Blue Earth Area Schools Adds Food Preservation to Family Consumer Science Class

A common barrier we at SHIP often hear related to eating healthy is food preparation, storage and preservation. One teacher at Blue Earth Area Schools is changing her curriculum to ensure students who take her Family and Consumer Science class leave with the skills they need to safely preserve food. Canning, in particular, is considered a 'lost art' in the hustle and bustle of the 21st century. By incorporating food preservation into the course curriculum, they are working to once again, revive a long lost practice. The first group of Culinary Arts students were able to make use of fresh garden produce in the fall by dehydrating apples and canning salsa.  "Students really enjoyed the apples and experimented with a variety of flavors by treating with lemon juice, cinnamon or cinnamon/sugar.  Students were also very serious about canning salsa and making sure that no one needed to worry about botulism.  They washed equipment, fresh veggies and hands even more carefully than normal.  They were sure to process jars carefully.  We had one jar to taste in class and they each took their own jar home for their families.  Several mentioned that there was no salsa left after the weekend!" Barbara Carlson, Family Consumer Science Teacher at Blue Earth Area Schools.
In addition to adding the curriculum in the Family Consumer Science Program, the school district plans to utilize the canning equipment in their Community Education Program to provide food preservation community classes. Working with Family Consumer Science Programs provides a unique opportunity to benefit both the students and the program. "Often, budgets are tight and Family Consumer Science Programs turn to low cost baking items for their class curriculum, adding education for students on canning and freezing provides students with basic life-long skills," Dar Holmseth, Community Education Director at Blue Earth Area Schools.

Students at Blue Earth Area Schools demonstrating their newfound canning abilities!

Improving Walkability in Martin County!

Communities across Martin County are taking steps towards more pedestrian friendly communities after participating in walkability workshops conducted by Minnesota Department of Health and Region 9 Development Commission. Community groups which included representation from schools, childcare, seniors and county commissioners came together in both Trimont and Truman to learn about the importance of active living and pedestrian walkability in their communities.

Areas of concern were identified during the walking audit portion of the training, including gaps in sidewalk continuity, poor sidewalk conditions, dangerous street crossings and problem areas around school buildings.  In Trimont, the walk included discussing the downtown area, and included crossing County Highway 4 near Trimont Elementary. The group continued walking and discussed possible development opportunities in the community. This included a grocery store that is being sited just south of town. The group discussed the importance of considering walking and bicycling access to the store. There was also discussion of safe access from the Trimont Healthcare Center. In Truman, the walking audit included the Senior Living Community, community park, school zone area and downtown. During the walking audit, MNDot was in the process of upgrading Highway 15 which runs through the community. It was noted that the Martin County Commissioners requested MNDot pave four foot shoulders to allow for pedestrian travel, to which MnDot agreed.

 

Upon returning from the walking audit, each community group identified barriers as well as opportunities for improvement.

Some potential next steps for Trimont include:

·         Create pedestrian plan, bike plan, or active living plan.

·         Build partnerships with stakeholders County and create a discussion about a bike path to connect both communities

o    MnDOT is already scheduled to service this section of Hwy 4 around 2020 (time frame could still change)

§  Create plans now so that they are taken into account when MnDOT is ready to work – major reduction in cost

·         Explore Safe routes to school

·         Coordinating with development of new grocery store so that there is access for pedestrians and bikes

o    Possibility of creating a route in the area by the senior living facility that runs parallel to Hwy 4

o    Opportunity to try developing Main St instead of putting new grocer on Hwy 4

In Truman, possible next steps include:

·         Create pedestrian plan, bike plan, or active living plan.

·        Better markings for crossings, repair and complete sidewalks, look at ADA compliance in downtown area

·         Explore Safe routes to school

·       Traffic calming strategies near school and downtown area (Ciro Street).
 

 
These workshops were part of our work with the Martin County Senior Project, an innovative project aimed at improving the health of seniors across Martin County.

Wells Active Living Creates Rebel Route

 

 

With the new school building opening in fall of 2014, Wells Active Living Coalition partnered with United South Central (USC) to successfully apply for MNDOT infrastructure grant that will support safe routes to school. The primary focus of the infrastructure grant was to safely connect the community with the new school site located on the edge of the community. The grant, amounting to $262,086 will include new sidewalks and a rapid rectangular flashing beacon (RRFB) which will help students safely cross State Highway 22. Partnerships with the city, Region 9, MNDOT and community entities were essential for success. 

The grant infrastructure is scheduled for 2015, which required the committee to meet and develop a temporary SRTS plan to safely get students to the new schools until the improvements are made. The committee, which includes the city administrator and school superintendent, brainstormed potential improvements. A plan was developed which identified safe routes (coined Rebel Routes in honor of the USC Rebels) to the new building. The committee worked with the city council to adopt a no parking ordinance during school arrival and dismissal times.  Information was disseminated to home owners along the routes about SRTS and the plan for safety improvements for students. A bike lane was striped along the route, signage was installed and Rebel Route was stenciled along the route.

Wells Active Living Coalition budgeted $2,000 of SHIP funding to use towards Safe Routes to School. With that money, $1600 was used on signage and stencils. The city donated the paint, and the map of rebel routes that is displayed in the school office. Starting the first day of school, the Wells Lion’s Club volunteered to provide crossing guards before and after school to encourage parents to allow their children to walk, as well as help slow down traffic until we receive the rapid rectangular flashing beacon (RRFB).

The committee provided a plethora of education and encouragement to the community to utilize the Rebel Routes, which included information in the local newspaper, flyers for families and a booth set up at the school Open House to promote the program. Students have been taking advantage of the route, and the buses that are currently making a couple stops in town, may be discontinued in the future. The SRTS committee, along with multiple volunteers and community members, has proven to invest interest and value into students walking to school safely.