- Author: Emily Harris
On Saint Patrick's Day this year our UC CalFresh team was at the Fresno Fairgrounds talking to third graders throughout Fresno County about healthy eating at Farm and Nutrition Day. The Farm Bureau organizes this event every year to expose children to the agricultural industry and the benefits of healthy eating. UC CalFresh now has an established tradition to put on a nutrition play at Farm and Nutrition Day entitled, "Be Strong with 'Anytime' Foods," to show students the difference between '"anytime" foods, like strawberries and carrots, and "sometimes" foods, like candy and cookies.
Before the play begins, our narrator (Nutrition Coordinator, Nancy) and the Healthy Crew talk to the students about MyPlate. 
At the beginning of the play, Sometimes Sally and Anytime Andy (Nutrition Educators, Hannah and Chris) meet on the first day of school.
Anytime Andy shows the audience the strong muscles eating anytime foods have given him.
Anytime Andy encourages Sometimes Sally to choose a carrot, but she hasn't been convinced to eat anytime foods yet.
With the help of the audience, the Strong-O-Meter gives Anytime Andy the strength he needs to knock out the candy bar Sometimes Sally brought in her lunch.
When Anytime Andy wins the race at the end of the play, Sometimes Sally finally learns that eating healthy will make her stronger and give her more energy.
Before the show ended, our team showed the students how they like to exercise. Check it out on our Facebook page.
Behind the Scenes:
The UC CalFresh team poses for a quick picture before the first show. 
Nutrition Program Supervisor, Brittanny, preps the cast one final time.
Staff greets the audience and sets up for another show.
After five showings of the play, our team gathers together to celebrate all of our hard work. We can't wait for next year!
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Interested in past Farm and Nutrition Days? Check out the last few years below:
- Author: Emily Harris
On Friday, March 18th, 2016, third graders throughout Fresno County made their way to Farm and Nutrition Day at the Fresno Fairgrounds. According to the Farm Bureau, Farm and Nutrition Day, “allows students to participate in activities that showcase both the agricultural industry, as well as focus on the benefits of making healthy eating choices.”
In order to encourage students to choose “anytime” foods, like the abundant produce available here in California, the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program put on a nutrition play titled, “Be Strong with ‘Anytime' Foods.”
In the play, Sometimes Sam (played by Kristi Sharp) brought “sometimes” foods high in fat and sugar to eat for lunch at school, but thanks to the help of Anytime Anne, (played by Consuelo Cid) she learned that “anytime” foods are full of vitamins and minerals that make us feel good.
Anytime Anne crosses the finish line in first place, proving to Sometimes Sam that "anytime" foods have given her strength and energy.
By the end of the play, Sometimes Sam learned how to make healthy food choices, and so did the 3rd graders! By using MyPlate as a healthy eating guide, the students are now better equipped to make food choices that are great for their bodies.
Want to experience more of Farm and Nutrition Day?
Check out our Facebook page for even more
nutrition fun!
- Author: Javier Miramontes
- Editor: Emily Harris
Third graders from around Fresno County are invited to the Fresno fairgrounds for Farm and Nutrition Day in April of each year to learn about the local agriculture community. They get to learn about topics including how cows are milked, how a tractor operates and what foods are grown in Fresno County.
At Farm and Nutrition Day, the UC CalFresh team put on a nutrition play incorporating the concepts of “Sometimes” foods and “Anytime” foods. What are “Sometimes” and “Anytime” Foods?
“Anytime” foods are the healthy foods we find on MyPlate such as carrots, string cheese, whole grain crackers, and strawberries.
“Sometimes” foods are the foods we want to limit in our diets because they contain too much fat, sodium or sugar. Some examples include soda, candy and chips.
In our play, the character Anytime Andy loves eating healthy foods and playing with his friends. His friend Sometimes Sal likes to bring cookies, candy, and chips for lunch but never has energy to play during recess. Throughout the play Anytime Andy helps to teach Sometimes Sal that instead of eating “sometimes” foods he should bring more “anytime” foods to give him energy throughout the day.
By the end of the play students learn the difference between “Anytime” and “Sometimes” foods and the importance of making healthy choices.
Special thanks to the Big Fresno Fair and the Fresno County Farm Bureau for their coordination of this fantastic event each year.
- Author: DeAnna Molinar
- Editor: Shelby MacNab
On Friday March 21, 2014, third graders throughout Fresno County were invited to attend the ninth annual Farm and Nutrition Day. This year, more than 3,400 students and 50 booths were in attendance. The goals of Farm and Nutrition Day are to: educate students on the county's rich agricultural history, encourage students to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and help students make the connection on how food gets from the farm to our fork.
Although California grows the freshest fruits, vegetables and nuts in the county, many students don't eat enough of these nutritious foods. To encourage students to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, the UC CalFresh Nutrition Education Program put on their annual interactive play.
In the performance, Sometimes Sally (played by Evelyn Morales) only wanted to eat sometimes foods that were high in fat and sugar. Anytime Ann (played by Brittanny Zweigle) convinces Sometimes Sally to eat more "anytime" foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber and calcium.
In the end, Sometimes Sally and Anytime Ann learn how to make healthy choices. After participating in the play students are able too explain and identify the difference between a "sometime" vs. "anytime" food. The play also helps students learn the importance of MyPlate.
Did the students get the message? We think so! After the play students were generous enough to give Sometimes Sally their raisins.
Special thanks to the Fresno County Farm Bureau and The Big Fresno Fair for hosting such a great event for children in the Central Valley!
- Author: Shelby MacNab
Calling all third grade teachers! Have you registered for Farm and Nutrition Day? Registration is now open. UC CalFresh participates each year by providing an interactive play for students.
Please see the press release below for additional information.
Farm Day open to Fresno County third-grade classes
Published: September 12, 2013
By Jacob Rayburn — The Fresno Bee
Fresno County schools can register for the ninth annual Farm and Nutrition Day, the Fresno County Farm Bureau said.
The agricultural and food-related field trip for third-graders on March 21 teaches students about the county's agricultural industry, how to make healthy food choices and lets students interact with people in the industry. There will be activities, presentations and demonstrations.
Applications are available online at www.fcfb.org by clicking on Farm and Nutrition Day under the events tab or at www.FresnoFair.com by clicking on the Farm and Nutrition Day program link. The registration deadline is Feb. 21.
Financial assistance for transportation may be provided to schools that apply. For more information contact the Fresno County Farm Bureau at (559) 237-0263 or via email at info@fcfb.org.
