USU helps with award-winning fair
Students at Edith Bowen Laboratory School listened Thursday evening as Utah State University students dressed as pirates educated them about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables.
“It just gets bigger and better every year,” Kaye Rhees, principal of Edith Bowen, said of the fruits and veggie fair. “I really appreciate the relationship between the lab school and the university.”
The annual fruit and veggie fair has received national attention, including the 2004 USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Best Practices Award given to the USU nutrition and food sciences department for the quality and creativity of work found in the fair.
“Our focus this year is to get kids to eat fruits and vegetables,” Rhees said.
In order to help efforts, the physcial education specialist at the school coordinates with the school chef, Rhees said, “so they’re intergraded between physical education healthy lifestyles and school lunch.”
The theme of the night was Pirates of the Caribbean. The students were broken up into four groups to attend four activities, sailing the seas, hidden treasures, walk the plank and a treasure hunt.
Brittany Lewis, a senior studying dietetics, who said the fair is part of a class project, said students get to experience different fruits and vegetables and it makes them more excited to eat them.
“If offers them a chance to learn about fruits and vegetables,” Hilary Spooner, a senior studying dietetics, said. “It’s a fun creative way.”
Rhees also said the fair is a great parent-child activity.
“This year, more than years past, an entertaining element [was used]. Kids go home talking about things they talked about and did,” Jason Swan, Edith Bowen’s PTA president said. “The way they’re presenting this is year is fantastic.”
Tammy Vitale, a USU professor whose class helped organize the fair, said teaching kids about helathy foods will help them fill up on the good stuff.
“If they learn where the food comes from they’re more excited to try new things,” she said.
Eating healthy can prevent a lot of chronic diseases but also eating produce can help prevent obesity, Vitale said.
“Our PTA is really focused on providing activities that are based on education,” Swan said.
Another benefit to the fair, Vitale said in a press release, is that the total budget for the night is only $50.
Besides the students that helped with the fair, Vitale said, other dietetics students helped by making posters that promote health in general.
“I think it’s really cool. It gives the kids a chance to be creative,” Alenae Mackey, a parent who attended the fair, said. “My daughter’s being really conscientious now about what we eat.”
Janessa Slatky, a senior studying dietetics, taught about phyto-chemicals in different fruits and vegetables that give the fruits their color.
Slatky said it was a hard topic to teach but it helps provide the kids knowledge of foods that can help them to be healthy now.
“Fruits and vegetables are good for you,” Cyreus Geller, a student at Edith Bowen, said.
Geller said he likes eating fruits and vegetables, and that his favorite fruit is a plum.
Another Edith Bowen student, Spencer Rasmunson, said his favorite part of the fair was receiving a ribbon for his fruit and veggie piece of art.
The students had the opportunity to create different sculptures within the pirate theme with a large variety of fruits and vegetables available to them.
Dave Karren, a parent at the fair, said this activity encourages children to eat healthy, because they’d rather just eat junk.
“It [the event] makes them become more aware of the importance of fruits and vegetables in their diet,” Andrea Hurren, a senior studying dietetics, said.
“When you’re younger that’s when you get your eating habits, and as you get older you need to eat fruits and vegetables,” Heather Woolschleger, a senior studying dietetics, said.
“I liked the food they served. It makes me want to eat more fruits and vegetables,” Lauren Stanko, an Edith Bowen student, said.
-amysueh@cc.usu.edu
Vegetable statues made by Edith Bowen students are shown on display at the fruit and vegetables fair. (Photo by Jamie Crane)