The A-Z Book of Fresh Food From the Farm

The A-Z Book
of Fresh Food
From the Farm
Written by: Lucille Boge
Illustrated by: Katie Duncan

The A-Z Book of Fresh Foods From the Farm
by Lucille Boge
of Farley Elementary School
Illustrated by Katie Duncan
This book was the 2022 elementary division winner of the A Bushel of
Stories writing contest. This contest was made possible by the Iowa
Agriculture Literacy Foundation and the National Agriculture in the
Classroom Organization.
Special congratulations to second place elementary division A Bushel
of Stories winner Ben Skinner and third place winner Clare Schieltz.

Als f
1
or
pp e
An apple is a fruit. Apples grow in climates that have rain
and sunshine. Apples are sweet and crunchy, and can be
red, green, or pink. Apples grow on trees.
Did you know ...
Some apple names include Granny
Smith, Gala, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp,
and even Jonagold.
BCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

B Is for
anana
Bananas are a type of fruit. Bananas are high in
nutrients like potassium. Bananas grow in warm,
tropical climates. Bananas are yellow and can have
brown on them.
know ...
Bananas grow on
trees.
AIIC DEF G H I J KL MN OP QR STU V W X Y Z

C
Is for
orn
Corn is a yellow vegetable that grows in moderate climates.
Corn grows on stalks and is picked by a machine called a
combine. Corn is a very versatile food so it can be eaten
many ways.
Did you know ...
The state that produces the
most corn is Iowa.
DEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

D
Is for
ragon fruit
Dragon fruit grows in tropical climates. The inside of
dragon fruit is pink or white. On the outside, dragon
fruit is pink or orange.
know ...
The inside of a
dragon fruit has lots
of tiny black seeds.
ABC EFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTU WXYZ

E
Is for
ggs
An egg will come from a female chicken called a hen.
A hen lays the egg, which could be brown, white,
blue or green, then a farmer collects them and people
eat them.
know ...
An egg can
have two
yolks.
ABCD
FGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

F
Is for
arm
Farms are not food, but fruits and vegetables come
from farms. Farms also produce the meat that you eat.
That some farms have names
according to what they grow.
ABC D E(F]G H I J KL MN OP QR STU V W X Y Z

G
Is for
rapes
Grapes are small, round, oval-shaped fruits. Grapes grow on
vines in climates with sunshine and rain. Grapes can be a
variety of colors like purple and green.
Different kinds of
grapes are grown for
different purposes.
HIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

H
Is for
oney
Honey is a sweet nectar that comes from bees. Farmers
who farm bees are called beekeepers. Beekeepers extract
the honey and we enjoy it.
Did you know ...
Honey lasts forever.
A B C D E F Gf81 I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

I
ls for
daho potatoes
Idaho is famous for potatoes, because their moderate
climate is perfect for them. Potatoes are tubers that
grow underground.
Potatoes can be gold,
purple, or brown.
ABCDEFGH JKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

J
Is for
am
Jam is a fruit spread that can be made from berries and
even oranges. Jam is made by farmers who smash
fruits into a thick paste and heat it with pectin.
Orange jam is
called marmalade.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTU
WXYZ

K .ls.for IWI
Kiwi is a sweet fruit. Kiwi grows in warmer climates. A kiwi
may look very bland and boring on the outside, but inside is a
green, juicy fruit.
Did you know ...
A kiwi has fuzz on
the outside called
trichomes.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUYWXYZ

LIs for
emon
Lemons are a type of fruit. Lemons grow in tropical and
subtropical places. Lemons are yellow ovals that have bumpy
skin. Many people enjoy lemons in lemonade.
n has 51% of your
min C requirements
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

M
lsfor
ilk
Milk comes from cows on dairy farms. Milk is
pasteurized for safety before reaching the store!
Did you know ...
Chocolate milk
does not come
from a brown cow.
ABCDEFGHIJKL
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ

N
Is for
ightshade
Nightshades are a group of vegetables like tomatoes,
eggplants, potatoes, and peppers. Nightshades grow
in moderate climates.
Tomatoes are a fruit.
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
OPQRSTUVWXYZ

0 ls for
range
Oranges are a fruit. Oranges grow in tropical places that
are very warm. Oranges are a sphere and you peel them
to get the fruit inside.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTU
WXYZ

R
Is for
each
Peaches are a sweet fruit. Peaches grow in moderate climates
on trees. Peaches can be red, yellow, orange, or a
combination of all of them.
Peaches are fuzzy on
the outside and have a
seed called a pit inside.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Q lsfor
uahog
A quahog is a hard clam. Quahogs grow mostly on the
shore of New Jersey. Quahogs are grown in the water.
Did you know ...
There is a quahog
festival.
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
RSTU
XYZ

R
_ls for
ice
Rice is a grain that originated in China. Rice grows in a field
that can be flooded to control weeds. Rice is culturally
important to many peoples, including the Ojibwe nation.
There are many types of rice like Jasmine and brown.
Arkansas is the
leading rice
growing state.
ABC DEF G H I J KL MN OP Q[Rl STU V W X Y Z

S
Is
for
trawberry
Strawberries are a fruit. Strawberries grow in moderate
climates. Strawberries go through stages of growth: flowers,
white berry, green berry, bright red strawberries.
Strawberries have seeds
on the outside.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR
WXYZ

T Is for
lomato
Tomatoes are round and red, yellow, or green. Tomatoes
grow on vines.
Did you know ...
Ketchup is made from
tomatoes.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS
UVWXYZ

U
Is
for
mbra
Umbra is a tropical fruit. Umbra grows in Australia,
southeast Asia, and other warm places. Umbras are
green, bumpy and bitter.
Umbra can also
be called
ambarella.
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
XYZ

\ / Is for
Vanilla bean
Vanilla is a spice. Vanilla grows in warm climates and
grows on orchid vines. Even though it is a bean, you only use
a small amount, because it is very strong.
Madagascar
grows the most
vanilla.
ABC DEF G H I J KL MN OP QR ST u[y]w X Y Z

W
is for
alnut
Walnuts grow on trees in moderate climates. When a
walnut is ripe, you have to break it open to get to the
nut fruit inside.
Walnut shells are
green before they
ripen.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV
XYZ

X _ lsfor
1gua
Xigua is the Chinese word for watermelon. Xigua grows in
many climates depending on the type. Xigua is a large oval
with a red, juicy flesh and black seeds inside.
Xigua are
92% water!
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
OPQRSTU

" Is for
lam
Yams are a type of vegetable. Yams grow underground
in mild climates. Yams are odd-shaped and orange
inside.
Did you know ...
Yams are not the
same as sweet
potatoes.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Z
Is
for
ucchini
Zucchini is a vegetable. Zucchini grows in mild climates on big
leafy plants. Zucchini is long and can be many different shades
of green.
Zucchini is
a type of
squash!
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY

www.iowaagliteracy.org