Fields of Fresh Fruit

What fruits are in season where you live? Are they grown without harmful chemicals? Draw a picture of your favorite fruit, like these luscious strawberries, fresh from a farmer’s market or in your own garden.

• 1.

  What do you like about eating fruit? Is it the bright colors? The sweet, juicy taste? Or could there be some things—like vitamins—that you don’t see or taste that make fruit a healthy food choice?

• 2.

  Many farmers use chemicals to keep their produce fresh and free of bugs and disease. Some of these chemicals may not be very safe for people, other living things, and the Earth’s environment. Sometimes if fruits and vegetables have to be shipped a long way, they are treated to keep them fresh.

• 3.

  How can you make sure that the things that you eat are good for you and the environment? One way is know how farmers grew their crops. Another way is to grow your own fruits and vegetables in a garden or orchard. Is there a farmer’s market where you live? Does your grocery store identify local farms as sources of their produce? Who do you know that raises a garden?

• 4.

  Find out about produce grown at local farms and from far-away places. If possible, compare how the fruits look, taste, and cost. Learn what terms such as natural, organic, and pesticide-free really mean so you can make wise food choices.

• 5.

  With Crayola Markers, draw one or more of the yummy fruits that you enjoy eating. Show their textures and colors when they are ripe. You might even draw them growing in a field, just before they are picked. How many different fruits did your classmates ch

Benefits

• Children gather information about how fruits are grown and sold.
• Children compare local produce with produce from more distant locations.
• Children illustrate the bright colors and rich textures of ripe fruit.

Adaptations

• Did you know that some fruits and vegetables are listed on the "Dirty Dozen"? These foods have the most chemicals put on them to help them grow and stay bug-free. Find out which types of produce commonly have the most and least pesticide use. Peaches are
• If you try to eat only what is grown near where you live, will you be able to get any produce you want at anytime? Discuss how the growing season affects what is sold at local markets.
• What are some other reasons why eating locally is better for the environment? How does food get to your grocery store from far-away places? Track the journey of a banana or grape, for example, from where it is grown to your table.
• Assessment: Can children identify some of the factors concerned with local and far-away produce? With the use of chemicals on foods? Are the words pesticide and organic words they can recognize and explain? Did their drawing portray colorful, ripe fruit?