Community Activities Awarded Grant from USDA Program

Kimberly Schaub and Tisha Casida, with the help of Dr. Dennis Lamm at Colorado State University, were recently awarded a grant from the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE) program.
Their grant funds, totaling $48,988 will go towards the salaries of the participants and the materials that will be used in the classroom. The line-up for the preparation of the curriculum includes three local farmers (Larga Vista Ranch, Javernick Farms, Mike Bartolo) and Susan Fries, executive director of the Pueblo Performing Arts Guild, who has been a driving force in implementing the Farmer’s Market Festival on the Riverwalk.
“The goal of the grant will be to create, implement, and evaluate a sustainable agriculture curriculum for students in elementary and middle school,” says Tisha Casida, Publisher of That’s Natural! a local magazine dedicated to sustainability. Schaub and Casida have been able to organize three venues to implement their first curriculum: Pueblo School for Arts and Sciences, Heaton Middle School, and the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center.
"Pueblo County has a unique relationship with its agricultural community, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to introduce children to the wonderful assortment of foods that are grown just miles from their homes. Childhood obesity is due in part to food choices, and when the children become familiar with fresh, local food, they are empowered to make healthier selections next time they eat. They have a powerful influence on their families' purchasing decisions, and encouraging them to begin buying local food benefits their health as well as the economies of local businesses,” says Schaub, Certified Nutritionist.
Their next presentation to students will be at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center’s YOUNG AT ART Afterschool program, on Friday, April 17th at 2:00 PM. Seventy-five students from District 60 schools will get to visit with local producers and learn about Sustainable Agriculture.
Schaub and Casida have had great response from the community, and are very excited to keep the public updated as to their progress via: http://blog.thatsnatural.info (see the Category “Colorado Farm‐to‐Fork).
“We would love to have more people know what wonderful local and sustainable agriculture there is in southern Colorado, and look forward to having our youth and future consumers, be a part of this sustainable way of looking at our food supply.”

Schaub and Casida can be reached via the That’s Natural! phone: 719-210-8273 or email, Thats.Natural.Info@gmail.com.