When the air is cold and the wind bites, plants often stow away their precious nutrients below the ground. These plants, many of which one of their roots as a storage organ, can be delicious sources of vitamins and healthy sugars. When we eat the roots of these plants, they are called “root vegetables.” This month, schoolchildren in Lake and Mendocino Counties are gobbling down root vegetables.
Root vegetables are February’s Harvest of the Month (HOTM). HOTM is a program that provides materials for students, families and community members to explore, taste, and learn about the importance of eating seasonally. Each month, the program highlights a seasonal fruit or vegetable. In celebration of February’s root vegetables, students all across Lake and Mendocino Counties are learning about the health benefits of carrots.
Thanks to the hard work of Dana Kent, RD, the SNAP-Ed coordinator at Lake County Department of Public Health, students in participating elementary and middle schools throughout Lake are receiving presentations about where our food comes from, how communities form around food, the many vitamins and nutrients found in carrots, then tasting multi-colored carrots.
Currently, 225 K-8 teachers participate in the program, reaching approximately 4,700 students in Lake County. Simultaneously, students in participating classes at Lower Lake and East Lake schools are learning about the wondrous properties of beets by using beet juice to make scientific illustrations of the vegetable, then eating beets.
The variety of root vegetables is not limited to carrots and beets. A root vegetable can be any type of taproot or any type of tuberous root that humans eat. In addition to beets and carrots, commonly eaten plants that use their main taproot, or “true root” as a storage organ, include radishes, daikon, celeriac, and jicama. Commonly eaten tuberous roots, or lateral roots that are modified and enlarged to be used as a storage organ, include yams, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, and ginger. While taproots and tuberous roots are distinct, they are both considered root vegetables when eaten.
Ben Feldman is a FoodCorps Service Member serving in Lake County. He works with students and teaches them the value of eating fresh, local crops.
