King Elementary hosts Arkansas Farm to Table Summit

Educators and nutrition experts from across the state gathered at King Elementary School on March 15 for the "Arkansas Farm to Table Summit." With a theme of "Growing Together," the event was hosted by the National Center for Appropriate Technology and FoodCorps Arkansas, with support from the Van Buren School District. The all-day summit included a range of discussions and activities centered around health and nutrition-related subjects.

The summit focused on ways that districts through the state can work to create an overall schoolwide and community-wide culture of health. Some of the special presentations included “Connecting Cooking to Class,” and “Gardening with Kids.” Participants heard from school and FoodCorps leaders regarding their roles and steps being taken to promote nutrition initiatives during the Schoolwide Health Panel Discussion. Among the presenters were Van Buren Superintendent Dr. Harold Jeffcoat and VBSD Activities Coordinator Drew Cone.

King is one of two schools in the Van Buren School District to participate in the FoodCorps program. The initiative is also implemented at Tate Elementary School. Mary Grace Stoneking serves as the FoodCorp representative for both campuses, coordinating everything from produce taste tests to hands-on time in the garden. She also works with teachers at each school to integrate nutrition education across the curriculum.