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Ethel A. Jacobsen School garden earns top-tier "Cream of the Crop" farm-to-school honor, gets $3,000 award
Summary
Ethel A. Jacobsen School's long-running garden won top-tier recognition in the NJ Departments of Agriculture and Education "Cream of the Crop" program; the school received $3,000 for a farm field trip and a staff member won a "Top Tomato" award.
Ethel A. Jacobsen School in Surf City celebrated a statewide farm-to-school milestone after the school's 15-year garden program earned top-tier recognition in the New Jersey Departments of Agriculture and Education "Cream of the Crop" program.
Bianca Aniski, James LaMarco and Ms. Rivera presented a PowerPoint to the Long Beach Island Board of Education on Oct. 15 describing activities at the Sept. 26 event, which included student-led VIP garden tours, garden-based lessons tied to children's literature, taste tests, seedling planting, harvesting and garden dioramas. The presentation noted that the EJ Garden is the first in New Jersey to achieve top-tier status in the program.
The garden received $3,000 designated for a farm field trip. The funding was provided through AtlantiCare wellness dollars raised by both Ethel Jacobsen and Long Beach Island Grade School participation in AtlantiCare wellness programs, district materials show. Ms. Rivera, identified in the presentation as an EJ cafeteria staff member, received the Farm to School "Top Tomato" award for her role in cafeteria and farm-to-school activities.
Superintendent Dr. Peter Kopack thanked the presenters and said the recognition underscored the district's curriculum connections to garden activities. "The day was amazing," Kopack said in praise of the event and those who organized it.
District materials and the board presentation emphasized that garden activities are integrated across grade levels and align with SmartSnack standards for school food service. The board did not take formal action on the presentation; it appeared as a special presentation on the Oct. 15 agenda.
The recognition and $3,000 award aim to support an experiential farm field trip; scheduling and travel details for that trip were not specified in the board minutes.
