One of the “hottest” trends in American culture in the last decade is the “Local Foods Movement.”  In America, we now have omnivores, herbivores, and “locavores.” The latter focus on spreading the message that local food, which is produced within a couple hundred miles of its point of consumption, is beneficial for the environment, economy, and health of local citizens.

Even though the local foods movement is finding its way into cities of all sizes, there is limited access to curriculum or teaching materials for school aged children. Fortunately, teachers are not working alone to develop this curriculum. There are many organizations, such as the Cooperative Extension Service, that are working to create real world activities and lesson plans to educate the public on consuming local food products.

For the next year, I will be working closely with the Robeson County Extension Office Agents, local farmers, and concerned citizens to write an official curricular unit on Local Foods Production. This curriculum could be used by teachers at all educational levels, extension agents, and volunteers.

Check out the Robeson County Cooperative Extension Service here: http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/

Shea Ann Dejarnette, 4-H Agent, will serve as the mentor for this program. I will work closely with many agents in the office to coordinate meetings with local farmers, help with county-wide educational camps, and provide volunteer hours with the county CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture program.

This project will benefit programs offered by the extension office, students in my classroom,  public programs in nearby counties, and teachers in other curricular areas.