Lesson - Where Does Your Food Come From? Objectives Students will learn how their food gets from farms to their kitchen tables. Students will be able to learn what crops are grown on Long Island. Materials Needed Fun Facts from the Farm Where Does Your Food Come From? - Essay questions Seasonal Guide to Fruits and Vegetables on LI Introduction Agriculture is important in New York. About 25 percent of the State’s land areas or 7.8 million acres are used by 38,000 farmers to produce a wide variety of food products. New York ranks high nationally in the following commodities: dairy products, horticulture, meat production, apples, potatoes, eggs, onions, grapes, cabbage and other vegetables, sweet corn, snap beans, strawberries, dry beans, grain, hay, maple syrup, and tart cherries. Long Island is an area that has many farms, with nearly all of them located in Suffolk County. This is not surprising since Suffolk County has a high water to land ratio that provides for moderate temperatures, mild winters, an average of 42 inches of rainfall annually and extended growing seasons. In addition, the soils are well drained and there is more sunshine in Suffolk County than any other county in New York State. Of the 56 counties in New York, Suffolk County has one of the least numbers of acres of farmland yet it was ranked 1st in market value with $168 million of agricultural products sold in 1999.  As of 2001, Suffolk County had 705 farms with a total acreage of 32,500. These farms also employee around 10,000 people. The leading crops are potatoes, onions, cabbage and tomatoes. Another big agricultural business on Long Island are the wineries. Before 1973 there were only a few acres of commercially grown grapes on the island, none of which were used for wine. Today there are over 50 wineries each having 2 to 600 acres of land, most dedicated to premium wine grapes. It is estimated that Long Island wineries produce 1,200,000 gallons of wine each year, which translates to 6,000,000 bottles. When discussing this lesson, keep in mind that many children think that their food comes from the grocery store and do not think about how their food got there. It is important for children to understand where food is grown so they can choose food wisely.  Two benefits of farms:  1)  farms are important to the tourism industry on Long Island, as they provide open space and scenic views in the mostly suburbanized landscape and 2)  farms provide a livelihood for many people.  By buying food and other goods at Farmer's Markets, we support local businesses and keep our communities strong. You may want to take a trip to a local market near your school.   Questions for Students: Where do students think their food comes from besides the grocery store? Raw ingredients like wheat, corn and soybeans come from different types of farms and then are processed in manufacturing plants. Milk comes from dairy farms, beef from cattle farms, and produce from agricultural farms. You can also talk about how agricultural foods come from seeds. How does food get from the farm to the grocery store? Before cars were invented horses, boats, and trains transported food. Today food is transported by boats, trucks, cars, airplanes, and trains. Often, multiple transportation methods are used to move food from the farm to grocery stores. Do any of the students buy food from the local farmers’ markets?  Where do you go?  What types of products do they sell? How does food purchased at a farmer’s market compare in price to food purchased at a grocery store?  Why might prices be different? Produce from farmers markets is typically cheaper than buying produce from a grocery store. It is also fresher. What types of fruits and vegetables are grown on Long Island? Mixed vegetables take up 10,000 acres of the farms on Long Island with potatoes coming in second with an acreage of 8,000.  Fruits and vegetables grown on Long Island include sweet corn, asparagus, strawberries, beans, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, peas, squash, blueberries, melons, peaches, raspberries, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, apples, pears, plums, potatoes, and pumpkins. What kinds of grapes are grown on Long Island? Today there are 16 wineries on Long Island with 1,600 acres of grapes, mostly dedicated to premium wine grapes, namely the European Vitis Vinifera varieties. What type of jobs do farms provide for Long Islanders? Farms provide packaging, transportation, planting, watering, and machinery jobs, to name a few. Someone also has to make wooden barrels for the wine to be stored in. Activities View Grown on Long Island video produced by the Long Island Farm Bureau (about 16 min. - geared for 4th grade students). Have students write about one or more of the bulleted items on the handout Where Does Your Food Come From. Students can work alone or in small groups. Students can also illustrate their writing assignments and hang in the classroom. Conclusions Most of our food is grown on farms and then processed in manufacturing plants. Often, foods must travel great distances unless you specifically buy food at farmer's markets. Many types of foods are grown locally right here on Long Island. For additional information, visit: http://www.usda.gov/nass/ - USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service http://www.usda.gov/news/usdakids/index.html - USDA for Kids http://www.lifb.com - Long Island Farm Bureau