Each month the Cambridge
in Motion team sends a flyer with fun facts and a family newsletter to celebrate the Mass Farm to School partnership. We hope your family enjoys the fun and learning opportunities within!


This month we are learning about potatoes! Enjoy the fun resources, recipes, lessons and activities that keep your family exploring and thriving!


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Fun Potato Facts!
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While many people think first of Ireland, the potato is actually native to the Peruvian-Bolivian Andes (mountain system of South America, and the longest mountain chain on the planet!). They were cultivated in South America by the Incas as early as
1,800 years ago!

The scientific name for the potato is Solanum tuberosum!

Potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown in space!

The terms “yam” and “sweet potato” are often used interchangeably, but they are completely different vegetables! Yams are starchy and have a rough, brown exterior. They can grow up to 45 feet long and are eaten in parts of Latin America, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia. Sweet potatoes are a New World root vegetable, have a softer, reddish skin, a creamier interior, and often, a darker interior. 

Miners would trade potatoes for gold during the Gold Rush in California, which shows how important a food they were! 
April Harvest of the Month Video!
Watch our Cambridge in Motion monthly video series featuring the Harvest of the Month (foods that are grown locally to New England)! You'll watch our public health nutritionist bring to life some fun facts, make a quick snack, and give a nutrition or cooking tip!
Joke of the Month

Q: What do you call a potato wearing glasses?

A: A spec-tater!
Videos & Family Learning!
(1) How Potatoes Grow: Watch this 6-minute video all about how potatoes are grown! Learn where one of America's favorite vegetables really comes from and have fun along the way with True Food TV.

(2) Grow Your Own Potatoes: Learn how to grow your own potatoes with just a few simple steps in this fun video from SciShow Kids!

(3) What's the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams? Read this short USDA Fact Sheet to learn some of the basic differences between these two tubers!
For At-Home or Classroom Learning!
(1) Potato Exploration (K-2): Find books to read, potato activities with taste tests, journaling, science experiments, measurement practice and more! These are great for classrooms but can also work for home learning, so go have fun with potatoes.

(2) Food Science Fun (6-8):In this lesson, students will learn how to roast vegetables. Students will draw a picture of their favorite vegetable, then watch a video that examines factors like oven temperature and vegetable size which affect how the vegetables cook!
Potatoes & Vitamin C!
Potatoes get a bad rap overall but they actually have some important nutrients that your body needs to thrive! White and yellow potatoes have iron, magnesium, vitamin B6, fiber, potassium and vitamin C and sweet potatoes also have tons of vitamin A (and less vitamin C). Just a 1/2 cup of potatoes has around 20% of your vitamin C needs for the day (varies based on how you cook them). Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) helps our body heal as it's needed to make collagen (a protein that provides structural support to tissues!). Try to enjoy potatoes roasted, baked, grilled and sauteed more than fried to get the most health benefits (try some recipes below for inspiration!).
Food Waste Tip of the Month

Learn to love your freezer! If you don’t eat everything you make, freeze it for later or use the leftovers as an ingredient in another meal.


Learn all about the Central Square Daily Table Grocery Store in this edition of Rehash It- Don't Trash It! from the Cambridge Recycling Advisory Committee.
Delicious Recipes!
Try this Potato and Pea Salad for a bright new way to enjoy a classic!

Try this amazing West African Peanut Stew featuring sweet potatoes!

Grill up something new with this Asian-inspired Pork Satay with Pineapple & Sweet Potatoes recipe!

Try this Chickpea & Sweet Potato Stew for the perfect
all-in-one dinner tonight!

side your family will love
as much as fries!

Use up leftover sweet potatoes with this delicious Sweet Potato Cornbread Muffin recipe!

This one-pot Spinch, Sweet Potato Dal has a lot of ingredients but also a LOT of flavor!
Children's Book Spotlight

Dad Bakes


Written and illustrated by
Katie Yamasaki


For grades PreK-3

"Dad wakes early every morning before the sun, heading off to work at the bakery. He kneads, rolls, and bakes, and as the sun rises and the world starts its day, Dad heads home to his young daughter. Together they play, read, garden, and―most importantly―they bake."


Click Here to download our Harvest of the Month Family Newsletter!
Cambridge Public Health Department

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