1. Indiana Harvest of the Month
February 3, 2017

2. Welcome
Maggie Schabel, Indiana Department of Education Ginny Roberts, Purdue Extension, Marion County Laura Hormuth, Indiana State Department of Health

3. Agenda What is Harvest of the Month (HOTM)
Where to Find Indiana HOTM Resources
How to Get Involved
Who to Contact if You Have More Questions

4. POLL #1: How familiar are you with HOTM?
I’m new at this - tell me everything!
I’m somewhat familiar with HOTM, but a thorough explanation would be great.
I’m pretty familiar with HOTM and have used it, but I want to learn how I can take it to the next level.

5. HOTM History
HOTM was developed in California by local partners and school districts in the late 1990's.
HOTM launched statewide in 2005, primarily in low-resource schools and districts in California.
Today, at least 11 states have their own HOTM program and have adapted many of their materials from the original California HOTM monthly elements.
Use California as the model approach.

6. Examples of other states’ HOTM materials.

7. HOTM is Coming to Indiana
The Indiana Farm to School Network partners (i.e., DOE, ISDH, Purdue Extension, and FoodLink) are developing a comprehensive Indiana HOTM Program that will provide ready-to-go materials for the classroom, cafeteria and community.
The program will be ready in the fall of 2017.

8. HOTM, currently a pilot program, is nearly completed!
This is an exciting new program for Indiana schools. 
It’s an easy program that helps schools buy and serve more local food, while teaching students about healthy eating, nutrition, and agriculture.
Each month, schools can feature different local items on their cafeteria menus.
HOTM brings more money to local farmers and puts more local food on students’ plates.
HOTM, currently a pilot program, is nearly completed!
This is an exciting new program for Indiana schools. It’s an easy program that helps schools buy and serve more local food, while teaching students about healthy eating, nutrition, and agriculture. Each month, schools can feature a different local item on their cafeteria menus. This brings more money to local farmers and puts more nutritious food on student’s plates.
Have you heard about the program? Harvest of the Month will be available for
schools in Indiana beginning with the 2017/18 school year.

9. “The true promise of farm to school may be to educate youth about the food that can be easily grown and stored in Indiana, and to foster sufficient growing, preparation and eating skills that those foods which Indiana farmers can easily raise, store and ship become familiar to consumers and favored by them. “
Source: Opportunities for Farm to School in Hancock County, Indiana, CRC 2015
In 2014, Crossroads Resource Center (CRC) was commissioned by ISDH to compile a report. The purpose of the report was to help the Indiana Farm to School Network better understand how farmers and schools could be encouraged to collaborate to source locally produced foods through aggregation points. The Report produced important new learning—but in the end, suggested…see quote.
The resulting report can be found at:

10. Transition Slide – Maggie

11. What is Indiana Harvest of the Month
HOTM provides ready-to-go resources that can be downloaded at no cost, are evidence-based and versatile for use in a variety of settings.
HOTM promotes the use of local, seasonal Indiana foods.
HOTM is an initiative of the Indiana Farm to School
Network.

12. What is Indiana Harvest of the Month
Every month local, seasonal fruits or vegetables are featured.
Produce is served on salad bars as a whole food, in a featured in a recipe or sampled as a taste test.

13. What is Indiana Harvest of the Month
Students have the opportunity to taste the local produce multiple times throughout the month.
The more opportunities students have to taste local seasonal fruits and vegetables, the more likely they are to choose, request, and eat it.  

14. Local Produce for All Seasons
HOTM features a variety of Indiana grown fruits and vegetables for all seasons – winter, spring, summer and fall.
Several items will be featured during each three-month season offering greater flexibility for schools to implement the HOTM program.
While many Indiana grown fruits and vegetables are available in multiple seasons or year-round, the schedule will be based on when the featured produce items are in peak season in most regions of Indiana.

16. HOTM Featured Products
The Featured Products are selected based on the following criteria:
Indiana grown and/or produced
In season
Represent a diverse variety of colorful fruits and vegetables
Familiar to children
Affordable when purchased in season
Easy to use for taste testing
Recommended by school food buyers for seasonal availability and cost

17. Transition Slide – Ginny

18. Monthly Elements

19. Monthly Elements Include
Posters
Fun Facts
Nutrition Facts
Recipes formulated for a school kitchen
Garden Connection
Curricular Connection & Activity
Book List
Drop & Drag Language for
school menus
school newsletters
morning announcements
social media

20. Let your students know that blueberries taste great and are grown here in Indiana!
Poster examples

21. Turnip Example
Blurb for your school newsletter or menu: In the cafeteria this month we’re featuring LOCAL TURNIPS as our Indiana Harvest of the Month! Our school cafeteria is serving fruits and vegetables from regional farms throughout this school year. Locally grown TURNIPS will be featured in (dish) on (date).

22. Turnip Example
Text for morning announcements: “Good morning students, this month we are celebrating LOCALLY GROWN TURNIPS in the cafeteria. Look for turnips grown at these local farms (name the farm(s) you’re purchasing from, if you can) in your school lunches this month.”

23. Turnip Example Blurb for school menus:
In (month), Indiana Harvest of the Month is TURNIPS! We will be serving (whatever item you are serving) on the lunch line. Try this sensational side dish on (date). Be sure to look for the Indiana Harvest icon! 

24. Indiana HOTM in Action!
Pilot at Lawrence Township

25. Transition Slide – Laura

26. POLL #2: Which of the following resources are you most interested in using?
Posters
Trivia - fun facts - nutrition facts
Recipes for k-12 school lunches
Taste test guide
Text for morning announcements
Blurb for school newsletter or menu
School garden activities
Classroom activities
Harvest of the Month Reading List
Laura

27. Who can use the HOTM program?
Food Service Professionals
Teachers
Garden Leaders
Students
Families
Farmers
Farmers Markets
Extension
Communities

28. Where the program can take place
Cafeterias (local food procurement, menuing, taste testing)
Classroom
Gardens
After School Programs
Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program
Summer Food Service Program
Farm Field Trips

29. Indiana HOTM 101 for Food Service Professionals

30. HOTM 101 for Food Service Professionals
By promoting Indiana Harvest of the Month products in the cafeteria, you are helping to strengthen your Farm to School program, support local farmers, and support children’s healthy eating habits!

31. How can Food Service Professionals Support HOTM
Learn more and educate others about HOTM and its many resources
Promote HOTM in the cafeteria
Gain support within the school community (e.g., teachers, principals, superintendents and school boards, school staff, students, parents, retailers, and the agriculture community)
Support school gardens

32. How can Food Service Professionals Support HOTM
Support school gardens
Use produce from school gardens in the cafeteria
Ginny

33. How can Food Service Professionals Support HOTM
Offer sample taste tests and in-class cooking activities
Taste tests are small samples of food, served separately from lunch, that introduce a food’s flavor, texture, and smell.
Students try a small bite of something, then vote on whether
they liked it and would try it again.
Explore Indiana Grown Produce!

34. How can Food Service Professionals Support HOTM
Purchase local or regional products for school meal programs

35. Three Sources Source Suggestions Pros/Cons Local Farms Food Hubs
Use Purdue’s Map, Indiana State Department of Health’s List, current relationships.
Involves another delivery, but could support a neighbor farm.
Food Hubs
This Old Farm , Hoosier Harvest Market Place
These organizations aggregate only from local farms so you know the product is local. This Old Farm works to use a delivery company that you already get a delivery from to limit trucking in. Source identification a big part of the service!
Distributor
Piazza
You may already have a relationship with a company that can provide local products!
Maggie
To procure local foods, you may work with a local farm, food hub, or distributor. If purchasing from a local farm, make sure that they are registered with the Indiana Department of Health. The Indiana Department of Health requires those registered to be GAP trained.

36. Three Procurement Types
Micro Purchase
Under $3,500.
Give local purchasing a try!
Informal Bid (Quotes)
Under $150,000.
Three bids and a buy. Send to three Local Food Hubs/farmers to encourage local procurement.
Formal Bid
Over $150,000.
Won’t it be great when your formal bid has language in it to encourage local procurement?!
When procuring local foods from a local farmer, food hub, or distributor, schools must make sure that they are competitively receiving quotes or bids. There are three main procurement types depending on the amount and type of local foods that a school will be purchasing. If a school is just starting out with buying local produce and is only wanting to purchase a small amount which is under $3,500, a school could try a micropurchase which does not require any quotes or bids. If a school starts to get more established with their local produce buying and starts buying larger amounts of produce over $3,500 but below $150,000, then that school needs try to receive three quotes for that produce. Local food items more than $150,000 need to go through a formal bid process.
The dollar amount for purchase will determine the procurement method. Schools can find more procurement information and sample quote forms on the Indiana Department of Education’s Farm to School website.

37. 6 Action Steps for Food Service
1. Select your Indiana Harvest Item 2. Purchase Harvest item locally through current distributor or grower 3. Download the selected item’s monthly elements from the HOTM website 4. Display the HOTM poster in the cafeteria each month 5. Integrate some of the suggested recipes into your menus 6. Offer taste tests of the featured monthly product to help students develop a taste for new, healthy and local food Download the Taste Test Toolkit for more info!

38. How to Access Resources
All resources will be available for free download from Purdue
New URL for HOTM Monthly Elements & Training Tools

39. https://extension.purdue.edu/foodlink/food.php?food=apple

40. Stay Tuned…
The Indiana Farm to School Network & DOE will keep you informed on the launch of the Indiana Harvest of the Month Website and other training opportunities!

41. Harvest of the Month Best Practices
Cross-promote with other programs and initiatives:
School Meal Programs
Summer Food Service Program
After School Programs
Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program
Laura

42. Harvest of the Month Best Practices
Incorporate into other programs
Farm to School
School and Community Gardens
Local School Wellness Policy
Worksite Wellness
SNAP and WIC

43. Harvest of the Month Best Practices
Plan ahead!
It is helpful to know what fruits and vegetables are available during the different months of the school year.
Not every school district will be able to start out doing a full year of HOTM.
If this is the first year implementing HOTM, pick and choose what to feature and when to begin.
Start small and grow the program slowly.
Choose the easiest months when Indiana items are most
readily available in the region.

44. Harvest of the Month Pilot Video

45. POLL #4: Who will you share this information about with after today’s event?
Food Service Managers & Staff
Food Distributors
Farmers - Growers
Superintendents, Principals, Teachers
School Garden Leaders
School Wellness Committee
Community Partners (Purdue Extension)
Others?

46. Recap: Why Indiana Harvest of the Month
The objectives are for students to increase their:
Access to fruits, vegetables and locally produced food through school meal programs, classrooms, school gardens, farmers markets, grocery stores, community gardens, etc.
Preference for HOTM items through classroom activities, such as taste testing, cooking in the class, school garden activities and through menu offerings in the school meals program
Knowledge and familiarity with Indiana grown fruits, vegetables and local agriculture

47. Recap: Why Indiana Harvest of the Month
HOTM educates students about eating healthy and increases their preference
for these smarter meal options.
Taste tests in the cafeteria
Curriculum connections made in the classroom
Local ingredients integrated into school menus
The strength of Indiana HOTM is its ability to reach students in a variety of settings and where it can have the most impact – the cafeteria, classroom, home and community.

48. It’s easy to get involved!
Harvest of the Month is a great opportunity to celebrate local abundance, experiment with new foods and recipes, and get some positive recognition for your school. We want to help you to continue to lead the way in making farm-fresh foods available to students and staff whenever possible.
It also provides wonderful opportunities for school food and nutrition staff, educators, school administrators, family members, and students to collaborate, and to celebrate your commitment to serving locally grown foods with the community!

49. For Questions Contact Maggie Schabel mschabel@doe.in.gov Ginny Roberts
Laura Hormuth