By Tom Bannister

Students, staff members, community partners, and parent volunteers kicked off the start of Farm to School Month by shucking an estimated 3,000 ears of corn during its annual Corn Shucking event held on Thursday, October 1, at schools throughout the District.

Corn Shucking teams everywhere were hard at work starting at 7:30 Thursday morning to get the 3,000 ears of local corn from Tavares Farm in South Dartmouth shucked and ready for students to enjoy fresh corn on the cob at lunch that day.

This mammoth task was made possible through the collaborative work of students and teachers, parent volunteers, Food & Nutrition services staff members, custodial staff members, and awesome community partners including Groundwork Somerville, Shape Up Somerville, UMass Extension, and Physical Education Program (PEP), who worked side-by-side to ensure that it was a positive learning experience for all.

For many, the anticipation of this annual event had them at school early, eager to partake in the fun. They arrived before 7:30 as the corn shucking areas were being set up and stayed until it was time to go to class. One student fondly recalled how his grandfather used to shuck corn daily on his farm in Puerto Rico, while another shared how he had enjoyed shucking corn with his family in Brazil this summer.

Some parents and students also had a little creative fun, making mustaches out of the corn silk. In the end, students learned about teamwork, locally sourced products, and how a delicious and healthy food item gets from the farm to their plate.