introduction to farm to school

Farm to School: A National Perspective

Debra Eschmeyer

Farm to School

Local, Farm fresh produce in schools

School Gardens, Composting, Recycling

Nutrition Education / Experiential Learning

Farm tours / Visits by farmers

WhatWhat is Farm to School

Farm to school is a school-based program that connects schools (K-12) and local farms with the objectives of:

serving healthy meals in school cafeterias

improving student nutrition

providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities

supporting small and medium-sized local and regional farmers

Connecting local farmers to schools

buy and feature farm fresh foods

incorporate nutrition-based curriculum

provide students experiential learning opportunities through farm visits, gardening, and recycling programs

access to new markets

Farm to Kindergarten Philadelphia - Pennsylvania

• Snacks in class

• Nutrition education

• Farm tours, cooking demonstrations

• Parent education

• Statewide legislation and funding available to replicate Philadelphia model

Florida, Georgia, Alabama

• New North Florida Cooperative Association

• Farmer-led• 15 school districts • 300,000 students• Value added products• Relationship marketing

Chicago Public Schools

• 385,000 lunches and breakfasts / day – 600 schools

• Chartwells Thompson Hospitality contract

• 2008 - Pilot program in 30 schools

• Linkage with distributor and processor

• Local products on menu twice a week

• NM Dept. of Agriculture, Albuquerque Public School District, Farm to Table

• $85,000 from the state for local fresh fruits & vegetables in schools

• 12 schools• 6000 children

Albuquerque, New Mexico Valley Cluster Project

Organic Choices Salad Bar Olympia, Washington

• Organic fruits & vegetables, whole grain bread, protein choices, eggs, soymilk

• F&V consumption increased by 27%; meal participation increase by 16%

• The organic food costs more, but the program is financially viable. No outside funding for project.

Ohio Examples

Ohio Examples

WhyWhy we need Farm to School

Why we need farm to school

For our Children

2.3- to 3.3-fold increase in childhood obesity over the last 25 years.

Our children will be the first generation to have a life expectancy shorter than their parents.

1 in 3 children born in 2000 will be diabetic in their lifetime (CDC).

Why we need farm to school

For our Farmers

330 farm operators leave their land every week.

The farmer’s share of every dollar spent on food has dropped to 19 cents from 41 cents in 1950.

In the 1930s, there were close to seven million farms in the United States. Today, just over two million farms remain—less than 1 percent of the country's population.

Why we need farm to school

For our Environment

Crop Varieties lost between 1903-1983Tomatoes: 80.6 percentLettuce: 92.8 percentCorn: 90.8 percentApples: 86.2 percent

In the U.S., the typical food item now travels from 1,500 to 2,400 miles from farm to plate, i.e. A head of CA lettuce shipped to Washington DC requires 36x more fuel energy to transport than the food energy it provides.

Why we need farm to school

Dollars and Sense

Price of feeding one child school lunch during their tenure in k-12 = $6,000

Price of treating one adult for illness related to poor nutrition over the course of their life= $175,000

Farm to School = Priceless

HowHow you do Farm to School

Implementing Farm to School

Local Product used in:– salad bars – hot entrees / other meal items– snack in classroom– taste tests– fundraisers

Educational Activities: – chef/farmer in class, cooking demos– greenhouses, waste management, recycling, and

composting– farm tours– harvest of the month– CSA in the classroom– School gardens

Let’s get started

Start small—taste testing, farm tour, apples

Organize various stakeholders/hold a meeting

Research area farmers

Contact food service director and school administration

Identify funding sources

Market the program

Volunteer

National Farm to School Network

Networking

Training and Technical Assistance

PolicyInformation Services

Media and Marketing

www.farmtoschool.org

Debra Eschmeyer

deschmeyer@oxy.edu

419-753-3412