introduction to farm to school
TRANSCRIPT
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
419-753-3412
