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Crystal Besse
The pandemic may have slowed down school garden production in St. Mary Parish, but extension agent Jessica Randazzo is full steam ahead, helping get the gardens back into full operation.
“We’ve been working on building back our garden to what it once was before COVID-19. Jessica has been tremendous. She is always looking for new experiences and resources for our garden club,” said principal Shantell Toups, of J.S. Aucoin Elementary in Amelia, Louisiana.
Randazzo serves as the area nutrition agent for St. Mary Parish and is leading a successful example of farm to school work in action using garden-based nutrition education. Teachers who participate in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) programming are offered activities ranging from novice to advanced including seed germination, preparing recipes using fresh fruits and vegetables or installing a raised bed garden. Food-based gardening is a beneficial activity that leads to the economical production and consumption of healthy and fresh foods. SNAP-Ed providers promote the value of gardening for nutrition and play an instrumental role in improving access to healthy foods by supporting community and school gardens in limited-resource communities.
“I’ve been able to combine the strategies offered through the Smarter Lunchroom Movement with samplings of local products featured in Louisiana Harvest of the Month to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables,” Randazzo said. “Students tried all the produce they grew during the cooking demonstration portion of our lessons. In some instances, the school garden produced enough to include garden-grown vegetables on the school lunch menu. The school principal signed up for the Harvest of the Month program and received posters and ‘I tried it’ stickers. Having the Harvest of the Month posters up reinforced the topics taught during the lessons. From the looks on the students' faces, it was evident that they were proud of themselves for producing and trying new foods.”
SNAP-Ed supports food related gardening by allowing purchases of seeds, plants, small gardening tools and soil. For more information and resources about LSU AgCenter SNAP-Ed nutrition education and gardening, visit www.LSUAgCenter.com/SNAPEd.
Crystal Besse is the program director of Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program.
(This article appears in the spring 2023 edition of Louisiana Agriculture.)
Jessica Randazzo, St. Mary Parish extension agent, prepares pan-fried cauliflower that was grown and prepared by the J.S. Aucoin School Garden Club. Photo by Bruce Schultz
St. Mary Parish extension agent Jessica Randazzo poses with raised garden beds growing Brussels sprouts, lettuce and other crops grown by students at J.S. Aucoin Elementary School in Morgan City. Photo by Bobbie Mitchell
