• Harvest of the Month
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Harvest of the Month (HOTM)

Overview

Harvest of the Month helps plant the seeds of change, turning those who frequently turn their noses up at produce, to fans of fruits and vegetables. How?

Harvest of the Month allows students to taste and explore a different California-grown fruit or vegetable each month. Each container of featured produce is accompanied by a newsletter that offers fun curriculum tie-ins, physical activity suggestions and a parent flyer for students to take home.

This in-classroom taste testing gives students the chance to try healthy foods and learn about them at the same time. The program motivates and empowers students to increase their consumption and enjoyment of a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables and to engage in physical activity every day.

The Harvest of the Month lessons are so popular, students are taking them from the classroom to home, sharing these experiences with their families. With more than 175,000 students participating in Harvest of the Month each month, that's quite an impact!

According to a recent study of 4th and 5th grade Harvest of the Month students, post-curriculum increases in fruit and vegetable consumption and knowledge were noted, demonstrating the program’s longevity and success rates.

For information on the Network for a Healthy California—LAUSD Harvest of the Month program, contact Debbie Iwamoto at deborah.iwamoto@lausd.net or (562) 654-9324. Also, visit the Network for a Healthy California Harvest of the Month Web site at www.harvestofthemonth.com.

The Harvest of the Month program is a joint project of the Network for a Healthy California—LAUSD and the LAUSD Food Services Division.

Network for a Healthy California—LAUSD | 6651-C Balboa Blvd. | Van Nuys, CA 91406 | Phone (818) 609-2550 | Fax (818) 609-2580

This material was produced by the California Department of Public Health's Network for a Healthy California with funding from USDA SNAP, known in California as CalFresh (formerly Food Stamps). These institutions are equal opportunity providers and employers. CalFresh provides assistance to low-income households and can help buy nutritious foods for better health. For CalFresh information, call 1-877-847-3663. For important nutrition information, visit www.cachampionsforchange.net.