Ohio Harvest of the Month is a statewide campaign that exposes children to healthy foods and encourages their interest and curiosity in new foods to support a lifetime of healthy eating. This campaign is supported by the Office of Nutrition at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. The campaign promotes seasonally available, local products in Ohio schools, childcare centers, and communities. Each month, a different Ohio-grown product is highlighted and child nutrition program sponsors serve the product in a meal, snack, or taste test. The featured product is also promoted through marketing materials, activities, and lesson plans. 

Classroom Materials for Ohio Harvest of the Month

The Office of Nutrition partnered with INFOhio to curate a collection of instructional materials for educators to support the Ohio Harvest of the Month campaign. Ohio PreK-12 educators and families can use these materials to bring the cafeteria into the classroom. 

Ohio Harvest of the Month Classroom Materials packages have materials selected by educators for educators. Click to open the packages linked below to find licensed and purchased eBooks, videos, and articles from INFOhio. Each section includes 5-7 materials to support instruction for the Ohio-grown product for the month. 

• Ohio Harvest of the Month: Classroom Materials for Grades K-5
• Ohio Harvest of the Month: Classroom Materials for Grades 6-12

Ideas for the Classroom

Combine lesson plans, eBooks, videos, articles, and activities, with the suggestions below to bring Ohio Harvest of the Month themes into your classroom.

• Select a lesson plan to supplement class instruction.
• Share an eBook with your students during storytime in your school library or classroom.
• Visit your school library. Ask your school librarian or library paraprofessional to help you find picture books for Ohio Harvest of the Month themes. Consider using these picture books with your students in the classroom. 
• Select an experiment using one of the Ohio-grown products for your classroom or makerspace. 

Explore the Ohio Harvest of the Month: Classroom Materials for Grades K-5 for more ideas about bringing these materials into the classroom. 

Learn More About Ohio Harvest of the Month

To learn more about Ohio Harvest of the Month, Ohio educators can join the Open Space group, Ohio Harvest of the Month. Within this group, educators will find a collection of lesson plans to teach Ohio Harvest of the Month themes. Members can create, connect, and share lesson plans and resources with educators across Ohio. Educators need to create a Open Space user account and request to join the group. Click Create an Account to learn how to create an Open Space user account. 

If you have questions about bringing the Ohio Harvest of the Month campaign to your school, contact the Office of Nutrition at (614) 466-2945 or child.nutrition@education.ohio.gov.