Released Feb. 15, 2008
URBANA, Ill. -- Teachers in grades third through five can enhance their students' understanding of where the food on their plates comes from through a new University of Illinois Extension website. "Fresh From the World . . . Where Your Food Comes From" (http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/food/) was developed by Greg Stack and Russ Higgins, U of I Extension educators in horticulture and integrated pest management, respectively, and Jane Scherer, Extension specialist urban programs/web coordination.
"The site looks at 15 different popular foods and explores their histories and origins," Stack said. "The students can gain a new understanding about the food they find in the grocery store and the fact that it sometimes comes from all over the world."
Scherer added that a global farm already exists.
"Popular foods like bananas and strawberries are available year-round because they are grown in many parts of the world and shipped directly to the worldwide markets," she said. "By knowing where in the world our food comes from, a simple phone call brings food to your local grocer's door."
Food festivals and the food distribution process are also covered on the website.
The interactive site also includes a teacher's guide.
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http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/news/stories/news4298.html
Contact: Bob Sampson, (217) 244-0225, rsampson@uiuc.edu
Jane Scherer, (217) 244-2849
