Harvest of the Month Poster Winners Announced

Weakley County School Students, (top left to right): Helena Bennett – Sharon School, Annabelle Lovell – Greenfield School, Paola Rodrigues – Dresden Elementary School, (bottom left to right): Maria Ivansic – Martin Elementary School, Ellisa Puckett – Dresden Elementary School, Wyatt Craig – Dresden Middle School, Avery Riley – Sharon School.[/caption]

Erica Moore

Communications Director

Weakley County Schools

The Northwest Tennessee Local Food Network (LFN) has been developing the Taste of Tennessee Harvest of the Month (HOTM) poster contest since 2019. In 2022, during National Farm to School Month in October, the LFN partnered with Weakley County Schools and Trenton Special School District to conduct this annual poster contest. The Harvest of the Month program’s goal is to encourage healthy food choices by increasing Northwest Tennessee residents’ exposure to seasonal foods, agriculture, and nutrition education while supporting local farmers and building excitement about locally made meals.

“This project provides awareness of the locally grown foods, artistic expression, and the important connection with our local food system,” commented Samantha Goyret, Executive Director of the Northwest Tennessee Local Food Network. “The entries showed how students, when given a chance, have an incredible ability to showcase their creative skills and agricultural knowledge.”

9 student winners and 9 honorable mentions were selected from a total of 57 entries from Weakley County School & Trenton Special School Districts. The winning student artwork will be pooled with all Harvest of the Month winners since 2019 to then be featured in a 12-month poster series that will be offered to all school cafeteria programs across the State of Tennessee through generous support from the Tennessee Department of Education.

Each contestant had to write one to two sentences about their featured local product. “I picked watermelon because it's my favorite fruit!,” wrote Scarlett Lovell, Greenfield School. “It's juicy & sweet. I like to eat watermelon in the summer with my dad!”

“I love apples,” wrote Helena Bennett, Kindergartener at Sharon School. “My apple is in a fruit basket, and I love polka-dots. It's in my imagination.”

“I love honey,” wrote Haven Love, 5th grade, Trenton Rosenwald Middle School. “It is a healthy food, and I like to cook with it. I think it is neat how bees make it.”

“Weakley County Schools is very fortunate to have such great supporters of both Agriculture and the arts in our area,” said Randy Frazier, Director of Weakley County Schools. “Our rich farming heritage deserves to be celebrated and we are grateful to the Northwest Tennessee Local Food Network for highlighting our students’ talent and producing such a practical tool for us.”

Students received local food and produce prizes from the following farms: Blackberry Pond Farm out of Martin, TN, Dixie Chile Ranch out of Kenton, TN, Purrfectly Homemade out of Troy, TN, and Barefoot Gardens out of Martin, TN.

The following student artists won the Harvest of the Month poster contest:

Honey - Haven Love - 5th grade, Trenton Rosenwald Middle School

Asparagus - Wyatt Craig - 6th grade, Dresden Middle School

Strawberries - Avery Riley - 3rd, Sharon Elementary

Blue/Blackberries - Chloe Francis - 8th grade, Trenton Rosenwald Middle School

Tomatoes - Paola Rodriguez - K, Dresden Elementary School

Apples - Helena Bennett - K, Sharon School

Pumpkins - Elissa Puckett - 1st-grade grade, Dresden Elementary School

Leafy Greens - Annabelle Lovell - 8th grade, Greenfield Elementary School

Watermelon - Maria Ivansic - 5th grade, Martin Elementary School

The following students received Harvest of the Month honorable mentions:

Honey - Sofia Goyret - 3rd grade, Sharon School

Asparagus, Blue/Black Berries - Catelyn Ambrose - 8th grade, Trenton Rosenwald Middle School

Strawberries - Nickolaus Cliff, 5th grade, Trenton Rosenwald Middle School

Blue and Blackberries - Jo Winstead, 7th grade, Dresden Middle School

Blue and Blackberries - Emma Munoz, 7th grade, Martin Middle School

Watermelon - Scarlot Lovell - 3rd grade, Greenfield Elementary School

Watermelon - Blaze Bennett - 5th grade, Sharon School

Apples: Persi Foster - 2nd grade, Gleason Elementary

Pumpkins: Helena Bennett - K, Sharon School

The Northwest Tennessee Local Food Network’s mission is to catalyze actions that are increasing access to locally grown and produced foods.