Emily Morrow, center, shows Tabler Farm’s “pizza garden,” which features plants that can be used to make pizza, to teachers from around the Eastern Panhandle. Chloe Johnson

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Teachers and education professionals gathered in front of a table where Liz Janelle and Amie Tutor held up a newspaper.

A volunteer came up from the crowd of teachers, and Janelle wrapped a piece of newspaper around the volunteer’s head. Tape was attached to the newspaper around the head, and the newspaper was formed into a hat for the volunteer.

Janelle then called these newspaper hats “Know and Show Sombreros” and encouraged the teachers to make them with their students.

“The hats are decorated,” Janelle said. “Students decorate the newspaper with plants they think are important for the environment.”

The demonstration was just one part of Wednesday’s event at the Farm to School Institute at Tabler Farm in Shepherdstown, which involved 45 teachers from across the Eastern Panhandle. The event took place over two days and was intended to show teachers how they can teach kids about healthy foods.

The Farm to School Institute has occurred on a yearly basis since 2019, except for in 2020, when it had to be canceled due to the pandemic.

“We just received a major grant from the USDA Farm to School program,” said Rita Hennessy, vice president of the Jefferson Growers, Aristans and Producers Coalition. “We got $56,000. That grant is funding this program for two years.”

Education professionals other than teachers also attended the event. Bekki Leigh and Melinda Francis work for the Office of Child Nutrition for West Virginia and watched the presentations with the teachers.

“Letting the kids experiment is a part of learning,” Leigh said. “Having school gardens and taste tests like we saw today, it is good to let kids pry and learn about local foods.”

Teachers were led through a “pizza garden” that grows the tomatoes and plants that are used in pizza. The teachers also took turns in an activity that had them guess what vegetable or fruit was in a box, with one side covered.

“When students have a stake in something, when they watch it grow, it makes them invested,” Francis said.

The institute introduces teachers to resources like the store Bushel & Peck in Charles Town, helped by the Jefferson Growers, Artisans and Producers Coalition.

Emily Morrow is the West Virgina University Extension agent for Jefferson County. The extension service helped organize the event.

“Most students are far removed from a farm or have never been on a farm,” Morrow said. “What people walk away from this with is knowing what kind of agencies and resources are available to help them support their efforts.”