RDToolkit2020-CC-FINAL_UPDATED-8-1-23

October farm to school month Social posts

Do you know the difference between a sweetpotato and a yam? Take our quiz to find out! #sweetpotatoes #trivia ncsweetpotatoes.com/pop-quiz-sweet

potato-or-yam Ease into a cool, fall morning with these sweetpotato cinnamon rolls. They are guaranteed to make your kitchen smell amazing! #sweetbreakfast #sweeteats ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipe/easy-sweetpotato- cinnamon-rolls/ Need a comforting stay-at-home recipe to make as the weather cools down? This Sweetpotato Kale Au Gratin gives a healthy twist to a beloved favorite! #sweeteats ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-kale-au- gratin/ Do you want to get your school or your child’s school involved in a Farm to School Program? It’s a great way to invest in your local community and play a role in educating youth on where food comes from and how it is grown. We offer a free E-book about the journey of sweetpotatoes, starting with how they’re grown at the farm, and concluding with how they can be included in schools! ncsweetpotatoes.com/curriculum/k-2 Newsletter - Copy What’s the difference between a sweetpotato and a yam? There are actually many differences. While both are grown underground, yams are tubers and sweetpotatoes are storage roots. Most yams you see in the grocery store are probably sweetpotatoes! True yams are imported from the Caribbean or West Africa, while nearly 60% of the sweetpotatoes grown in the United States are grown in North Carolina! Another difference is that yams have a dry, starchy flesh with a dark bark-like skin, compared to the moist flesh and smooth appearance of the sweetpotatoes. In terms of taste, both are sweet and delicious, though sweet- potatoes have a higher sugar content than yams. Yams have higher amounts of Vitamins C and E than sweet potatoes and can grow to be much bigger, while sweepotatoes have more protein, calcium, and Vitamin A than yams do! You can read more about the comparisons ncsweetpotatoes.com/sweet-potatoes-101/difference- between-yam-and-sweet-potato/

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y National Farm to School Month is a time to celebrate connections across the country between schools and local food, including food education, school gardens, and local ingredients. Farm to school programs help empower children and their families to make informed food choices. Some examples of Farm to School programs using sweetpotatoes for children include the use of sweetpotatoes in lesson plans or decorating, “taste testing,” and crafting experiments. Schools can involve students in gardening, and serve sweetpotatoes baked, mashed, or as a vegetable side for school lunches. y Fall is a great time to load up on immunity-boosting nutrients, such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and antioxidants! Sweetpotatoes are an excellent source of all three, boasting over 100% of the daily recommended Vitamin A amount. They also offer several antioxidants that can help improve health. Sweetpotatoes pair nicely with other fall foods, like squash and pumpkin, as well. y Most people think of sweetpotatoes as the “orange” potato, but there are hundreds of types of sweetotatoes, ranging from white and mild to deep red and sweet! Many are grown in small quantities and can be found at local farmer's markets. y North Carolina grows more sweetpotatoes than any other state! Harvest begins in August, peaks in October, and is complete by Thanksgiving. NC sweetpotatoes are available 365 days a year!

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