(Portales, NM) — Patricia Cain, 2nd grade dual language teacher at James Elementary, has been recognized as a 2020 Community Food Champion by the National Farm to School Network. This recognition includes a $500 honorarium in gratitude for the work that Cain has done to involve children and families at James Elementary School/Community Garden, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cain is one of 25 honorees from across the country receiving this special recognition by National Farm to School Network, a national nonprofit working to ensure equitable access to local food and nutrition education in order to improve children’s health, strengthen family farms and cultivate vibrant communities. Honorees were selected by National Farm to School Network for their outstanding efforts in keeping kids and families connected to their community food system, especially during this challenging year.
“The garden is used for many educational activities and it exposes all of the children to planting, maintaining, harvesting and eating from a garden. She makes sure all of these opportunities can take place by overseeing the garden. That is why I nominated her for this award,” said Caron Powers, Healthy Kids Healthy Communities Coordinator for Roosevelt County. “Mrs. Cain recruited volunteers to help keep the garden going after the school had to be closed. She wanted to make sure that there would be produce growing when the students returned this fall so she planted all 24 raised beds and maintained them over the summer months.”
Healthy Kids Roosevelt County, a program of the New Mexico Department of Health, helped create the James garden with community partners to teach children about growing and eating fresh, healthy food. Increasing access to locally grown produce is one way Healthy Kids Healthy Communities promotes healthy eating and active living to reduce obesity in New Mexico.
