Virginia Harvest of the Month Program
What is Virginia Harvest of the Month?
Virginia Harvest of the Month (HOM) is a program that promotes seasonal eating and increased fruit and vegetable consumption and supports local economies. Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education, Office of School Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SNP), Virginia HOM provides ready-to-use materials for classrooms, cafeterias, nonprofits, farmers’ markets, and early care centers to educate children about the joys of eating seasonal, local foods.
Developing robust farm to school programming requires planning, communication, promotion, and education, and it is worth the effort: research from the National Farm to School Network-This is a PDF document.
(May 2020) shows that farm to school activities can create jobs, improve local economies, and increase meal participation.
The objective of Virginia HOM is to increase consumption of seasonal, Virginia Grown fresh fruits and vegetables so children establish healthy eating habits to last a lifetime.
- Virginia Harvest of the Month Overview-This is a Word document. - Alternative Accessible Version
- Virginia Harvest of the Month Overview-This is a PDF document.
Featured Items
- January: Sweet Potatoes
- February: Butternut Squash
- March: Kale
- April: Lettuce
- May: Strawberries
- June: Cucumbers
- July: Zucchini
- August: Tomatoes
- September: Sweet Bell Peppers
- October: Apples
- November: Cabbage
- December: Spinach
Nutrition Education Lesson Plans (Grades 9-10)
Promotional Materials (K-5)
Posters
Point-of-Service (POS) Signs
Promotional Materials (6-12)
Posters
Point-of-Service (POS) Signs
Recipes
Coming winter 2021/spring 2022!
For More Information
To inquire about additional HOM materials, please email the SNP Training, Program Improvement, and Grants Supervisor at Kelly.Shomo@doe.virginia.gov.