How old were you when you ate Swiss chard for the first time? How about Daikon radish or kale salad? For many of us, eating these lesser known fruits and vegetables did not happen until adulthood. Here at the Eat Local Placer Nevada Project, we're excited to introduce specialty crops to young people! Through our work with the Friendship Club in Nevada City, and our collaboration with UCCE CalFresh and UCCE Nutrition Best, the Eat Local Placer Nevada project is bringing locally grown fruits and veggies to the next generation of local food enthusiasts.

According to their mission statement, The Friendship Club is a “prevention program designed to reach at-risk girls before they engage in unhealthy behaviors.” While attending the Friendship Club, young women learn life skills, personal responsibility, and the value of hard work through a year-around program of educational activities, emotional support and community involvement. The Eat Local Placer and Nevada Project visited the Friendship Club this spring to teach hands-on cooking classes featuring two of our popular recipes: Massaged Kale Salad and Swiss Chard Spring Rolls. The recipes were both very popular and the students went home with recipe kits containing all of the ingredients needed to prepare each dish at home. And many of them did just that. One student beamed as she shared that she made Massaged Kale Salad for her family's Easter brunch and they liked it!

As the summer approaches and the school year winds down, the Eat Local Project is teaming up with UCCE CalFresh, a program bringing interactive nutrition education to schools where 50% or more of the students quality for free or reduced cost lunch. The folks at CalFresh have been busily planning after-school family fun fairs. These interactive and engaging events are full of fun activities that help spread the word about healthy eating. We have been bringing the smoothie bike to the fun fairs and it is always a big hit. Our delicious Strawberry Orange Smoothie samples are just as popular as riding the smoothie bike! At the Rock Creek Fun Fair, a number of parents were amazed at how simple making a smoothie is. Many said that they already have ingredients to make these nutritious, perfect-for-summer treats for their kids. Before the school year ends, we'll be bringing the smoothie bike out to events at Bell Hill and Auburn Elementary Schools.

Another great collaboration between Eat Local and CalFresh has been sourcing from local farmers. The CalFresh team teaches nutrition classes in elementary schools across Placer and Nevada counties and with each lesson, a taste of a healthy snack is provided. When possible, we help CalFresh source their snacks through local growers. We've successfully brought locally grown sweet potatoes, pea shoots, and blood oranges into classrooms.

Many people living in Placer and Nevada counties don't realize how many farms are situated in close proximity to residential neighborhoods. UCCE Nutrition Best, a program that brings nutrition education to families in Placer County with children age 0-5, encourages families to purchase and eat locally grown produce. Participating families qualify to receive a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box from the Natural Trading Company, a vegetable farm in Penryn, CA. The program also brings children and their families out to the farm. It is always fun to watch kids get their hands dirty as they learn where our food comes from. The Eat Local Project has been a part of the Nutrition Best farm tour for the past few years; setting up the Eat Local booth and handing out samples of a delicious, seasonal recipe.

Collaborating with these community partners has been a great way to encourage our community to eat more fruits and vegetables and to purchase them from our local growers. We can all work together to bring fruits and vegetables into the lives of the young people in our community to foster the development of lifelong healthy habits that will in turn support out local agricultural community. Definitely a win-win scenario!