Yaza Sarieh

GEORGIA PAR-SLAYED THE DAY: Highlights from this year's October Farm to School Month Campaign

By: Yaza Sarieh & Alissa Pantuosco  

Yaza Sarieh is the Community Collaborations Coordinator at Georgia Organics 

Alissa Pantuosco is a Farm to School Contractor at Georgia Organics. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s October Farm to School Month (OFTSM) campaign with Georgia Organics! ParSLAY the Day was a statewide initiative designed to get kids eating, growing, and engaging in parsley-themed activities, and thanks to your efforts, we parSLAYed! 

We are excited to share that over 530,000 teachers, students, and cafeteria staff across 117 Georgia counties and 49 school nutrition departments took part in the celebration this October. For nearly 382 participants, this was their first time joining us for October Farm to School Month. We were also thrilled to have Governor Brian Kemp officially declare October as Farm to School and Farm to Early Care & Education Month!

Throughout Georgia, early care centers and elementary, middle, and high schools sprinkled a little parsley magic into their classrooms with our parsley-themed resources, inspiring hands-on learning activities for students of all ages. Participants joined the ParSLAY the Day social media contest, sharing their parsley-inspired activities with the hashtag #parslaytheday. Our grand prize winner was the Bartow County School Nutrition Department! Nearly ten schools in the district grew organic parsley in their school gardens and used it to prepare fresh, scratch-cooked meals for cafeteria lunches. They conducted parsley taste tests, experimented with new recipes, started composting projects, and even harvested enough parsley to feed entire schools! 

Throughout Georgia, early care centers and elementary, middle, and high schools sprinkled a little parsley magic into their classrooms with our parsley-themed resources, inspiring hands-on learning activities for students of all ages. Participants joined the ParSLAY the Day social media contest, sharing their parsley-inspired activities with the hashtag #parslaytheday. Our grand prize winner was the Bartow County School Nutrition Department! Nearly ten schools in the district grew organic parsley in their school gardens and used it to prepare fresh, scratch-cooked meals for cafeteria lunches. They conducted parsley taste tests, experimented with new recipes, started composting projects, and even harvested enough parsley to feed entire schools! 

The month of October was seasoned with friendly competition, adding extra flavor to our Farm to School activities. Eighteen Georgia FCCLA Chapters competed to create the best ParSLAY the Day initiatives, and Ware County High School FCCLA parSLAY-ed first place! Culinary arts students hosted a parsley-themed week at their student-run Gator Bistro, serving parsley dishes and promoting the campaign with fun posters, trivia, and a tasting booth. Georgia Organics was proud to sponsor this FCCLA competition, recognizing the hard work of the advisors and members. Read more about this year’s FCCLA competition in this blog post. 

Every school needs delicious food—and our GA School Nutrition departments brought the flavor! Many sourced fresh parsley from local farmers or school gardens and served parsley-packed dishes in the school cafeterias. Bartow and Polk School Nutrition Departments were honored by Georgia Organics for incorporating parsley into their menus at least once a week throughout October, creating vibrant dishes like Tabbouleh, Spicy Mean Green Sauce, and Chimichurri to spice up the lunch experience for students. 

Six Georgia farmers partnered with us on the ParSLAY the Day campaign, gaining valuable exposure and strengthening connections with local schools and early learning centers. Through blogs, newsletters, and social media, we promoted these farms and their businesses to folks around the state. There was a clear interest among ParSLAY the Day participants to leverage the campaign to connect students with their local food system – 90% of campaign participants expressed their intention to promote and/or serve locally grown produce, and 69% planned to engage with a local farmer during this year’s OFTSM celebrations! 

This year, we were excited to connect the OFTSM campaign with our Family Farm Share program, a low-cost, local produce subscription program designed for families with young children. Even in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastation, Family Farm Share partners in Southeast Georgia came together to ParSLAY the Day. Farmer Andy Douglas of Crossroad Farm and Garden generously provided parsley seedlings for WayGreen to distribute to the 50 families participating in the weekly subscription program. In West Georgia, Farmers Fresh CSA included fresh bundles of local, organically grown parsley in the weekly shares going home with their Family Farm Share members. Looking ahead, we’re excited to build on the success of the OFTSM campaign, creating even more opportunities for local sourcing to support farmer prosperity. 

The celebration doesn't have to stop here! National Farm to School Month is in October, but we hope you continue celebrating good food, local farmers, community, and engaged learning throughout the year. The ParSLAY the Day resources will be archived on this webpage within the next few weeks. This year, more than ever, OFTSM participants requested our Spanish-language resources. On our website, you can find resources in English and Español and past campaign materials to help integrate Farm to School into your programs!   

A big thank you to everyone who sprinkled a little extra green into their October Farm to School Month celebrations! Your efforts truly added flavor to Georgia’s farm to school celebrations, inspiring students of all ages to grow, cook, eat, and learn about fresh, healthy foods. The joy you cultivated has been a refreshing boost, and we are so grateful for the vibrant, leafy enthusiasm you've shared throughout this campaign! 

Go forth and ParSLAY your day!  

Georgia FCCLA Chapters ParSLAY October Farm to School Month

By: Alissa Pantuosco 

Alissa Pantuosco is a Farm to School Contractor at Georgia Organics.

Each year, Georgia Organics coordinates a statewide campaign for October Farm to School Month to get kids across Georgia eating, growing, and learning about a locally grown produce item. This year we are focusing on the versatile herb, parsley!  

Georgia’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) has been a key partner in the October Farm to School Month campaign. FCCLA is a nationwide program that provides students with opportunities to expand their leadership potential and develop lifelong skills. Through this campaign, FCCLA has inspired innovative and engaging projects that ignite student’s interest in nutrition and healthy eating. 

During the Georgia FCCLA Fall Leadership Rally on October 9th and 16th, students had the opportunity to engage with other FCCLA programs through competitive culinary events, hear a motivational message, and network with schools across Georgia. Eighteen chapters submitted their parsley-themed projects, making it a challenging competition to judge, with unique projects across the board.  

Below, we highlight our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for the Georgia Organics competition, part of FCCLA's Fall Leadership Rally. 

Pictured: Houston County High School FCCLA students

 

Babb FCCLA / Babb Middle School FACS  

3rd Place  

 Babb Middle School FACS students and FCCLA members kicked off this year by growing parsley in their chapter's garden bed to use in various food labs.  

In September, during Babb Middle School's curriculum night, the students used their garden grown parsley to prepare tabbouleh for parents, students, faculty, and staff members. During this event, students learned food safety, knife skills, and recipe scaling skills as they served tabbouleh to over 200 individuals!   

Taking the tabbouleh recipe to their afterschool chapter meeting, they sampled the recipe with additional students, and each participant received a copy of the recipe with information on the nutritional value of parsley to take home. The students also incorporated a cultural education component, researching and teaching about the origin of tabbouleh, learning more about this traditional salad from the Levant region. 

 Babb Middle School’s project brought parsley and tabbouleh to the community in a fun and culturally responsive way, and for that they’ve parSLAY-ed third place in the competition!  

To learn more about Babb Middle School FCCLA, follow them on Facebook (G.P. Babb Middle School) and Instagram (@babbmiddleschool). 

 

Houston County High School FCCLA / Early Childhood Education  

2nd Place  

Houston County High School FCCLA members visited Little Bears Preschool to teach the younger students about the health benefits of parsley and lead them in several parsley-themed activities. They created ways to make learning about parsley fun and relatable to the preschoolers by designing "ParSLAY superhero" cartoon flyers. They also shared a read-aloud video to help the preschoolers understand how herbs and vegetables are grown, and what farmers do while teaching the meaning of farm-to-table. 

 The FCCLA students made parsley crowns and prepared parsley butter with the Little Bears preschoolers for a taste test. They then asked developmentally appropriate questions to guide the preschoolers in making sensory observations regarding parsley's taste, texture, and smell! 

 For connecting with their preschool friends and engaging them in nutrition education in such engaging and creative ways, Houston County High School FCCLA parSLAY-ed second place!  

 To learn more about Houston County High School FCCLA, visit their website. 

Pictured: Students at Little Bear Preschool, provided by Houston County High School FCCLA

 

Ware County High School FCCLA / Culinary Arts  

1st Place  

Ware County High School culinary arts students created menus for a whole week, highlighting parsley in the meals that were served at the Gator Bistro, an on-campus restaurant they manage for teachers. Leading up to the parsley-themed week’s activities, they promoted the ParSLAY the Day campaign by making posters, trivia games, and public service announcements that informed the students and faculty about parsley's health benefits and culinary uses.  

A group of students also conducted a ParSLAY Booth in the cafeteria to educate students about the uses of parsley while sharing samples of foods containing parsley for students to try. This project fully came together by using technology at the information booths in the Bistro and the Cafeteria. A trivia Kahoot was shared via QR Code with students and faculty to test their parsley knowledge and use the data to assess the success of the ParSLAY campaign. For their innovative and comprehensive approach, Ware County High School FCCLA parSLAY-ed first place in the competition.  

To learn more about Ware County High School FCCLA, follow them on Instagram (@warecofccla).  

 

Pictured: Houston County High School FCCLA students

 

Thank you to all the GA FCCLA Chapters who participated in creating unique projects to continue to make October Farm to School Month a huge success! 

To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit georgiaorganics.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.   

Farm to School Innovation Spotlight: Welcome to the Food Miles Project - Connecting local farmers, students, and community in Dodge County

By: Alissa Pantuosco 
Alissa Pantuosco is a Farm to School Contractor at Georgia Organics. 

The Farm to School Innovation Mini Grant provides Georgia public school districts with the resources and support systems they need to expand their garden and nutrition education programs. Applications for the 2024-2025 Farm to School Innovation Mini Grant are now open.

To inspire ideas, we wanted to highlight a unique project that connects students with the Georgia agriculture industry. During last year's mini-grant cycle, Dodge County decided to get creative with their project, going above and beyond to enhance local farmer connections. The project included farm field trips to six local farms with 24 middle and high school students through the Food Miles Project.

Photo credits: Alisha Hall, Dodge County School Nutrition

Behind this project is Alisha Hall, Dodge County's School Nutrition Director. With the opportunity to interview Alisha, we got an inside perspective of the relationships, benefits, and connections behind the Food Miles Project, asking questions regarding the planning and process that brought this project to life.    

In 2024, where many cafeteria meals are heat-and-serve, Alisha noticed there is frequently a missed connection between students' understanding of where their food comes from and the appreciation of the hard work that goes into putting food on the table, starting with the farmers. Alisha decided to develop the Food Miles Project, which offered students an opportunity to visit local farms. These students were given behind-the-scenes tours of farm operations for them to learn about food production and careers related to agriculture and increase their exposure to locally grown commodities.   

Alisha held an application process for students to apply for the program if they were interested in learning more about agriculture and farm-to-table. Twenty-four students applied and were part of the Food Miles Project - a school bus journey to local farms, experiencing how far the food travels to get to their plate

Photo credits: Alisha Hall, Dodge County School Nutrition

The farms visited were intentionally picked to include variety in agriculture, including: 

  • A farm that specialized in hydroponic lettuce (later used in their school lunch salads) 

  •  A hatchery fish farm 

  •  A dairy farm 

  • A blueberry farm   

  • And fruits and vegetables farms   

 The students experienced firsthand the effort and detail that goes into regenerative agriculture and the benefits of local procurement in terms of nutritional quality and supporting the local economy. Alisha mentioned that after the Food Miles Project ended, she continued to see students become spokespeople for Dodge County's school lunch program, encouraging classmates to eat cafeteria meals as they continue to source local ingredients. Other benefits of the project were that students found opportunities for themselves, some even getting part-time job opportunities to work on farms!   

Photo credits: Alisha Hall, Dodge County School Nutrition

If you are interested in starting your own type of Food Miles Project like Dodge County, Alisha shared advice regarding logistics and planning: 

  • Make contacts and coordinate in advance with farmers, teachers, and parents  

  • Start with a small group of students who are interested in agriculture   

  • Pack a lunch for farm field trip day!  

  • Make it fun and educational   

Alisha was eager to share their proudest accomplishments to inspire other school nutrition programs. Building a community in Dodge County and surrounding counties with farmers gave them a new list of vendors to shop from, purchasing over $7,600 in food from participating farms. This not only supported local farmers but also had a positive impact on school nutrition. For example, they incorporated blueberries from Anna's Garden Blueberry Farm, encouraging students to create blueberry recipes to add to the cafeteria menu. As the farmers showed off their operations and increased exposure, they stated that seeing students motivated to learn about local farming gives them hope for the future.   

Photo credits: Alisha Hall, Dodge County School Nutrition

 When you have an idea that benefits the next generation, farmers, and the local community, your mini-grant project can be the perfect opportunity to go for it! Now's your chance to join the next cohort of mini-grant awardees and create memorable, impactful experiences for your students – apply now! 

For more information about Dodge County School Nutrition Services, visit https://www.dodge.k12.ga.us/departments/school-nutrition. You can also follow updates from Dodge County Schools on Facebook (Dodge County Schools).

To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit georgiaorganics.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.   

Buy a Bunch: Don’t Leaf Parsley Out! Your Local Parsley Purchasing Guide.

By: Alissa Pantuosco 

Alissa Pantuosco is a Farm to School Contractor at Georgia Organics. 

This year, in celebration of Farm to School Month, Georgia Organics is excited to ParSLAY the Day! To get kids excited about growing, tasting, and learning about parsley, we have created TONS of FREE lessons, resources, recipes, school nutrition materials, activities. Sign up for this year's campaign here! 

Have you ever tried parsley from a local farm? Or do you grab a bunch of parsley from the produce section at the grocery store? This is the year to try locally grown parsley and taste the difference! Whether it's curly-leaf or flat-leaf parsley, this herb can add variety and flavor to your recipes—be they soups, sauces, salads, or garnishes. This little green herb has some big health benefits, such as immunity-boosting nutrients. So, next time you are at a local farmer's market, grab a bunch! 

Parsley is also a fantastic herb for school districts interested in sourcing directly from local farms. Since parsley is generally needed in smaller quantities, larger districts can use this opportunity to source from small-scale farmers, overcoming previous supply limitations. Sourcing parsley from local farmers is a great way to start building relationships with farmers in your area while exposing students to a new produce item through taste tests or school meals.   

Whether you are participating in ParSLAY the Day as a parent or educator/school administrator, you can support many local Georgia farmers through this campaign. Below is a list of participating ParSLAY the Day farmers, with more information about their farms and how to connect with them.

 

PINEWOOD SPRINGS FARM (Stockbridge, Georgia)

Jeff and Rodney at Pinewood Springs Farm  - Photo by: Jeffrey Anthony

Jeffery Anthony and Rodney Gabriel, farmers at Pinewood Springs Farm in Stockbridge, GA, grow parsley on their farm in Henry County. Pinewood Springs Farm sells parsley to restaurants, online markets, and farmers markets. If you are heading to Marietta Square Farmers Market or Peachtree Road Farmers Market, stop by the Pinewood Springs booth to find local parsley! If you're looking for a simple parsley delivery, Pinewood Springs Farm delivers to customers in the metro Atlanta area and offers a CSA program to members. Also, Pinewood Springs Farm is the first farm in Georgia, and the Southeast to provide pre-ordering from their online store using SNAP/EBT for pick up at farmers markets. Soon, they will offer a 50% discount code for SNAP/EBT orders! Pinewood Springs Farm sells Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) parsley with high-quality standards for you to purchase today. 

To inquire about purchasing parsley from Pinewood Springs Farm, reach out to farmer Jeffery at Jeff@pinewoodspringsfarm.com.  

FOOD AND FLORA SOVEREIGNTY (Woodstock, Georgia)

Emily Zeike at Food and Flora Sovereignty - Photo by: Emily Zielke

Emily Zielke, a farmer at Food and Flora Sovereignty in Woodstock, GA, is growing parsley and selling it at farmers markets in the Metro Atlanta area. Check out Piedmont Park Green Market and Virginia Highlands Farmers Market for Food and Flora Sovereignty's fresh parsley! Parsley delivery is available for residents in the Atlanta area as well. 

To learn more and inquire about purchasing parsley from Food and Flora Sovereignty, reach out to farmer Emily at Emily.zielke@gmail.com.  

STEEL MAGNOLIA MARKET (Waycross, Georgia)

April Westover’s Parsley at Steel Magnolia Market Garden - Photo by: April Westover

April Westover, the farmer at Steel Magnolia Market Garden (formerly GreenWay Gardens) in Waycross, GA, is growing lots of parsley this year. April sells parsley to farmers markets, schools, and daycares. You can purchase parsley from Steel Magnolia Market Garden from the WayGreen Local Fare Market in Waycross, GA, or locally delivered if you live in Waycross. Steel Magnolia Market Garden is Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)-certified. 

To learn more and inquire about purchasing parsley from Steel Magnolia Market Garden, reach out to farmer April at Steelmagnoliamg@gmail.com.  

CROSSROAD FARM AND GARDEN (Alma, Georgia)

Andy Douglas’s Parsley at Crossroad Farm and Garden - Photo by: Andy Douglas

Andy Douglas, a farmer at Crossroad Farm and Garden in Alma, GA, grows parsley in the southern region of GA. Crossroad Farm and Garden sells at farmers markets and has a CSA program! If you live within a 30-minute proximity to Crossroad Farm and Garden, parsley delivery is an option. For farmers market attendees, you can find Crossroad Farm and Garden's parsley at Mary Ross Farmer's Market in Brunswick, GA. Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) parsley is available at Crossroad Farm and Garden for your CSA box and farmers market purchases.   

To inquire about purchasing parsley from Crossroad Farm and Garden, reach out to farmer Andy at Andrewdouglas85@gmail.com.

LOVE IS LOVE COOPERATIVE FARM (Mansfield, Georgia)

Love is Love Cooperative Farmers -Photo by Judith Winfrey

Judith Winfrey, a Love is Love Cooperative Farm farmer in Mansfield, GA, sells parsley through various outlets, including restaurants, wholesale distributors, and a CSA program. The Common Market and Fresh Harvest are places where you can find Love is Love Cooperative Farm's parsley. If you are a restaurant or school looking to buy in bulk, wholesale orders require a $150 minimum for delivery. This USDA Certified Organic parsley can be delivered to metro Atlanta, Covington, and Monroe city residents.   

To inquire about purchasing parsley from Love is Love Cooperative Farm, reach out to farmer Judith at judith@loveislovecooperativefarm.com.   

POLYCULTURE PRODUCTION AT GAIA FARM (Decatur, Georgia)

Stephanie Simmons with Polyculture Production at Gaia Farm - Photo by: Food Well Alliance

Stephanie Simmons, farmer at Polyculture Production at Gaia Farm in Decatur, GA, grows parsley for you to purchase from farmers markets, a farm stand, and through a CSA program. You can find Polyculture Production’s parsley at Oakhurst Farmers Market, SUN Market, and the MARTA Markets. If you are interested in a CSA program, theirs will run through August 21st. In the fall and spring seasons, there will be farm market pop-ups with a bi-weekly schedule for farm sales where you can purchase parsley! Along with these options, wholesale pricing is available for parsley in bulk for a $50 minimum order within a 5-mile radius and a $100 minimum order if you live in the metro Atlanta area beyond 5 miles of the farm.  

To inquire about purchasing parsley wholesale or through a CSA program from Polyculture Production at Gaia Farm, reach out to farmer Stephanie at Stephanie.simmons03@gmail.com.   

For those who would like to visit the farms and see where parsley is grown along with other fruits and vegetables, these farms are offering farm field trips. Students are welcome, and these four farms would love to have you visit! 

  1. Food and Flora Sovereignty  

  2. Crossroad Farm and Garden (reach out directly to inquire about fee)  

  3. Love is Love Cooperative Farm ($10 per person/$150 minimum)  

  4. Polyculture Production at Gaia Farm ($10 per person/$100 minimum)  

These parsley farmers are all located in different regions of Georgia and are here to supply you with fresh parsley. Purchasing from farmers within your community is nutritionally healthy and supports organic farmers, benefiting our local environment and economy. So, check out the markets, farm stands, CSA programs, and wholesale options for purchasing and ParSLAY the Day! 

To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit georgiaorganics.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.    

Nuts for Local Foods in School Meals: “Feed My School” Marietta School Event Recap!

By: Sharonda Chiangong & Yaza Sarieh 

Sharonda Chiangong is an Emory Rollins School of Public Health Masters Candidate, studying Global Health. Yaza Sarieh is the Community Collaborations Coordinator at Georgia Organics. 

The ACRE Collective: Advancing Agriculture, Community, Resilience & Equity  through Values-Based Procurement is a collaborative partnership aimed at enhancing the availability of nutritious, locally sourced foods, to the advantage of every participant within the food network. Through value-based procurement (VBP), the ACRE Collective aims to create sustainable, long-term buying relationships between local food producers and large institutions, such as schools, universities and hospitals. The Common Market Southeast leads the ACRE Collective with support from organizations such as Georgia Organics, Health Care Without Harm, and the Turner Environmental Law Clinic at Emory University to help ensure the longevity of values-based food procurement practices in Atlanta-area schools.  

One of the ACRE Collective’s first projects was to launch a values-based local food incentive pilot program with Marietta City Schools and Rockdale County Public Schools. This pilot demonstrates how local food incentive dollars support a shift toward local procurement, catalyze economic opportunity for diverse farmers in our region, and increase student access to fresh, healthy foods. The ACRE Collective provided a $60,000 grant to these districts with the goal of increasing the amount of local, culturally significant foods included in school meals and encouraging statewide adoption of a local food incentive program for all schools in Georgia.  

With the support of Georgia Organics, the ACRE Collective also empowers school nutrition staff by sharing knowledge on best practices for fresh food prep, information on where fresh ingredients are sourced from, and structure for how to plan nutrition education activities to engage student leadership in school nutrition. Students give their insights and feedback during taste tests, which ultimately shape the food purchased and the meals served in the cafeteria. 

Nutrition Workshop for school nutrition staff at Marietta City Schools, pc: Marietta City Schools 

In April, Georgia Organics supported the “Feed My School” event at the Marietta Sixth Grade Academy, during which the ACRE Collective hosted multiple taste tests. The purpose of this event was to showcase Georgia Grown foods and get students’ input on the foods they would like to see in their school meals. The event took place during the students’ lunch period, and lunch featured Georgia Grown foods. The cafeteria was set up so that students could walk around to different tables and try various locally grown produce items.  

In addition to tasting the produce item, students participated in fun activities and trivia and voted on whether they liked it and wanted to see it incorporated into cafeteria meals. 

The Georgia Organics table highlighted pecans! Students learned that Georgia is the nation’s largest supplier of pecans, with an average annual harvest that could make nearly 150 million pecan pies! They also learned fun facts about this staple product, like:  

  • Georgia has been the nation's leading pecan-producing state since the late 1800s. 

  • There are approximately 78 pecans used in every pecan pie! 

  • Albany, Georgia, which boasts more than 600,000 pecan trees, is the pecan capital of the United States. 

  • Pecan Trees have a lifespan of up to 300 years! 

  • July 12th is National Pecan Pie Day! 

Pecan taste test at Marietta City Schools pc: Sharonda Chiangong

The ACRE Collective is an opportunity for school cafeterias to build demand among our next generation of consumers for delicious, fresh, and sustainably produced local food while offering tremendous financial support to a local food system that nurtures the land and our communities. 

For more information about the ACRE Collective, visit their website or check out The Common Market Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) pages. 

Order farm-fresh pecans right to your doorstep by visiting the Rolling Branch Farms website! 

To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit georgiaorganics.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. 

FARM TO SCHOOL INNOVATION MINI GRANT SPOTLIGHT: Building Opportunities for Local Food and Garden Education for Polk County Students

FARM TO SCHOOL INNOVATION MINI GRANT SPOTLIGHT: Building Opportunities for Local Food and Garden Education for Polk County Students

These garden projects will cultivate healthier, lifelong eating habits by enhancing student’s learning experience and raising awareness about the benefits of locally grown foods.