By Shannon Lukens.

 

Sierra Linke (on the left) is the Speech Language Pathologist Assistant in the Moffat County School District. She is also now a book illustrator.

The book is called Seed, Sprout, Spice! All About Pueblo Chiles. It is being sent to Colorado elementary schools through the Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom Literacy Project. The book will reach about 22,000 students across the state. Local Pueblo farmers will also be sending some frozen Pueblo Chiles with each book.

 

Press release from Knecht Media LLC; Jan. 12, 2024.

Free Program Brings the Flavor and Story of Pueblo Chiles to Colorado Classrooms.

Craig Teacher Illustrates Book About Agriculture Going to 22,000 Students in Colorado

 

Pueblo, Colo. – Students from all parts of the Centennial State will learn about the famous Pueblo pepper. The newly published children’s book, Seed, Sprout, Spice! All About Pueblo Chiles, is sent out to participating elementary teachers through the Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom Literacy Project. Along with a book, they’;ll receive frozen, diced Pueblo Chiles, Pueblo Chile seeds and planting supplies, and corresponding student lessons. Local Pueblo farmers are providing the chiles for the tasting experience.

The Literacy Project is a way to bring agriculture into the classroom, while reinforcing
reading comprehension and other academic standards. A new topic and book, featuring
true-life Colorado agriculture stores are chosen each year. This is a free program for prekindergarten through fifth grade classes.

“We typically get an influx of sign-ups right after the winter break,” says Jennifer Scharpe, executive director for Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom. “We feel confident that we could reach 1,000 classes and more than 22,000 students with this program this year.”

 

Currently, over 700 classes have signed up to participate, which is the maximum amount grant funding supports. This is 200 more classes than last year and about 55 percent of this year’s classes are new participants. The classes that signed up represent 135 schools in 40 Colorado counties.

Due to the early demand, organizers are going to start wait-listing classes and will have to turn them away if they are not able to secure an additional $15,600, which is about $52 per class, in funding. The Literacy Project is often a gateway for teachers to then start using other resources from Agriculture in the Classroom, which incorporates food and natural resources topics into curriculum.

Seed, Sprout, Spice! All About Pueblo Chiles was written by Rachel Allnutt, illustrated by
Sierra Linke, and published by Knecht Media LLC. The book was made possible by support from Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom, the Pueblo Chile Growers Association, the Pueblo Food Project, and the USDA, through the Specialty Crop Block Grant program administrated by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. It was locally printed in Pueblo at Schuster’s Printing.

For more information and to sign up, visit: https://colorado.agclassroom.org/teaching/literacy/

About Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom (CoAITC)
Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom (also known as Colorado Foundation for Agriculture) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and is the lead agricultural literacy organization in the state, serving the full spectrum of prekindergarten through 12 th grade formal and informal education across Colorado. Its mission is connecting Colorado educators and students to their food, fiber, fuel, and natural resources. CoAITC annually provides resources and programs to 325,000 educators and students in urban, suburban, and rural communities, most of which are free. To learn more or to make a tax-deductible gift, visit CoAgClassroom.org or email Info@coagclassroom.org.