter and it might be featured in our weekly newsletter!