October 2007
Welcome to the debut National Farm to School E-newsletter! As the movement builds to bring local fresh ingredients to schools across the country, this newsletter will highlight pivotal policies, news, publications, and events with a featured region and profile each month. Please contact us if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.
Has anyone conducted research on how children's experiences on farms and/or cooking in the classroom has impacted their academic success? Discuss this and more on our forums.
Policy
The Food and Farm Bill: What’s in it for Farm to School? by Steph Larsen
The Farm Bill affects everyone who eats. It’s about health and fairness, innovation and entrepreneurship, and great food and strong communities. Your voice is needed to ensure that these values are reflected in this Farm Bill. Learn how.
Publications
GROWING LOCAL: Expanding the Western North Carolina Food and Farm Economy by Laura D. Kirby, Charlie Jackson, and Allison Perrett
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project released the results of a multi-year feasibility study that looks at the potential for increasing local consumption of Western North Carolina- grown food and farm products. Learn more.
Upcoming Event
Community Food Security Coalition Membership Meeting
Nov. 10-12, 2007
Villas by the Sea, Jekyll Island, Georgia
CFSC is undertaking a strategic planning process, with a goal of making the organization more sustainable, inclusive, and responsive to members. This meeting is an integral part of that process.Visit the Website.
Helpful Links
Spotlight Story
Forging New Routes from Farm to School
With an estimated 1,117 farm to school programs active in 34 states, and lots more in the planning stages, we are in the midst of a growing movement of community based food systems connecting children to their food’s roots. Allow us to introduce ourselves and better acquaint you with the National Farm to School Program’s latest venture to strengthen the movement.
The National Farm to School Network received a three-year, $2.4 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to establish a viable and sustainable mechanism to coordinate, promote, and expand the farm to school movement at the state, regional, and national levels. Officially launched in May of 2007, the Network is coordinated by the Center for Food & Justice, a division of the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College and the Community Food Security Coalition. Read More.
Featured Profile
A Taste Of Place: a 40-Mile Radius of Relationships
Interview with Michael Nash by Debra Eschmeyer
Michael Nash is a farmer in the northeast corner of Iowa who supplies vegetables to local institutions through a community farming cooperative called Grown Locally. As his fields were too wet to work in on a recent October Saturday, he took the time to share his farming experiences and provide sound advice on routes to fresh, local, and safe food.
Q. What’s the key to sustainability?
A. This whole thing is about relationships. Not about vegetables, not about delivery. If you don’t take the time to talk to food service directors or families, then you are negating 50% of your advantage.
We are cultivating more than just food here; this is about community, this is about relationships. Read More.
This Month's News
Making use of local produce
By Dana Hudson, The Rutland Herald
In the past few years, Vermont-grown tomatoes, zucchini, and basil have started showing up in the school cafeteria meals of Vermont children. This is no coincidence. This new development required a great deal of coordination between public schools, nonprofit organizations, area farmers and school food service staff. Read more.
Farm fresh, but at school
by Karen Herzog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
School kids in this rural community have something in common with one of America's most celebrated chefs, Rick Bayless. They get fresh vegetables from the same Wisconsin farm.
Persuading kids to eat what's good for them has challenged school lunch programs for decades. But this farm-to-school project provides locally grown fruits and vegetables so fresh and flavorful that many kids not only eat them, but like them. Read more.
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Website hosted by the Center for Food & Justice
A Division of the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College
Questions or comments about the newsletter? Please contact us.