Cafeteria to Classroom

Kids are often times told to eat things they just don't recognize and no matter how much you tell them it is good or good for them, they just will not eat it. The Cafeteria to Classroom program is working to connect kids to their food according to Karissa McCarthy of DC Greens.

MCCARTHY: If students are not connected with their food, if they don't know what kale is, kale ends up in the trashcan and there's no nutritional benefit if it's in the trashcan. What DC Greens is trying to do is provide some education opportunities for students and also professional development for teachers so that teachers can go back to their classrooms and be champions of healthy food and really introduce students new fresh fruits and vegetables and also make them more interested in trying them when they're in the cafeteria.

McCarthy talks about the success of cooking in the classroom when it comes to improved learning.

MCCARTHY: Anecdotally, every single school garden I've gone into or classroom where we've done a cooking demonstration when students have their hands in the dirt or plant that seed or help chop that carrot, they want to try it. I've never seen a child not want to try it and we always say if you don't like it that's ok but it's about trying new fruits and vegetables and increasing their exposure. So I know from just on the ground kind of experience that this is really important and successful.

That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.