Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/40669
play with your food Pass the Kalahari Sticks Planting fresh foods in the hands of area school children By Michael and Jean Muckian August is "back to school" month and lo- cal foodies Lisa Jacobson and Sara Tedes- chi are excited to get area kids back in the classroom. In a country where the num- ber of obese children continues to make news (and climb), the duo have found a recipe for promoting healthier children by strengthening the link between local fam- ers and schools. It all seems so simple in a landscape like ours: We have a plethora of nearby farms, so why can't we get this food into schools? Th e process involves a combi- nation of state support, local philan- thropy and grassroots muscle. Tedeschi is director of the Wiscon- Lisa Jacobson, Farm to School program coordina- tor with REAP Food Group and owner of Madison's Mermaid Café. For more, visit farmtoschool.org and reapfoodgroup.org. sin Farm-to-School Program, part of a national farm-to-school network found in 40 states. Meanwhile, Jacobson coor- dinates another farm-to-school program through REAP Food Group, a Madison nonprofi t with a simple goal: to provide sustainable snacks to Madison-area public school kids. Together, Wisconsin Farm- to-School and REAP are working to boost sustainable practices in area schools. Tedeschi's state agency oversees farm- to-school projects by connecting local farmers with local school districts. Th en nonprofi t programs like REAP, which op- erates in collaboration with the UW Center for Integrated Agriculture Systems, im- plement the connection by transforming produce into healthy snacks for area school kids twice a week. Jacobson says the work is hard, but fun. "In the fall, I take my kids to Gay Mills to pick up 500 pounds of apples," she ex- plains. "I wash and pack them for individ- ual classrooms." In addition to her hands-on food prep, Jacobson also coordinates the "chefs in the classroom" part of the program that brings local chefs to schools for exciting lessons revolving around local foods. It's a com- ponent of the program that can be just as vital to transforming the eating habits of school children. Jacobson says it takes several exposures to food before a child will acclimate to the taste. If children know where the food comes from, they're more likely to eat it. Take kohlrabi, for example. Jacobson and her volunteers peel kohlrabi before cutting the crisp vegetable into snack-sized sticks. She lets children feed the peels to worms, which create the dirt in which the kohlrabi seeds are planted. Kids, it turns out, love the "circle of life" metaphor. One young boy, after such an experience, exclaimed, "I love Kalahari sticks!" Th e lesson to be learned? When you pack your kids' backpacks this fall, don't forget the Kalahari sticks. Michael and Jean Muckian have covered the local food and arts scenes for over 25 and 15 years, respectively. Find their blog, Culturosity, at bravamagazine.com. Back Porch Wines Summer is too good to last. To drink in the season's last dregs, try these evening sippers introduced to us by Culver's Blue Spoon Café Edgebastion 2010 "The Honey Pot" ($13), is a light, bright Bordeaux-style South African blend offering a lovely balance of fruit, acidity and appeal. 68 BRAVA Magazine Gazela Rose ($10) is bright, a little bubbly and offers an insouciant slap to the palate. Its attitude is some- thing other roses envy. August 2011 Mulderbosch 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Rose ($12) is sexy and sophisticated. Dry to the palate, its signature grapes offer depth. Tait "The Ball Buster" ($19) is a big Shiraz blend from Australia's Barossa Valley. It's everything you want from one of the world's best wine regions. Photo by David Watkins