National Media Coverage
Public health, unlike the banking, insurance, or automobile industries, cannot be rescued or bailed out. Prevention is the only viable option. A sophisticated and aggressive federal approach to obesity is needed. Promote and fund innovative farm-to-schools and farm-to-community programs to support local farmers and increase access to locally grown food. · Read the entire article.
Farming study aims to aid ag industry by Ingrid Stegemoeller Tri-city Herald Published 01/07/2009
Food and agriculture were worth $42 billion in Washington in 2007, making them among the state's largest employers. · Read the entire article.
Buy Local Workshops Offered for Farmers, Local Foods Supporters Wisconsin Ag Connection Published 01/07/2009
Farmers, restaurant owners, food retailers, educators and others interested in supporting the growth of local foods are invited to attend one of four Buy Local workshops being held around the state. · Read the entire article.
Montana Food Efforts a Good Model for Hard Times by Rose Hayden-Smith Huffington Post Published 01/06/2009
Local food systems -- including farm-to-institution programs -- can mean real money for local farmers, local food processors and local/state economies. And the state of Montana has an excellent model for this. · Read the entire article.
Nourishing N.C.'s economy by Eva Clayton The News & Observer Published 01/05/2009
overnor-elect Beverly Purdue and the General Assembly take note: Building a local sustainable food economy in North Carolina can yield statewide economic development, create jobs and stop money from leaking out of the state in this time of recession. And it comes with many additional benefits as well. · Read the entire article.
Consumer Wellness Center Announces $1000 Nutritional Grant Award for Corvallis "Farm to School" Pr by Mike Adams Natural News Published 01/05/2009
Our second well-deserved Consumer Wellness Nutritional Grant Award is awarded to The Corvallis Environmental Center for their "Farm to School Program." "We are thrilled to support the CEC's efforts to teach schoolchildren about real food," said Mike Adams, the Executive Director of the Consumer Wellness Center and the creator of the Nutrition Grant Program. "This is the kind of activity that's needed throughout modern society to reconnect children with food and health. I hope this becomes a model of food education that's replicated throughout the nation." · Read the entire article.
Gardening: Neighbors can help grow healthy living by Molly Day Muskogee Phoenix Published 12/31/2008
A neighborhood can put its resources together to grow a bountiful garden of salad vegetables, flavorful melons, zucchini and winter squash to serve family and friends. · Read the entire article.
Aramark’s Cool*Caf draws kids to healthy eating by Ashley Bentley The Packer Published 12/30/2008
A new cafeteria format designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and encourage healthy choices by children is set to be introduced in hundreds of schools in 2009. · Read the entire article.
OSU taste tests grain-fed vs. grass-fed beef in Portland schools by Oregon State University Extension Service Oregon Natural Resource Report Published 12/30/2008
Children can tell the difference between grass- and grain-fed beef, but when it comes to preference, they’re evenly split, according to taste tests that Oregon State University conducted at two grade schools in Portland. Portland Public Schools asked OSU to conduct the surveys as part of its effort to serve more locally produced food. The district had been considering serving hamburger patties made from local grass-fed cattle instead of the grain-fed beef that it now serves and whose origin is unknown to the district. · Read the entire article.
Reaping the fruits of his labor by Peter Frost Daily Press Published 12/27/2008
Public schools, colleges and health care facilities also have become big customers in the last two decades, as those institutions began to demand more fresh products through initiatives like Virginia's Farm-to-School Program. · Read the entire article.
Lansing Passes a Farm-to-School Test by Diane Conners Great Lakes Bulletin News Service Published 12/26/2008
Michigan’s lawmakers and the governor just gave school children, farmers, and the state’s economy a tasty end-of-year holiday present: Legislation that supports schools’ expanding efforts to buy healthy, locally grown food for cafeteria meals and snacks. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School Project High Country Press Published 12/25/2008
The goal is for the community and school personnel to enthusiastically support continuing to purchase the high quality produce from local growers, and for children to enjoy produce that they may not otherwise have a chance to. · Read the entire article.
State ready to slash budget by Cookson Beecher Capital Press Published 12/24/2008
The Agriculture Department, which would have a $129.6 million budget, would see a 12 percent cut in the money coming from the state's General Fund. The proposed cuts include: • One of the 2.5 positions in the new farm-to-school program. · Read the entire article.
What's on Santa's Plate? by Diane Gale Andreassi Ann Arbor News Published 12/24/2008
Sara Aeschbach, Ann Arbor School District director of community education and recreation, will treat Santa to locally grown foods. The district has a Farm to School program that helps teach kids about the food system by nudging them to ponder where food comes from; promote healthy eating and encourage them to try new foods. · Read the entire article.
Hilltop School students give healthy snacks rave reviews by Jennifer Keefe Foster's Daily Democrat Published 12/23/2008
If the phrase, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," is true, the students at Hilltop School just might put the medical industry out of business. The fresh fruits and vegetables program, or FFVP, is a new opportunity awarded through a $10,000 grant from the N.H. Department of Education Division of Program Support, Bureau on Nutrition Programs and Services. The program offers students the opportunity to try one new healthy snack each day. · Read the entire article.
Bill to add $22M to school lunches by Erin Mills The East Oregonian Published 12/20/2008
Farm to School initiative aiming to put Oregon food in Oregon schools. Known so far as the 2009 Farm to School bill, it asks the legislature to spend $22 million to supplement school lunch programs. The bill would add 15 cents toward every lunch and 7 cents toward every breakfast that is served in Oregon public schools. The catch is that schools who wish to participate in the program must use the money to purchase Oregon-produced food. Furthermore, in order to qualify for the extra 15 or 7 cents, schools must prove they are spending an equal amount of national school food program funds on Oregon foods. · Read the entire article.
Tri-district school boards create committee to review, improve school lunches by Laura Modlin Easton Courier Published 12/19/2008
The tri-district board of education has created an ad hoc committee to review and improve the quality of the lunches served in Easton and Redding schools, as well as to seek ways to incorporate more locally grown foods into those meals. The committee was created in response to parental concerns about where the food their children eat in school comes from, and how that can affect a school meal’s overall quality and nutritional value. · Read the entire article.
Senator Whipple's Richmond Report by Mary Margaret Whipple Falls Church News-Press Published 12/18/2008
Farm-to-school programs that provide locally-grown fruits and vegetables for school lunches; healthy snacks, juices and water in vending machines; nutrition classes in the community; menu labeling; and more were suggested. And we can each do our part. · Read the entire article.
Let's eat by Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chapter New Times Published 12/18/2008
According to Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet, “A study of 57 countries with about 13 million farmers has shown 50 to 100 percent increases in yields where farmers are using local resources and organic sustainable methods.” Sounds good to us. Let’s put the policies in place that will give us that kind of food security. · Read the entire article.
Mr. Diabetes(R) Completes 10,000+ Mile Walk of U.S. Perimeter by Defeat Diabetes Foundation The Earth Times Published 12/18/2008
Programs that focus on diabetes, nutrition and obesity are critical. Access to healthy food through farmer's markets, community and school gardens, farm-to-school programs and food cooperatives are just a few of the components to reducing the rates of diabetes. · Read the entire article.
Locavore: A Word to Live By by Gwen Roland Mother Earth News Published 12/18/2008
I don’t know what the word of the year will be for 2008, but for those of us who know the satisfaction of eating food grown within hollering distance of our kitchens, locavore is good enough to live by for another year. · Read the entire article.
H.G. Hill Middle School benefits from food grant funding by Lea Ann Overstreet Allen The Tennessean Published 12/17/2008
Several local schools and community groups recently received $2,650 in grant funding from Food Security Partners of Middle Tennessee to increase the amount of healthy food available to them. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-school lunch organizer sees benefits for all by Eric Gaertner Muskegon Chronicle Published 12/15/2008
If we could actually have a food system that had fresh, healthy, local food here grown by local farmers for our kids, it would result in many, many positives. The first of which, all that money that was spent on those 417,000 lunches could go to local farmers and local food providers. · Read the entire article.
Easton studying farm-fresh school menus by Joel C. Thompson Connecticut Post Published 12/15/2008
A new committee, established to oversee the bidding process for a lunch provider in the Easton and Redding schools, also will explore whether fresh foods from some of the region's farms can be added to school lunch menus. The Easton, Redding and Region 9 school boards at their annual joint meeting last week agreed to set up the committee both to manage the bidding process for the lunch contract and to address the "farm-to-school" issue that has arisen among parents in both towns. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School: Students eating fresh produce grown locally by Autumn Grooms LaCrosse Tribune Published 12/14/2008
The Viroqua School District has developed a program that channels locally grown fruits and vegetables into the cafeterias. Farm to School started this year in Viroqua and is part of a rising trend nationwide. Some districts dabble with school gardens and orchards, while others partner with local farmers or ranchers for food. The Wisconsin State AmeriCorps, meanwhile, awarded Vernon and Crawford counties resources to start Farm to School programs. · Read the entire article.
Blue Cross Foundation Awards $660,000 in Grants to Improve Community Health Market Watch Published 12/12/2008
White Earth Land Recovery Project, Callaway, Minn., $60,000 for the Farm to School project on the White Earth Reservation, protecting the health of children by addressing pesticide contamination issues, promoting reservation-wide strategies to reduce environmental pollution, increasing the consumption of fresh locally grown and organic foods, and strengthening the local economy. · Read the entire article.
A reach for local foods by Michael White The News-Review Published 12/11/2008
Farmers, state officials, food distributors and school food directors huddled last week in U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer's Long Island offices to craft a plan for offering locally grown produce in New York schools. · Read the entire article.
What’s for lunch? Less junk by Christian Gaston Pamplin Media Group Published 12/11/2008
Grant helps Portland Public Schools feed kids more local food. Kristy Obbink, director of nutrition services at PPS, says that the district’s Harvest of the Month and Local Lunch programs, which put farm-fresh produce on cafeteria plates twice a month, has her questioning the assumption that kids won’t eat healthy foods. It turns out students kind of like parsnips. · Read the entire article.
Weak economy puts more kids in line for free meals, report says CNN Published 12/11/2008
The sagging economy is taking a bite out of federal school-meal subsidies as more students take advantage of free or low-price breakfasts and lunches, nutritionists say in a report released Thursday. About 425,000 more students are participating in the National School Lunch Program, a group reports. The School Nutrition Association surveyed more than 130 school nutrition directors from 38 states to produce its report, "Saved by the Lunch Bell: As Economy Sinks, School Nutrition Program Participation Rises." · Read the entire article.
New broccoli fans keen for green by Matt Neznanski Gazette-Times Published 12/10/2008
How do you know you’ve got great broccoli? Elementary school children come back for seconds. Or thirds. Wednesday’s effort was the third tasting table set up by the Corvallis Environmental Center’s Farm to School program, designed to increase the amount of locally grown foods served in school cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
Haywood Community College Serves Student-Grown Produce by Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project Haywood Published 12/10/2008
This spring, the greens served in Haywood Community College's cafeteria couldn't have been more local-they were grown at the college. · Read the entire article.
Schools take part in Farm to School fundraiser Montana's News Station Published 12/09/2008
Rather than pedaling cookies and candy to friends and family, students from two area schools are trying to raise money by selling healthy, Montana-made food products. The Farm to School fundraiser is a pilot program sponsored by Montana Team Nutrition Program of MSU as a way to support schools in implementing their school wellness policy and support Farm to School Programs. · Read the entire article.
WSDA’s Farm-to-school workshop Thursday by Ingrid Stegemoeller Tri-City Herald Published 12/09/2008
A day-long workshop Thursday, Dec.11, will launch the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s new Farm-to-School program and aims to build connections between growers and schools. The free workshop is 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Puyallup, with video conferencing available at Washington State University Extension offices, including Kennewick. · Read the entire article.
Willmar Model brings kids local foods Minn Post Published 12/08/2008
Youngsters in the Willmar, Minn., school district are like kids everywhere: they love sweet corn and slices of apples and don't care so much for squash. The difference for these students is that the corn, apples, squash and even fresh bison comes from farms and orchards in Kandiyohi County and the surrounding areas. The Willmar Model, as it is called, is an ambitious attempt at a farm-to-school program in Minnesota, part of a national movement to get children to eat healthy, locally grown foods while helping nearby producers find new markets. · Read the entire article.
New Law Will Increase Fresh, Local Foods in Schools Michigan House Democrats Published 12/08/2008
State Representative Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) praised a bipartisan plan signed into law today that creates farm-to-school initiatives to help make fresh, locally grown foods available in school cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
WSDA Farm-to-School workshop will improve kids’ access to healthy Washington foods by Jason Kelly Washington State Department of Agriculture Published 12/08/2008
Washington State Department of Agriculture’s (WSDA) new Farm-to-School Program launches this week with a free, all-day workshop on building successful farm-to-school connections in local communities. · Read the entire article.
Farm income seen holding steady by Ted Shelsby The Baltimore Sun Published 12/07/2008
The 2009 conference of Future Harvest-CASA, considered one of the more comprehensive annual sustainable agriculture discussions in the Mid-Atlantic region, will be held Jan. 16 -17. · Read the entire article.
New guide links farms, schools by Richard Roth The Independent Published 12/06/2008
A Farm to School Guide and Directory for the Hudson-Mohawk area is now available online from Cornell Cooperative Extension. The guide offers assistance to school food service directors interested in buying local food, and to farmers who want to expand local markets. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-school workshops slated by Cookson Beecher Capital Press Published 12/05/2008
Washington state Extension agents and other ag professionals are invited to attend a workshop about farm-to-school connections. The workshop will provide information about how to help growers expand their local markets and provide access to more fresh foods for school children. The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, at the D.F. Allmendinger Center at the Washington State University research center in Puyallup. · Read the entire article.
Choices 4 Health at work to promote healthy living Oakville Beaver Published 12/05/2008
These will include a Farm to School program to promote eating more local fresh fruit and vegetables · Read the entire article.
What’s for lunch? by Chloe Johnson The Wire Published 12/04/2008
One Seacoast middle school lunch menu lists hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets and, once a week, pizza. While these entrees are sometimes supplemented with celery sticks or peas and carrots, some parents and educators want to see more healthy food delivered to schools fresh from local farms. · Read the entire article.
Schumer wants local farms' produce in school cafeterias by Jennifer Sinco Kelleher News Day Published 12/04/2008
Dismayed that Long Island schools are serving students mostly processed food, Sen. Charles Schumer said yesterday he wants to see more products from local farms in New York cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
PURS to fold under limited budget by Mitch Lies Capital Press Published 12/04/2008
Recently added positions the governor proposed to fund include the department's farm-to-school and renewable energy positions - two positions at risk because of their short tenures. · Read the entire article.
Test Kitchen by Sarah Lemon Mail Tribune Published 12/03/2008
Farm-to-school program gets a tryout in Ashland School District; 'It's 'great to try something new' · Read the entire article.
OK-Farm to School programs promote proper nutrition in schools by Candice Adson Oklahoma Insider Published 12/01/2008
A program that intends to provide students with healthy foods while increasing their knowledge of nutrition and agriculture is being developed in many states, including Oklahoma. Farm to School programs allow a school to purchase fresh produce from local farmers and often incorporate nutrition lessons in the classrooms. The program is supported by both farmers looking for new markets and school advocates of health and nutrition. · Read the entire article.
Plow on The Frederick News Post Published 11/30/2008
We have a part to play, too -- by nurturing an agri-centric economy. This entails doing things like continuing to buy locally and supporting the ongoing development of initiatives like Maryland's new Farm to School program. Signed into law in May, the program helps procure local Maryland produce for school menus and promotes the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week to support Maryland agriculture through school meal and classroom programs and interaction between students and local farmers. · Read the entire article.
Memorial held for woman who promoted agriculture Ventura County Star Published 11/26/2008
Sheri Rudd Klittich was involved in the Farm to School program, which connects local growers with the school lunch program, and the Ag Futures Alliance, where she worked to advance sustainable agriculture in the county. · Read the entire article.
Lopez Principal to retire and embark on new journey by Colleen Armstrong Islands Weekly Published 11/25/2008
Some of the major events during MacNichol’s tenure include the secondary school converting to block scheduling; developing the alternative high school program; bringing the graduation rate up to 98 percent, and the college-bound rate to 95 percent; organizing an annual middle school fall retreat at Camp Nor’Wester; helping the Farm to School program take off; and fostering a relationship with the Lopez Island Family Resource Center through the Readiness to Learn grant. · Read the entire article.
Oregon House Democrats release "Job Creation and Family Support Plan" by Carla Axtman Blue Oregon Published 11/25/2008
In a Salem press conference today, House Speaker-Designee Dave Hunt and Majority Leader Mary Nolan rolled out the Dems initial plan for job creation and family support including an increase of farm to school programs. · Read the entire article.
Seeds of change by Jill Rosen The Baltimore Sun Published 11/24/2008
Organic farm will give city school students a chance to get their hands dirty while learning about nutrition. · Read the entire article.
Harvest Festival Brings the Country To Children with Developmental Disabilities by Brooklyn Eagle Brooklyn Daily Eagle Published 11/21/2008
The sights, sounds, tastes and smells of autumn in the country were recently enjoyed by a group of students from John Bowne High School’s agriculture department and the special needs children attending Block Institute at its’ 2008 Harvest Festival. · Read the entire article.
Legislation seeks to make it easier for Michigan farmers to supply school cafeterias by Beth Loechler The Grand Rapids Press Published 11/21/2008
In an effort to get more Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables onto school lunch trays, legislators have sponsored a package of bills that would make it easier for local farmers to sell to schools. · Read the entire article.
Bloomfield High students prepare menu for capitol meeting by Nancy Davis Bloomfield Journal Published 11/20/2008
When members of the Working Lands Alliance sat down for lunch recently at the state capitol, the potato leek soup on the menu had ingredients grown by students in Bloomfield High's Farm to School program. · Read the entire article.
Easton school board may ‘go green’ with school lunches by Laura Modlin Easton Courier Published 11/20/2008
The Easton Board of Education have set in motion two new projects that could help make the town’s schools healthier and greener. At their meeting Tuesday evening, first up on their agenda was the farm to school initiative, an effort spearheaded by Victor Alfandre, a parent of students at Samuel Staples Elementary School. · Read the entire article.
Local foods help schools improve diet by Dorothy Brayley The Newport Daily News Published 11/20/2008
Sodexo Inc., the company that provides lunches and breakfasts to the city’s public schools, agreed to support the “Rhode Island Farm to School” program and serve homegrown Rhode Island produce, including apples, potatoes, broccoli, carrots and string beans. The company also agreed to work through a local produce company, Community Fruit, to expand the program whenever possible. · Read the entire article.
Halton program brings produce to local school by Tim Whitnell Burlington Post Published 11/19/2008
Halton Region wants to bring fresh, locally-grown produce into the area’s elementary schools, and it plans to do so through the Farm to School Committee. · Read the entire article.
Teach (and Feed) Your Children Well by Trista Scheuerlein Flavor Published 11/17/2008
Local food and public schools don't have to be strangers. · Read the entire article.
Healthy school lunches on the menu by Margaret Stafford San Mateo Daily Journal Published 11/17/2008
Schools — particularly public schools — face several obstacles before starting a farm-to-school program, advocates say. Many schools do not have the kitchen facilities or skilled labor needed to provide more than heat-and-serve meals. “Schools often don’t see food or cafeterias as a major investment,” said Anupama Joshi, co-director of the national Farm To School network. “It’s really sad because research has shown that the food we serve our kids can help them facilitate learning and is tied to performance.” · Read the entire article.
Good people doing great things Daily Democrat Published 11/16/2008
Yolo Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization, hosted the Yolo County Philanthropy Day Awards last week at the Heidrick Ag History Center. Ten Yolo County Nonprofits participated. Thirty-seven awards were given. · Read the entire article.
North Jersey gets local into schools’ lunch rooms by Tamara Scully American Farm Published 11/15/2008
Here in New Jersey, putting “local” on the menu of school lunches has launched lunch into fashion, as thousands of children in schools in the northern regions of the Garden State now eat locally-grown food as a regular part of every lunch. Recent school lunch nutrition efforts have focused on establishing healthy eating habits and putting those lessons to practice in school lunch lines. · Read the entire article.
What I'm Into: Katharine Monstream: Artist, mother, soccer fan by Myra Mathis-Flynn Burlington Free Press Published 11/14/2008
We are also supporting Farm to School where local farmers bring local food to our cafeterias. So we will be raffling off original paintings to support them. · Read the entire article.
Improve School Lunches with Locally Grown Food by Laura Weldon Natural News Published 11/14/2008
Connecting school lunch programs directly to local farms is good for everyone. Schools save money, farmers find nearby buyers and student health improves. · Read the entire article.
Ashland starts Farm to School program by Andrea Pettes KDRV Published 11/13/2008
The Ashland School District has partnered with the Ashland Food Co-op to teach the young kids about locally grown products. Beginning Thursday, the Farm to School Program will allow kids at Ashland schools to enjoy the same locally grown foods as Co-op customers. · Read the entire article.
Farm To School Program launches new website by Chris Kirby High Plains Journal Published 11/13/2008
The state agriculture department has created an Oklahoma Farm to School website to give schools, agricultural producers and others an inside look at its program designed to put Oklahoma foods in our school lunch programs. Located at www.okfarmtoschool.com, the website offers Oklahomans a chance to become involved with the program and learn about efforts to help schools connect with local farmers and provide children with fresh, locally grown foods. · Read the entire article.
School Garden Teach Kids by Kathryn Nichols School Garden Weekly Published 11/13/2008
New school gardens are blooming in California’s Monterey County with almost every year. Teachers and administrators are finding that the garden can be woven into just about every aspect of the curriculum, even history, cultural studies, foreign languages, and English. · Read the entire article.
Makeovers for school lunches by Doug Gruse PostStar Published 11/12/2008
Saratoga Springs and several other local schools have been working to incorporate fresh food into daily meals by seeking fruits and vegetables from local farmers. The schools are part of a growing Farm to Schools initiative nationwide. · Read the entire article.
Bistro Kids makes healthy eating main course at schools by Tammy Worth Kansas City Business Journal Published 11/12/2008
Pork enchiladas, honey mustard turkey breast and bison tacos are not typical school lunch fare. But Bistro Kids is not a typical school lunch program. Run by Chef Kiersten Firquain, Bistro Kids is the first for-profit lunch program in the area that follows the Farm to School Program, a national organization that helps connect local farmers with area schools. · Read the entire article.
OU’s use of local foods rises by Sharon Dowell News OK Published 11/11/2008
Local products make up 15 percent of all products used in the University of Oklahoma’s food service operations, and an official said that percentage is growing. "We’re moving more and more every day, going for a certain percentage,” said Dot Flowers, general manager for marketing and nutritional analysis for housing and food services at OU. "We’re hoping to reach 30 percent of what we purchase being local.” · Read the entire article.
Local, healthy eating program launches for lunch by Steve Arstad Keremeos Review Published 11/11/2008
The Public Health Association of BC launched the “Farm to School Salad Bar” initiative last Tuesday in a two day celebration. · Read the entire article.
Oklahoma Education Briefs NewsOK Published 11/10/2008
The state Department of Agriculture has created an Oklahoma Farm to School Web site to give schools, agricultural producers and others an inside look at its program designed to put Oklahoma foods in our school lunch programs. The Web site, www.okfarmtoschool.com, offers Oklahomans a chance to become involved and learn about efforts to help schools connect with local farmers and provide the state’s children with fresh, locally grown foods. · Read the entire article.
An apple a day by Matthew Wilde WCF Courier Published 11/10/2008
Many of the youngsters ignored their bologna sandwiches, crackers and soup, and stuffed their faces with the fruit first. Some even said candy bars would play second fiddle to apples. That's music to Sue Burrack's ears. Starmont's food service coordinator said that means the district's healthy eating initiative is working, and the state's "A" is for Apple Initiative, part of the Farm to School Program, is a big part of it. · Read the entire article.
School menus freshen up by Stephen J. Hedges and Jo Napolitano Chicago Tribune Published 11/09/2008
Once the province of tater tots, reheated burgers and chocolate milk, school lunches are increasingly featuring local produce and healthy foods as administrators battle rising food prices and expanding student waistlines. A movement that began a decade ago by putting fresh produce into a few California schools is now active in 2,000 school districts in 39 states, according to the National Farm to School project. · Read the entire article.
Springport students celebrate locally grown food by Shepker Jackson Citizen Patriot Published 11/08/2008
Springport students know the sources of their food, from the grain fields that dot the rural landscape to the poultry and livestock they raise in the schoolyard. · Read the entire article.
Eastonites farm ideas for fresh food by Joel C. Thompson Connecticut Post Published 11/08/2008
Plans for a greenhouse and large vegetable garden at Staples Elementary School are on a menu of ideas being considered as ways to provide fresh produce for the school lunch program and to enrich the curriculum. · Read the entire article.
Ojai film series focuses on food, agriculture and environmental issues by Lisa McKinnon Ventura County Star Published 11/06/2008
Organized by Food for Thought Ojai, a nonprofit group devoted to implementing farm-to-school salad bars and other health-related programs, the series includes documentaries and short films that focus on food, agriculture and the environment. · Read the entire article.
Homegrown helpings by Lauren M. Whaley Jackson Hole News & Guide Published 11/05/2008
The best response to an increasingly dire financial crisis is to take a deep breath and return to our communities, says the founder of Slow Food in the Tetons. · Read the entire article.
Cultivating Minds: Food-Related Curricula Take Root Nationwide by Bernice Yeung Edutopia Published 11/05/2008
Rochester Roots is one of many public school programs nationwide that uses food as a pathway to learning. The concept, popularized by chef Alice Waters's Edible Schoolyard and the Community Food Security Coalition's Farm to School programs, has been quietly gaining momentum over the past decade. As Americans sharpen their focus on education, health, and climate change, more states and school districts are embracing food-related curricula to teach topics as varied as chemistry, nutrition, and environmentalism. Many believe the vegetable's time as a teaching tool has finally come. · Read the entire article.
This week at the State House by Sheryl Julian The Boston Globe Published 11/04/2008
Fifth grade children from the Williamsburg (Mass.) Elementary School formed a partnership with Fertile Ground initiative to create a farm-to-school program. State Rep Stephen Kulik is hosting an exhibit in the State House's Doric Hall that records the childrens' perspective in a new methodology called PhotoVoice. · Read the entire article.
Area project kicks off anti-obesity push by Scott Nicholson The Watauga Democrat Published 11/04/2008
The Watauga County Childhood Obesity Prevention Project officially launched Oct. 29 at Watauga Medical Center, with planning already under way for a sustained program to promote healthy behaviors among the young and enhance physical fitness and nutrition. Farm-to-school programs will help children understand the connection between meals and local produce, and high school students will be surveyed about their health behaviors. · Read the entire article.
Schools cafeterias opt for local produce by Ashley Wilson Citizen-Times Published 11/03/2008
The local food movement has made its way into school cafeterias across Western North Carolina. With an increased emphasis on healthier cafeteria food and changes to the farm bill, more area school districts, including Buncombe County and Asheville City, are turning to local farms to get fresh produce for school lunches. · Read the entire article.
Greg Clark Q and A Addison Independent Published 11/03/2008
The Vermont-made label means something in many parts of the world so I’m supportive of the marketing of Vermont farm products. I will continue to support the current use program, the farm viability program, the buy locally and farm to school programs. · Read the entire article.
Woodland Heights to receive funding from USDA The Citizen of Laconia Published 10/31/2008
The Laconia School District announced that the Woodland Heights Elementary School is a recipient of funding under the USDA's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. · Read the entire article.
Oregon schools embrace local produce programs by Don Schrack The Packer Published 10/31/2008
It was a simple, yet challenging concept: a healthful environment and community can exist amidst a robust economy. A Portland, Ore.-based non-profit organization, with assistance from growers, food processors and retailers — and a nearly $300,000 grant from the Kaiser-Permanente Community Fund — is taking its message of a healthful environment and community into Portland Public Schools. · Read the entire article.
Michigan Farm to School Web site NBC25 Published 10/31/2008
A new state Web site is helping match schools up with local food producers to help boost Michigan's economy and encourage students to eat healthier. · Read the entire article.
Michigan Farm to School Web site TV 7 Published 10/31/2008
The idea of the Michigan Farm to School Web site is to create an easy resource for schools to plan local agriculture related projects. Projects like helping schools get local food for school meals programs, designing fundraisers that involve local agricultural products, and creating things like school gardens, planning farmer visits to school classrooms and cafeterias, and school field trips to local farms. · Read the entire article.
Stewardship conference in Anderson targets sustainable agriculture by James Rubinstein Independent-Mail Published 10/31/2008
Sustainable agriculture is about a system of agriculture that takes into account the triple bottom line: environmental, social and economic concerns and by taking into account all three of these things agriculture can be a part of everyone’s life, say agriculture experts. · Read the entire article.
The Farm-to-Schools Movement: Schools across the state serve up change by Rebecca Mayer The Lake Oswego Review Published 10/30/2008
Corn dogs and tator tots are being voted out of school cafeterias across the country. Unless of course they’re made from scratch with local, all-natural ingredients. Lunch ladies (and gents) are pioneering a food movement from coast to coast that encompasses a variety of more healthful options: from farm-to-schools programs and scratch kitchens to organic, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian options. The National Farm-to-School Network dates back to a 2000 project funded by the USDA Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems. The aim is to not only put local food on the table for schoolkids but to help students to understand where food comes from and how food choices affect our bodies and the environment · Read the entire article.
Fresh concept goes to school by Laura Diamond The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published 10/30/2008
The school changed its food ordering practices this year to use more farm-fresh and seasonal items from the region. At the same time, the school is reducing its reliance on frozen fruits and vegetables as well as produce from far-flung areas. The change is part of the school’s long-standing sustainability efforts and reflects a national trend to buy local. · Read the entire article.
Who has what it takes? by Harmony Groves The Lumber Jack Published 10/29/2008
Susan Ornelas is a long-time community leader and a firm advocate for sustainable agriculture and local food. I am very impressed by her work establishing our local Farm-to-School program to improve the health of local children and the viability of local farms. · Read the entire article.
Damariscotta River Grill Prepares for an Exciting November with Fourth Annual Harvest Dinner and Com Maine Business Published 10/29/2008
The FARMS project promotes farm-to-school activities throughout Maine by connecting classrooms, cafeterias, local farms and communities through its goal of educating students on good nutrition and the role that local farms play in promoting healthy communities. · Read the entire article.
School to open salad bar Terrace Standard Published 10/28/2008
Mom may have told you to eat your vegetables at mealtimes and even maybe served fruit for dessert to raise healthy children. Now mom’s advice is moving into the classroom for lunch. · Read the entire article.
A+ Lunch: New Haven gives children, more healthful, locally-grown choices by Elizabeth Benton New Haven Register Published 10/26/2008
Kindergartner Khaliyah Kelly tried a red pepper this week. Khaliyah's intrepid venture is something the school district hopes to make routine through its recently overhauled school lunch program, which aims to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables and more healthful fare. · Read the entire article.
Let’s do lunch by Faye Whitbeck The Daily Journal Published 10/24/2008
Regulations aside, the experts say student lunches are currently loaded with high-fat, nutrient-poor cheeseburgers and hotdogs, chips and other foods which don’t promote good health. The negative indications of health findings in children have likely started a national trend to start paying attention to what foods are available to kids. Schools across the country are becoming more focused on adding fruits, vegetables, salads and healthier options to menus. · Read the entire article.
Tsongas pays area a visit by Brad Petrishan Wicked Local Published 10/23/2008
Congresswoman Niki Tsongas talked Washington apples rather than Washington politics Friday, as she visited a number of orchards and farms across the fifth congressional district to get a better idea of the challenges facing its 535 farm owners. “What started my whole reconsideration of the farm bill … was hearing that one of three children in my district go hungry,” she said, adding that she believes local produce can help alleviate the problem through programs such as the Farm to School Program. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School Program by Barbara Howard The Recipe Box Published 10/23/2008
Interview segment from Blog Action Day broadcast featuring Anupama Joshi of the National Farm to School Network. Their programs connect schools with local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime, and supporting local small farmers. · Read the entire article.
Healthy Fuel: GTACS program provides kids with nutritious snacks by Carol South Traverse City - Record Eagle Published 10/21/2008
Determined to instill life lessons, the Life Balance Initiative has been branching out. The Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools program was launched a year ago to bring healthy hot lunches to the four schools in the system. Processed, high sodium, high fat and packaged food gave way to made-from-scratch offerings that included local produce, meat and milk. · Read the entire article.
Two farm-to-school efforts receive awards Burlington Free Press Published 10/21/2008
Two Vermont initiatives are among 25 nationally to receive Victory Against Hunger Awards from Congressional Hunger Center, Victory Wholesale Group and National Farm to School Network. Hartland's Farm to School program and Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day) will receive national recognition and $1,000 awards. · Read the entire article.
KBOO Food Show KBOO-FM Published 10/20/2008
· Read the entire article.
Farm-To-School Programs Grow Students' Appreciation for Locally Grown Food by Diane Raymond Natural News Published 10/20/2008
As farmers struggle to mitigate the increasing cost of transporting produce from farm to store and schools face smaller budgets and increasing concerns over the nutritional content of school lunches, some schools opt to bring the farm to the lunch table. There is more good news: The National Farm to School program, a national network of community-based food systems that assist farmers and improve student health, estimates that more than 2,000 Farm to School Programs are currently underway in the U.S., with more than 8,700 schools actively participating. · Read the entire article.
Meadors ‘gets’ environmental issues by Julia Romo Independent Mail Published 10/19/2008
Farming has long been a mainstay in Anderson County. More needs to be done to support our local farmers and protect their livelihood. Marshall supports sustainable farming with programs like “Farm to School,” which brings healthy, locally grown food to our children. · Read the entire article.
Learn how to get fresh fruits and vegetables in local schools Register-Pajaronian Published 10/18/2008
The event, for both adults and kids, will provide information on how to get more fresh local produce on school menus and teach kids about local agriculture. While adults are attending workshops, the children can have fun with farm and food activities. · Read the entire article.
Tsongas tours district's finest farms by Brad Petrishen The MetroWest Daily News Published 10/18/2008
Established about five years ago, the nonprofit Farm to School Program helps match public schools with local farmers who provide them with fresh produce. · Read the entire article.
Striving for nutrition, appeal and affordability by Scott Blackburn Delmarva Now Published 10/16/2008
Nutrition, appeal and affordability continue to be primary focuses for school food and nutrition service programs in our state. This year, the focus on providing students with fresh fruits and vegetables has expanded with the Farm to School initiative. Not only does this program encourage our children to enjoy the benefits (taste and nutrition) of fresh produce, it also enables school systems to partner with local farmers, supporting this vital industry. · Read the entire article.
Students and Lunch – Both Connecticut Grown by Marianne Sullivan Shore Publishing Published 10/16/2008
Last week the region’s three elementary schools celebrated “Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids,” a farm-to-school lunchtime event. The goal was to educate students about the local foods grown or made locally and about good nutrition. · Read the entire article.
Getting back to Easton’s roots by Laura Modlin Easton Courier Published 10/16/2008
A group of local parents feels that not only are the town’s farms an important part of Easton’s culture, but they also provide an ideal way to help nourish children as they learn and grow.“It’s a great way to teach our children to take better care of themselves, the town and their planet.” · Read the entire article.
Educators Hungry for Farm-to-School Programs by Isabel Cowles Finding Dulcinea Published 10/15/2008
Rising food costs and increasing requests by parents have encouraged many schools across the country to adopt farm-to-school programs so that kids can get fresh, local produce, and see how it is grown and prepared. · Read the entire article.
Growing lunch by Leslie Cole The Oregonian Published 10/14/2008
Mention school lunches, and it's hard to find someone who's not hungry for change. Maybe you can't see, smell or taste it just yet, but the shape of public school meals is shifting, in the Portland area and beyond. Despite other hurdles -- and there are many -- school food service directors are buying fresh fruits and vegetables from nearby farmers when they can, with little or no additional federal or state money in their pockets. · Read the entire article.
Promoting Agriculture: Students flourish during Homegrown School Lunch Week by Laurie Savage Frederick News Post Published 10/13/2008
The Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week celebration kicked off recently at Takoma Park Middle School with the crunch of Montgomery County-grown apples. "Food doesn't grow in the supermarket, it grows in Maryland on farms," said Sen. Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County. Raskin was a lead sponsor, along with Del. Sheila Hixson, of Farm-to-School Program legislation. · Read the entire article.
Local produce on school menu is a winning offer by Roger Richardson and Nancy S. Grasmick Delmarva Now Published 10/13/2008
We thank The Daily Times for its coverage of the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School initiative and the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Program during the week of Sept. 22-26. This exciting new program, signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley this year, is designed to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches and to help educate students about the source of their food, how it is produced and the benefits of a healthy diet. · Read the entire article.
State-Grown Food Program Takes Root In Norwich by Jenna Cho The Day Published 10/13/2008
Uncas was one of two schools in the state celebrating Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Week last week. The effort is designed to encourage students to learn where their fresh produce comes from and the importance of eating healthy. · Read the entire article.
Farm To School KION 46 Published 10/13/2008
A non-profit program called Farm To School is promoting healthy eating habits in school. The program partners with local farms, parents and school cafeterias to make eating fruits and vegatable the norm in a child's diet. · Read the entire article.
Farm To School Fox 35 Published 10/13/2008
Farm To School has supported over 70 school garden programs and taught better eating habits to nearly 8,000 students. The Farm To School program is working on developing a workbook for interested parents to present to their Parent Teacher Association, to get the program to their school. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School initiative shows great promise by Roger Richardson Cumberland Times-News Published 10/12/2008
Thank you for your coverage of the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School initiative and the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Program (Sept. 22-26). This exciting new program, signed into law by Gov. (Martin) O’Malley this year, is designed to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches and to help educate students about the source of their food, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet. · Read the entire article.
Fresh Produce Programs Are Win-Winners by Editorial Board Kitsap Sun Published 10/12/2008
This spring, Washington lawmakers passed Local Farms-Healthy Kids legislation, with funding to connect schools with Washington farmers and produce distributors. Consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables is a lifestyle change that children may bring home to their families, and carry with them into adulthood — a significant step toward increasing health and reducing obesity in our society. · Read the entire article.
The sustainability campus: Green efforts continue to grow at UNH by Adam Leech Seacoast Online Published 10/12/2008
The Farm to School Program connects state farms and 258 K-12 schools and five colleges by facilitating the purchase of state grown and produced foods by New Hampshire schools. Its vision is to develop a healthy, community-based, community-supported school food system by integrating agricultural production, school food procurement and school curriculum. · Read the entire article.
Local Produce Gets More Prominent in the Lunch Line by Edie Lau Kitsap Sun Published 10/11/2008
Washington lawmakers this spring boosted the local angle by passing legislation dubbed Local Farms-Healthy Kids, which puts personnel and money toward connecting schools with Washington farmers and distributors. The first act of the new law was to offer $600,000 in grants to elementary schools with a high proportion of low-income students. · Read the entire article.
Kimberly replaces playground by Miranda C.R. White Redlands Daily Facts Published 10/09/2008
For the opening ceremony, Bob Knight of Farm to School, a program that provides local produce to schools, donated freshly picked apples. Knight also donated oranges from his Old Grove Orange farm for the volunteers on the build day to thank the Redlands Unified School District for buying local oranges and apples for their schools. · Read the entire article.
School Lunch Program Promotes Healthy Eating by Associated Press Food Product Design Published 10/09/2008
Bistro Kids Farm 2 School Lunch Program operates in Kansas and Missouri and aims to promote farm-to-school ideals, a concept introduced in 2000 by the national Farm To School Network. · Read the entire article.
EHOVE lunch fresh from the farm The News-Messenger Published 10/07/2008
Lunchtime at EHOVE Career Center has taken on a fresh approach this year, with many of the fruits and vegetables served up on the trays less than 24 hours after picking. As one of two schools in Ohio participating in the Farm to School Program, students are offered fresh produce from a nearby source. · Read the entire article.
Lunches go organic in some schools by Associated Press CNN Published 10/07/2008
The Academy is one of three Kansas City-area private schools that participate in Bistro Kids' Farm 2 School program, which is committed to improving students' health by offering lunches from organic, natural, locally-grown food. "It's really, really good," said sixth-grader Peter Imel, while chomping away on pizza. "When I first heard about it, I thought, 'OK, maybe, maybe not.' But it's better than any restaurant I've been to." · Read the entire article.
Real Food: Coming to a School Near You by Natalie Rotunda Examiner Published 10/07/2008
Interestingly, the Farm to School Program marries two important issues of our day, both with dire consequences: the decline in farms---fewer than 2% of our population farm---and the high rate of obesity in our children. Farmers, parents, schools and some community groups found common ground and got behind the effort to make it happen and, voila! today, a little over 2,000 school districts, nearly 9,000 schools, in 39 states are involved. It’s easy to see it’s a win-win for everyone. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School Day is Oct. 18 in Watsonville The Californian Published 10/06/2008
Learn how to get more fresh local produce on school menus and teach children about local agriculture at Farm to School Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at Crystal Bay Farm, 70 Zils Road, Watsonville. · Read the entire article.
Local Matters receives a "Victory Aganist Hunger" The Columbus Underground Published 10/06/2008
Celebrating outstanding efforts in fighting hunger through promoting or creating innovative farm to school programs, Local Matters, a nonprofit organization in Columbus, Ohio, which plays a key leadership role in ensuring that the entire community of Central Ohio has easy access to local, nutritious foods, was recently awarded a Victory Against Hunger Awards by the Congressional Hunger Center (CHC), Victory Wholesale Group, and National Farm to School Network. · Read the entire article.
Little Falls youths try local foods by Dave Aeikens SC Times Published 10/05/2008
Later this month, students in Little Falls schools will get a dessert on their lunch trays made from locally grown apples. It’s part of a monthly effort to get more local products onto school lunch menus. · Read the entire article.
Class Notes The Monterey County Herald Published 10/05/2008
The Monterey County Partnership for Farm to School will host an information table about how connecting schools with local produce and start school gardens. The table will be at the Pacific Grove Certified Farmers Market, 5 to 6 p.m., Oct. 13 on Lighthouse Avenue between Forest Avenue and 17th Street in Pacific Grove. · Read the entire article.
From farms to the school cafeteria by Amanda Godfrey Sandusky Register Published 10/04/2008
Local school districts are planting the seeds of healthy eating. Through a collaboration with local farmers in the national Farm to School program, EHOVE and Sandusky Schools are among a handful of schools in Ohio serving up fresh, more nutritious meals. · Read the entire article.
Despite costs, healthy school lunches on the menu by Margaret Stafford The Hays Daily Published 10/03/2008
The buffet offers a variety of pizzas, with whole wheat crust, organic toppings and hormone-free cheese. The salad bar includes some greens and vegetables grown without pesticides in a nearby garden, perhaps topped with homemade croutons and organic dressing. And the chef even takes special requests from vegetarians, those wanting gluten-free food or even an extra slice of free-range meat. This isn't a restaurant in one of Kansas City's trendy neighborhoods, but a cramped room in the basement of the Kansas City Academy, a private school for 6th-12th graders in the city's Waldo district. The Academy is one of three Kansas City-area private schools that participate in Bistro Kids' Farm 2 School program, which is committed to improving students' health by offering lunches from organic, natural, locally-grown food. · Read the entire article.
School Menus Offer Locally Grown Food by Lori Aratani Washington Post Published 10/02/2008
State and local officials are hoping a new initiative will help schoolchildren across Maryland appreciate local farmers and the crops they grow. Last week, the state sponsored Homegrown School Lunch Week, an effort to teach children that the watermelon chunks and cucumber slices they see on their lunch trays come from nearby fields -- not the supermarket. Farmers and officials appeared at Maryland schools, where they set up displays of Maryland-grown produce. · Read the entire article.
Farm Lets Kids Have A Field Day by Don Robinson The Register -Guard Springfield Extra Published 10/02/2008
This recent Friday outing was the start of an official farm field trip under the Farm to School program guided by the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition. Megan Kemple, the coalition’s Farm to School coordinator and one of its two full-time staff members, helped lead the tour. She also showed those who were not out in the fields how to trim onions with a scissors. Joining in were Bobbi Phillips, Springfield schools’ new nutrition services director, and Joan Ottinger of Salem, coordinator of the state’s new Farm to School program, authorized by the Legislature in a special session last February. The program aims to bring more locally grown food into school lunches. · Read the entire article.
Joint boards favor farm-to-school program by Dorothy Jasperson Westby Times Published 10/02/2008
The farm-to-school program was designed to bring healthy food from local farms to schoolchildren across the country and allow school districts the ability to purchase more local commodities for their food-service programs reducing the amount of travel time from harvest to ingestion providing students with healthier choices and fresher meals. · Read the entire article.
Center for Rural Studies Receives Funding for Community Projects University Communications Published 10/02/2008
Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day) Farm to School, a project of Shelburne Farms, Northeast Organic Farmers Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) and Foodworks, will receive $15,000 to help to provide sustained technical support to teachers, food service staff and farmers in a variety of areas. Activities include developing curriculum activities and integrated learning units with teachers, working with school food service directors and students in menu planning and taste testing using locally grown produce, and linking students, teachers and food service personnel directly with area farms to foster ongoing farm-to-school partnerships, including purchasing agreements with school breakfast and lunch programs. These trainings will benefit at least 12 Vermont public schools in the 2008-09 school year, affecting a minimum of 30 teachers, 500 students and 15 small family farms. · Read the entire article.
Fresh ideas in the lunchroom by Kristen Browning-Blas The Denver Post Published 10/01/2008
Whatever you think about school lunch, many agree it's time to rethink it. A convergence of issues — the obesity crisis, overly processed meals, the desire for more local, natural foods — forms the front wave of a sea change in how we feed our children. "We don't bash the school food," says agriculture activist Jim Dyer, who is all for reform but knows better than to make the lunch ladies mad. "We work with where it is." · Read the entire article.
Making the connection from farm to plate by Jesse Yeatman Southern Maryland Newspapers Published 10/01/2008
A new program aims to educate students on where their food comes from and make school lunch healthier in the process. "It's a very important connection for them to make … from the farm to the plate," said Susan McQuilkin, marketing executive for the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission. She said many children do not know where the food they eat comes from or how food grows. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School a Hit with Students by Kendra Blevins GTR News Published 10/01/2008
This year Jenks Public Schools are seeing the fruits of the Farm-to-School Program. Farm-to-school encourages school districts to purchase locally and regionally produced foods in order to improve child nutrition and strengthen local and regional farm economies. · Read the entire article.
A look at new laws taking effect in Md. by Associated Press The Baltimore Sun Published 09/30/2008
FARM TO SCHOOL: Promotes the sale of farm products grown in Maryland to Maryland schools. · Read the entire article.
School Serves Up Farm-Fresh Produce by David Brown The Boston Channel Published 09/30/2008
The hustle and bustle of the Waltham's Northeast Elementary School cafeteria is a long way from the farm, but farm fresh ideas are on the today's lunch menu. NewsCenter 5's David Brown reported that the fresh summer squash and zucchini that are being served were picked just down the road at Waltham Field's Community Farm. This is the Farm to School Program -- organic, good for kids produce, grown locally is being served to area school children. · Read the entire article.
UMass dining awarded by Niina Heikkinen The Daily Collegian Published 09/30/2008
The director of the University of Massachusetts Dining Services, Ken Toong, received two awards on Friday, Sept. 26, recognizing his support of local agriculture. A celebration was held in the Berkshire Dining Commons, where Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Petersen presented Toong with the state's Faces of Agriculture Award for his support of sustainable agriculture in Massachusetts. Toong also received the 2008 Blue Ribbon Award from Amherst-based nonprofit Farm to School Project for encouraging connections between farms and schools. · Read the entire article.
Learning About State's Growth Industry by Jenna Johnson and Lori Aratani Washington Post Published 09/28/2008
The farm-to-school program was created during the last legislative session to honor Jane Lawton, 63, a Maryland House of Delegates member from Montgomery County who died in November. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Jamie Raskin, (D-Montgomery) is called the Jane Lawton Farm to School Program and was signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) in May. In addition to incorporating Maryland produce into school lunches, the program teaches children about the state's agricultural heritage. In St. Mary's, local farmers are speaking at four schools. · Read the entire article.
Food Print by Carey Quan Gelernter The Seattle Times Published 09/28/2008
These programs connect schools with local farms with the goal of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition and supporting local small farmers. farmtoschool.org · Read the entire article.
UMass cheers local produce by Stan Freeman The Republican Published 09/27/2008
Think globally, eat locally. That could well be the philosophy at University of Massachusetts, where the dining halls are increasingly serving food grown on area farms. This year, 23 percent of the food served in campus dining halls, everything from eggs to eggplant, will come from local farms, up from 7 percent in 2004. The effort is part of the statewide Farm to School Project. · Read the entire article.
Edmond schools use salad bars, Farm to School program to urge nutrition by Patty Miller The Edmund Sun Published 09/27/2008
With September named National Fruits and Veggies — More Matters Month, parents are urged to let their children have a more active role in deciding what they eat as parents help them choose more nutritious items for their meals. Edmond schools are doing their part as they incorporate the Farm to School program, said Amy Herrold, child nutrition assistant supervisor. · Read the entire article.
Back to food's roots by Karen Goldberg The Washington Times Published 09/26/2008
In this age of soaring childhood obesity rates and eating bad food on the run, there is often a disconnect between food origins and the food on our plates. That's why Maryland created the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program. The initiative, named for the late state delegate, encourages using Maryland-grown products in public schools. The program also will help educate children about the origins of their food and how to incorporate healthy eating into their diets. · Read the entire article.
Whole Grains, Fresh Corn: School Menu on a Mission by Gerri Hirshey NY Times Published 09/26/2008
NEVER mind your Iron Chefs, your swashbuckling “Dinner: Impossible” TV cooks. Could any of those free-range stove jockeys turn out healthy and toothsome breakfasts and lunches for 20,000 spirited young food critics — every school day? “Five million meals a year. No problem,” insists a smiling Timothy Cipriano, new executive director of food services for the New Haven public schools. · Read the entire article.
Ore. lawmakers seek local food for schools by Associated Press Oregon Live Published 09/25/2008
Two legislators want $22 million from the next session to use more local food for school breakfasts and lunches. Rep. Brian Clem, D-Salem, and Tina Kotek, D-Portland say they want to add 15 cents to each lunch and 7 cents to each breakfast for local food purchases. Schools have some new flexibility to buy local foods. But state officials say decisions now must rely on price. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-school funding plan aired by Mitch Lies Capital Press Published 09/25/2008
Reps. Brian Clem, D-Salem, and Tina Kotek, D-Portland, said Thursday, Sept. 18, they will seek $22 million in the next legislative session to put more local food on school breakfast and lunch plates. Clem and Kotek said at the Western Regional Assembly of the National Farm to School Network they want the state to put an extra 15 cents toward every lunch and 7 cents toward every breakfast to pay for local food purchases. · Read the entire article.
School leaders learn of healthy meal, PE standards to take effect in '09 by Matt Bower Warwick Beacon Published 09/25/2008
Hundreds of school officials converged on the Warwick Crowne Plaza Tuesday morning for the Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition’s annual “Breakfast for School Leaders.” More than 300 superintendents, principals, school physicians, school committee members, school business managers, food service directors, community wellness partners and parent leaders attended, representing all 36 school districts in the state. · Read the entire article.
Program connects schools with farmers by Margarita Raycheva Gazette Published 09/25/2008
During the Homegrown School Lunch Week, schools highlight locally grown products and use them to teach students about healthy eating as well as the dynamics of local food production in their area. The initiative will expand in future. The Maryland State Department of Education is developing guidelines for teachers, so they can include nutrition and agriculture education in their classroom curriculum, said Stewart Eidel, who oversees school and community nutrition programs at the Maryland State Department of Education. · Read the entire article.
Lansing Moving on Farm-to-School? by Diane Conners Michigan Land Use Institute Published 09/25/2008
Farm-to-school legislation took a big step forward in Michigan earlier this month when the state House passed-by a nearly unanimous vote-a package of bills meant to make it easier for schools to buy and serve food grown by local farms. · Read the entire article.
Produce and fruit growers answer the bell by Bradford L. Miner Telegram & Gazette Published 09/24/2008
Gov. Deval L. Patrick has proclaimed this week Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week; schools, colleges and universities across the commonwealth will mark the occasion with fresher, greener meals using foods produced on Massachusetts farms. The statewide program is coordinated by the nonprofit, Amherst-based Massachusetts Farm to School Project, with support from the Department of Agricultural Resources. · Read the entire article.
Lunch program connects farmers to schools by Jeremy Arias The Gazette Published 09/24/2008
Students, county and state representatives joined area farmers Tuesday at Takoma Park Middle School to kick off the statewide Homegrown School Lunch Week, part of the Jane Lawton Farm to School program. The aim of the program, named after former state Del. Jane E. Lawton (D-Dist. 18) of Chevy Chase, is to connect the often overlooked Maryland farmers and agricultural community to state school cafeterias as a market. County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) took the podium briefly to praise the benefits to both farmers and students. · Read the entire article.
UVM, Center for an Agricultural Economy Announce Partnership by Jeffrey R. Wakefield The University of Vermont Published 09/24/2008
The University of Vermont and the Center for an Agricultural Economy, a non-profit that seeks to promote a healthy food system through a network of food-based companies in the Hardwick, Vt. area, announced a formal partnership today, signaling an expansion of the university's commitment to investigating and advancing local food systems. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School Days - It Takes a Lot of Food to Feed 17,000 Students a Day by Pete Hurrey The Bay Net Published 09/24/2008
Beginning on Monday, Sept. 22, St. Mary’s County Public Schools embarked on a revolutionary nutrition program called Farm to School, in St. Mary’s County. The program seeks to introduce locally grown farm products to children in St. Mary’s County Schools. This first of its kind program will have children introduced to the concept of local produce and, as part of their normal school curriculum learn about farming and nutrition. · Read the entire article.
State urges residents: ‘Get fit, eat smart’ by Patty Miller The Edmond Sun Published 09/24/2008
Anita Poole, co-chair of the Oklahoma Food Policy Council, said Oklahoma is leading the nation in the Farm to School program. “Getting local foods into the school system and teaching the students to eat healthy while they are young will carry through to adulthood,” Poole said. “Buy fresh, buy local.” · Read the entire article.
Fresh idea: Schools pair with Baugher’s to provide local produce to students by Karen Kemp Carroll County Times Published 09/23/2008
Carroll County students will be helping to support local agriculture when they eat the fresh gala apples that come with their school lunches this week. The school system is partnering with Baugher’s Orchard in Westminster to offer the newly picked fruits to 38 schools for the first Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, which started Monday. It is part of the Jane Lawton Farm to School Program created during this year’s session of the Maryland General Assembly in an effort to bring more locally grown products into schools. · Read the entire article.
Maryland Students Get a Taste of Locally Grown Produce by Megan A. Conlan Capital News Service Published 09/23/2008
The cafeteria tables in Takoma Park Middle School were lined with both adults and students enjoying locally grown produce during Tuesday's kick-off event for Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week. · Read the entire article.
Apples on the Tree, Not on the Shelf National Public Radio Published 09/23/2008
A new non-profit group, Apple Seeds, is spending a year with an elementary school discussing nutrition, agriculture and food. The program began on the University of Arkansas farm. · Read the entire article.
Fresh produce goes from local farm to lunch tray by Lynn Olszowy WKYC TV Published 09/22/2008
Students in Sandusky City Schools are getting to enjoy the sweet tastes of summer at lunchtime. The school district partners with Mulvin's farm in Sandusky to get fresh fruits and vegetables into cafeterias throughout the city. Sandusky City Schools, along with one other district in Ohio, are planting the seeds of healthy eating as part of the Farm to School Program, a non-profit, nationwide program geared toward getting children eating produce from local farms. · Read the entire article.
School Lunch Now Healthy And Locally Grown by Mike Webster WCHS 6 Published 09/19/2008
School lunch doesn't look like it used to -- not in the elementary schools of Union 74 in Lincoln County. Students are eating corn on the cob, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and broccoli and salad greens -- all locally grown by farmers in the county. · Read the entire article.
Apple Seeds polishes kids’ food ideas by Evie Blad Arkansas Democrat Gazzette Published 09/19/2008
Students from Fayetteville’s Leverett Elementary School went to the University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station to learn how horticulturists research and develop new types of apples. The field trips were part of a project created by Apple Seeds, a nonprofit organization that aims to encourage students to eat healthy, locally produced foods through hands on activities and experiments. · Read the entire article.
Leverett field trip educates students on health by Brett Bennett Northwest Arkansas Times Published 09/19/2008
Students from Leverett Elementary School learned a fundamental health principle Thursday morning: Food can be healthy and taste good too. · Read the entire article.
National Farm To School Movement Cooking Up A Story Published 09/19/2008
If you're not familiar with the farm to school movement, it's all about getting fresh, clean, good food to our kids in school and help create new markets for local farmers. It started as a grassroots movement and has spread across the country. Get in on the conversation with Deb Eschmeyer of the National Farm to School Network, and hear just how far our food system has strayed. · Read the entire article.
Washington Co. schools to serve local produce by Erin Cunningham Herald-Mail Published 09/18/2008
Lunch provided at public schools could include an apple from as far away as Washington or fruit canned in Florida. However, next week, Washington County Public Schools will offer meals that include fresh fruit and vegetables grown, for the most part, within 45 miles. Washington County Homegrown School Lunch Week is derived from a Maryland Senate bill passed earlier this year that established the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program in the Department of Agriculture. · Read the entire article.
Bipartisan plan will boost local growers' sales, keep children healthy Michigan House Democrats Published 09/18/2008
State Representatives Kathy Angerer (D-Dundee) and Kate Ebli (D-Monroe) voted to pass a bipartisan plan Wednesday to create farm-to-school initiatives that will help make fresh, locally grown foods available in school cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
Students Use Math To Learn About Nutrition At UA Farm by Rose Ann Pearce The Morning News Published 09/18/2008
The fifth-graders are from Leverett Elementary School where a pilot program was launched this year to teach students more about where their food comes from and more about making healthy food choices for meals and snacks. · Read the entire article.
Sept. 24 local harvest feast is breakfast, lunch and dinner Foster's Daily Democrat Published 09/17/2008
Since 2005, when the University of New Hampshire launched its inaugural annual Local Harvest Dinner, eating local has gained momentum throughout the nation. Farmer's markets and CSAs (community-supported agriculture) are thriving, neighbors are challenging each other to 100-mile diets, even the venerable Oxford English Dictionary designated "locavore" its word of the year in 2007. · Read the entire article.
Maryland Researchers Find Kids Will Eat Fruits and Vegetables at School Media Newswire Published 09/17/2008
How can you get children to eat more fruits and vegetables at school? University of Maryland researchers have released preliminary findings that show there are actually a number of ways to accomplish that. It's the first time Maryland school-based interventions have been shown to help kids eat a healthier diet. · Read the entire article.
House passes farm-to-school bill The Bay City Times Published 09/17/2008
The Michigan House on Tuesday passed a bipartisan plan co-sponsored by State Rep. Jeff Mayes, D-Bay City, to create farm-to-school initiatives that would help make fresh, locally grown foods available in school cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
Hansen effort links local farms to schools Michigan House Republicans Published 09/17/2008
Local school children will be able to eat healthy and learn where their food comes from, all while boosting the area economy if a package of bills approved Tuesday by the House becomes law, announced state Rep. Goeff Hansen. The House sent House Bill 6366 to the Senate, a measure sponsored by Hansen to expand the school bidding process so more local producers can provide food to area districts. The House also approved a Hansen resolution designating Sept. 18, 2008 as Buy Fresh, Buy Local, Select Michigan Day in support of the Farm-to-School package, which includes HBs 6365-68. · Read the entire article.
Soup’s on for school lunch in Springfield by Mark Baker The Register-Guard Published 09/16/2008
Monday was the first day of adding soup to the menu of the district’s 24 schools, part of a new plan created by nutrition services Director Bobbi Phillips. The district hired Phillips in June to create a more healthful menu lower in fat, with lots of fruits and vegetables from local farms. That’s critical in a school district where more than half the 11,300 students qualify for free or reduced lunches as part of the federal National School Lunch Program, Phillips said. · Read the entire article.
Brown Votes for Plan to Increase Fresh, Locally Grown Food in Schools Michigan House Democrats Published 09/16/2008
House passes bipartisan initiatives to boost growers' sales, keep kids healthy State Representative Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) today voted for a bipartisan plan to create farm-to-school initiatives that will help make fresh, locally grown foods available in school cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
Students walking their way to wellness Foster's Daily Democrat Published 09/15/2008
Nutrition and the importance of staying active will be encouraged and emphasized as an important part of student and staff wellness. Cafe Services, together with N.H. Farm to School and Fiddlehead Farms Marketplace in Dover, will be participating and assisting the students in tasting new fruits and vegetables throughout the school year. · Read the entire article.
Badly Needed: Seattle-Area School Food Programs by Alex Steffen World Changing Seattle Published 09/14/2008
Farm-to-classroom programs, schoolyard gardens and innovative educational programs like the Netherlands' Kinderkookkafé can not only provide better food than is often available now to even the wealthiest Seattle public school kids, but also teach life-skills in how to eat well. · Read the entire article.
UNH launching cutting-edge EcoGastronomy program by Rachel Forrest Seacoast Online Published 09/14/2008
If you've been to the farmer's market lately and purchased some locally grown heirloom tomatoes, dined on bacon made from pigs raised at a nearby farm, or can't stop talking about Michael Pollan's book, "Omnivore's Dilemma," you've participated in something the University of New Hampshire is making a part of its curriculum — EcoGastronomy. "The cumulative impact of things like the dual major in EcoGastronomy, the organic research dairy farm, the Local Harvest initiative with UNH Dining, and the New Hampshire Farm to School Program is that students at UNH experience and learn how to advance sustainability in very tangible ways," said Tom Kelly, UNH's chief sustainability officer. · Read the entire article.
Farms to schools are getting local food in cafeterias by Joe Orso Plenty Magazine Published 09/12/2008
Food service staff at the middle and high schools in Viroqua, Wisconsin, a city of 4,400 people in the bluffs east of the Mississippi River, were used to processed vegetables. Heat and serve, and they had a meal. So, when Monique Hooker, a French-born chef, stood with them in front of 500 pounds of raw, local produce in late August, the staff looked overwhelmed. But Hooker, who was embarking with the workers on the first effort of a new Farm to School program, showed them how to take one task at a time. And by the end of the day, they’d made 100 gallons of ratatouille, which they could freeze and use through the winter. · Read the entire article.
Nutrition program adjusts for budget by Caitlin Getchell Neighbor Newspapers Published 09/10/2008
With the rising costs of food, the Sand Springs school district began this year with some concern for child nutrition services' budget. Superintendent Lloyd Snow said he is no longer worried, however, thanks to some creative alterations the department made. Sherry Pearson, director of child nutrition, said that the department is participating in the Farm to School program this year, as well as altering some of the recipes to make them healthier and to use "commodity items" from the Department of Human Services. · Read the entire article.
School Foodservice: Get Smart – US Food Trends by Cheryl Sternman Rul Restaurants & Institutions Published 09/10/2008
As another academic year unfolds, school foodservice directors are bracing for what’s in store: calls for more-healthful fare, climbing food costs and requests for more excitement and variety in the cafeteria. None of the challenges is new, but each is more acute this fall. Fortunately, many K-12 operators are now a step ahead of the game, having crafted strategies to both meet their young customers’ evolving needs and cut costs without sacrificing nutrition or quality. · Read the entire article.
Getting Children to Eat Fruits and Vegetables at School by Gayle Trent Examiner Published 09/10/2008
Researchers at the University of Maryland have announced initial data that shows school-based intervention efforts help kids buck a national trend by increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables. To the researchers’ knowledge, these results are the first for Maryland, and on the leading edge nationally and internationally. · Read the entire article.
A new field of thought by Todd Guild Register-Pajaronian Published 09/06/2008
Officially, the project is called the Community Alliance with Family Farmers’ Farm to School program. Program coordinator Jenny Hansen, acknowledging that the name is a bit dry, let the students pick their own name. They chose “True Farm Invasion,” and the name stuck. · Read the entire article.
School leaders look at putting fresher food on the table by Patty Mamula The Capital Press Published 09/05/2008
A recent conference titled "What Shall We Feed Our Children" highlighted positive changes and longstanding problems related to school lunches and other nutrition programs for children. Improved nutrition starts with education. "How do we get kids who have been raised on convenience foods to eat "good' food?" Kristy Obbink, food services director for Portland Public Schools, said. Her district took the first step by eliminating the a la carte lunch items three years ago. · Read the entire article.
Re-Localizing Food? by Tracy Sutton Lancaster Farming Published 09/05/2008
It wasn’t that many generations ago that nearly all food was local food. In 1900, 40 percent of Americans farmed, down to a little over 1 percent today. Back in the day, eating close to the land wasn’t a “locavore” ideal, it was a simple geographic necessity. It’s an oft-cited statistic that food now travels an average of 1,500 miles to arrive at your plate. But the days of cheap fossil fuel that make reliance on transported food the cheaper economic choice are coming to an end, say experts. Coupled with climate change, depleted water resources, and an aging farmer population, the United States is looking at an agricultural revolution in the next 20 years. · Read the entire article.
Farms to Schools: Local Foods for Local Kids by Julia Steinberger World Changing Seattle Published 09/03/2008
Imagine a school cafeteria where kids line up at a salad bar that's brimming with fresh, locally produced fruits and vegetables. Imagine that they know – and feel proud – that the milk in their milk carton comes from a Washington dairy. It's starting to happen in Washington State. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School Program kicks off with ‘Ratatouille’ by Angela Cina Vernon Broadcaster Published 09/03/2008
Students and their parents had an opportunity to sample ratatouille and learn about the new Farm-to-School Program which will incorporate local foods in school lunches. Wisconsin State Ameri-Corps awarded Vernon and Crawford counties grants to start Farm to School programs with the goal of bringing more fresh, locally-grown foods to area schools. · Read the entire article.
Fundraiser fêtes fresh fare by Sharon Letts The Times-Standard Published 09/03/2008
The event is part of the monthlong celebration of “Local Food Month,” declared as such by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 26. The fundraiser will benefit the Community Alliance of Family Farmers' “Farm to School” program, which features farmers visiting local classrooms and talking about the foods they grow, bringing samples from their gardens. · Read the entire article.
Schools try to keep food cost low, quality high by Anne Williams The Register-Guard Published 09/02/2008
Rising food and fuel prices are putting the squeeze on school cafeteria budgets across the nation, but most local school districts won’t be asking families to pick up much of the extra costs — not yet, anyway. For instance, the district will be working with the Farm to School program to bring in more locally grown, organic produce, and every school will offer made-from-scratch soup daily. · Read the entire article.
Schools seek Va. produce by Kim Barto Martinsville Bulletin Published 09/01/2008
Local school divisions say they want to serve more Virginia-grown produce in their cafeterias through a new state program, but first they need to connect with local farmers who have crops to sell. The Farm to School program, a national program administered here by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), is meant to give students access to fresh, nutritious food choices and support local agriculture. · Read the entire article.
Some schools to start serving local, seasonal foods KATU Published 09/01/2008
Students in the Portland and Gervais school districts will have much healthier, and local, options for lunch this year. · Read the entire article.
Growing local know-how Muskogee Phoenix Published 08/31/2008
Starting a farm can be overwhelming, and even established farmers can benefit from learning a new trick or two of the trade. An upcoming workshop called “Growing for Local Markets” provides practical advice and hands-on demonstrations to help current, beginning and potential farmers operate more effectively and profitably. · Read the entire article.
Garden soiree at Redwood Roots Farm The Eureka Reporter Published 08/30/2008
The event will kick off Local Food Month and raise funds for CAFF’s Farm-to-School Program. Farm-to-School hosts educational farm and farmers market tours for schoolchildren in our community, exposing them to the places and faces that feed them, as well as teaching the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. · Read the entire article.
Cheshire schools promote buying locally by Jesse Buchanan My Record Journal Published 08/29/2008
Madeleine Diker is introducing a new item to the lunch menu this year a "complex carbohydrate salad." It'll include whole grain pasta, tuna or chicken and vegetables, such as cucumbers, broccoli or peas. Diker isn't the owner of a new health-conscious restaurant she's the school district's food services director. The salad is one of several programs designed to improve the quality and appeal of school lunches, focusing on healthy, fresh and locally-grown food. · Read the entire article.
Quick-Freezing Crops by Darren Perron WCAX News Published 08/29/2008
Bushes loaded with blueberries are no match for kids from Jay-Westfield Joint School. Students hunted for the tastiest fruit on Blueberry Ridge in North Troy. Busloads of kids picked the berries to bring them back to their school's cafeteria as part of the Green Mountain Farm to School Program. Area schools and farms partner, and kids help harvest. Now local fruits and veggies will be served to the students all year long. · Read the entire article.
The New School Lunch Wisconsin Public Radio: Here on Earth Published 08/29/2008
It isn’t just in France that chefs are working to create healthier and cheaper school lunches. Alice Waters has school kids growing their own vegetables. In Wisconsin chefs are passing out pizza with ratatouille and doing apple tastings with middle school kids. · Read the entire article.
Eat Up, Kids, This Spud's for You by Anne Marie Chaker Wall Street Journal Published 08/28/2008
With the dawn of the 2008-09 school year, districts across the country are signing on to the burgeoning "farm-to-school" movement. As a result, a number of school districts have cut back on fruits and vegetables purchased from large distributors in favor of working individually with local farmers. While that can be more expensive and may involve more work -- from procurement to preparation -- food directors say it pays dividends in fresher, better-tasting produce that more kids eat. · Read the entire article.
School meals meet USDA nutrition guidelines by Ashley Andyshak The Frederick News Post Published 08/28/2008
Schools are making an effort to get more fresh produce on to lunch trays, and students will get locally grown apples next month as part of the Farm to School initiative. · Read the entire article.
Grant from Kaiser Permanente Community Fund Puts Local Food on the Menu The Earth Times Published 08/27/2008
The first school assembly of the new academic year will take place today at 10 a.m., at Atkinson Elementary in South East Portland, where school food and education leaders will gather alongside farmers, food producers, grocery retailers and government officials to cheer a grant from the Kaiser Permanente Community Fund at the Northwest Health Foundation that will subsidize approximately 2,640,000 meals with the funds needed to serve more Oregon grown and processed foods in Portland Public Schools and Gervais School Districts. · Read the entire article.
AUSD prepares for new school year by Nancy Forrest Atascadero News Published 08/27/2008
State officials have commended AUSD for its quality food program, as well as its ongoing involvement in fresh produce and Farm to School programs. · Read the entire article.
Homegrown school lunches to appear across Maryland by Stephanie Jordan American Farm Published 08/26/2008
The Maryland Farm to School program is picking up steam across the state, with 17 counties signed up to participate in Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, which will be held Sept. 22 to Sept. 26. · Read the entire article.
Local health officials say children’s obesity is epidemic by Billie Dunn The Daily Mail Published 08/22/2008
Steps to a Healthier New York partners with schools because 95 percent of children attend schools. The partnership is comprised of four main components — “Rock on Cafe,” which provides affordable and nutritious meals to students, “Farm to School,” which connects schools with local farms to provide health and nutrition education, “Learning in Motion,” which incorporates physical activity into academic lessons, and “Healthy Fundraising,” which develops and implements healthy fundraising policies. · Read the entire article.
25 schools to get state fruits, vegetables by Jennifer Langston Seattle Post-Intelligencer Published 08/22/2008
Twenty-five schools statewide will be able to buy Washington-grown fruits and vegetables as snacks this year, thanks to new legislation. The Local Farms-Healthy Kids bill passed nearly unanimously in Olympia earlier this year aims to get nutritious food to schoolchildren and provide economic opportunities to state farmers. · Read the entire article.
Farm bill funds bulk up fruit and vegetable programs by Elizabeth Larsen Capital Press Published 08/22/2008
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that nearly $49 million will be provided in fresh fruits and vegetables for elementary school children during the school day this year, in addition to school lunch programs. The farm bill amended the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act by adding the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, according to the USDA. The program, launched in 2002, initially served 14 states, and now offers funds for fresh fruit and vegetables to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. · Read the entire article.
Public input: School lunches not good eating by Elizabeth Lee The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published 08/21/2008
Pop-Tarts and doughnuts for breakfast for 2-year-olds. Rolls, chicken nuggets and French fries for school lunches. Brownies given the same nutritional value as a slice of whole-wheat bread. Federal nutrition programs are failing children and contributing to an epidemic of obesity and chronic illnesses in America, according to speakers who testified Wednesday at a U.S. Department of Agriculture listening session. · Read the entire article.
A growing program by Dale Rodebaugh Durango Herald Published 08/21/2008
A discussion three years ago among La Plata County residents who make their living off the land resulted in locally grown produce and meat in Durango 9-R School District breakfast and lunch menus. The Farm to School program, a coalition of area farmers and ranchers, begins its fourth school year this week. · Read the entire article.
School bells are ready to toll again by Linda Maness The Manchester Journal Published 08/21/2008
Schools ready to begin the 2008-2009 school year, including the farm to school program. · Read the entire article.
Taste of Place Garden Soiree kicks off Local Food Month Redwood Times Published 08/20/2008
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers announces Humboldt County’s 2nd annual Local Food Month, a celebration of local farms, local food, and local abundance. · Read the entire article.
Whole Foods encourages local students to make healthy food choices by Crystal Yamasaki Honolulu Advertiser Published 08/19/2008
Wai'alae Elementary is one of ten schools participating in the Kokua Hawai'i Foundation's 'AINA (Actively Integrating Nutrition and Agriculture) In Schools program, a farm-to-school initiative dedicated to connecting students to a healthier future by teaching them the importance of healthy eating habits, as well as caring for the land. · Read the entire article.
Putting food on the table by Julie Yates Pryor Daily Times Published 08/16/2008
Malynda Willis, Locust Grove Schools nutrition manager, said Locust Grove has raised their breakfast price to 75 cents. The noon meals for elementary, middle and high schools remain at the same prices as before. Willis said she uses a farm-to-school program and buys fresh foods from local people. She said they use the foods according to the quality and quantity of what they receive. · Read the entire article.
USDA Ready to Listen About School Lunch Earth Day Network Published 08/15/2008
The best way to ensure that kids get food that is safe, healthy, and economical is by expanding farm-to-school programs. Schools are linked with local farmers who provide food for meals and teach children how it is grown. Children learn to appreciate the joys of eating juicy apples and fresh, crisp green beans, developing a taste for healthy food that can last a healthy, vibrant lifetime. At the listening session, a farmer from Delaware pointed out that safety is guaranteed in farm-to-school programs because the farmers themselves usually have children or grandchildren in the school they serve. You know your food is safe when Grandma picked it fresh that morning. · Read the entire article.
Crawford and Vernon County Schools to Benefit from AmeriCorps “Farm to School” Award Westby Times Published 08/15/2008
Wisconsin State AmeriCorps has awarded Crawford and Vernon Counties resources to start Farm to School programs with the goal of bringing more fresh, locally grown foods to area schools. · Read the entire article.
Organic grower uses orchard as laboratory by Elizabeth Larson Capital Press Published 08/15/2008
Lars Crail of Kelseyville, Calif., isn't afraid to experiment with what he grows or how he farms in order to keep his farm both sustainable and profitable. · Read the entire article.
Keyport schools look to encourage healthier eating by Melissa L. Gaffney The Courier Published 08/14/2008
To offset the drudgery of school food, the borough of Keyport is looking to implement the "Farm-to-School" program in the school district, according to school board member Sheila Bishop. · Read the entire article.
The Art of Eating Locally by Kayt Lange The Melon Published 08/13/2008
This past legislative session in Olympia, I was thrilled to watch the “Farm to School” bill, sponsored by Rep. Eric Pettigrew, D-Seattle, pass both chambers with ease. This bill, in the top four priorities of our environmental community, attracted support from parents, public health employees, child advocates, state school nutritionists, and farmers alike. · Read the entire article.
School lunch program to start The Herald-Mail Published 08/12/2008
The Jane Lawton Farm to School Initiative was established during the 2008 session of the General Assembly to bring more Maryland grown products to school lunches and to help educate students about the source of their food, how it is produced and the benefits of a healthy diet. · Read the entire article.
Heroes of Sustainability Nominations Denver Business News Published 08/11/2008
Ms. Blair founded and directs the Turtle Lake Refuge in Durango, whose mission is to celebrate the connection between personal health and wild lands. Through its Farm to School program, the organization provides locally grown organic greens to all public schools in Durango. With the help of student volunteers, the program also gathers excess from local harvests and feeds it back to the local community. The organization’s booth at the Durango Farmers Market is bicycle operated – not just via the three wheelers they use to haul the produce, but also including a bicycle-powered blender and wheatgrass juicer! · Read the entire article.
Agriculture and education: a winning combination by Kelly Cormier California Farm Bureau Federation Published 08/06/2008
Successful farmers from Southern California stressed the important link between agriculture and education during this year's National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference that took place in late June. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School Meeting at Lakeview Middle School by Brigette Leach Battle Creek Enquirer Published 08/05/2008
Come prepared to learn about how you can become involved in placing more Michigan grown food on school menus. We plan to make sure food service directors are aware of all the Michigan grown fruits and vegetables available to them and during what seasons, and help farmers learn how to get their products into local schools and what food service directors need. · Read the entire article.
Food safety symposium set for Aug. 19 Bladen Journal Published 08/04/2008
Dr. David Acheson, a central figure in the federal government’s investigation of the recent national salmonella outbreak, will speak to more than 200 representatives of the agriculture and food industries at the fourth annual AgFIRST symposium Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is host of the event, which has the theme “Providing Safe Food for Healthy Families in a Global Economy.” It will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Kerr Scott Building. Admission is free, and lunch will be provided, but registration is required. · Read the entire article.
Schools serve up savings for lunch by Will Richmond The Herald News Published 08/03/2008
With higher food prices, farm to school programs offer the benefit of little to no transportation costs by buying local. · Read the entire article.
Rural Health Network pushes locally grown veggies in schools by George Basler Press & Sun-Bulletin Published 08/01/2008
Jack Salo wants to encourage interest in serving locally grown fruits and vegetables in school cafeterias. The time is ripe to promote the effort, said the executive director of the Rural Health Network, which promotes health initiatives in Tioga, Delaware and rural Broome counties. Salo was at Whitney Point High School for a workshop sponsored by the network on Farm to School programs, started across the country to connect schools with local farms. · Read the entire article.
AmeriCorp Farm to School Program by Lora Klenke University of Wisconsin Published 07/31/2008
The Wisconsin Department of Agricultural, Trade and Consumer Protection is looking for candidates for the job of Program Manager –Farm to School Program. The individual who fills this grant-funded position will serve as the program area liaison responsible for program development, coordination, implementation and overall management of the AmeriCorp Farm to School program. · Read the entire article.
Promoting local produce in schools by Karen Lee News 10 Now Published 07/31/2008
Lunch is served at Whitney Point High School, but you won't find cheese steaks or tater tots here. The lunch you see is part of the Rural Health Network's Farm-to-School initiative. All the items on the menu are all from local farms. · Read the entire article.
Village Feast under the trees by Gloria Glyer Sacramento Bee Published 07/31/2008
The Davis Farm to School Connection will benefit from a slow food dinner, with proceeds providing for school gardens, farm visits for second-graders, school recycling programs, and seasonal produce in school lunch programs. · Read the entire article.
Schools, farmers benefit from push to 'buy local' by Jackie Smith The Dexter Leader Published 07/31/2008
The movement for consumers to buy produce from local farms has extended far into today's communities, feeding even the youngest of buyers in neighborhood schools.vThe Chelsea School District has been piloting a farm-to-school project over the past year with full anticipation of its continuation this fall, said Food Service Director Karen Carty. "We have found that utilizing local foods not only helps the food budget, but also provides us with fresher-tasting, more nutritious products overall," Carty said. "We are proud to support our local farmers and have this partnership to be very beneficial." · Read the entire article.
State food program reaps rewards by Susan Simpson NewsOK Published 07/30/2008
Students with an eye for the environment and a taste for garden-fresh produce are in for a treat this fall at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. USAO has signed up for the state's Farm to School program, joining the University of Oklahoma and about 50 school districts that buy fresh fruits and vegetables from state growers. · Read the entire article.
Kale is Cool by Eva Sollberger Seven Days Published 07/30/2008
When did kale become so cool? Down at Burlington's Intervale Center, the Healthy City kids are growing vegetables, becoming farmers, volunteering in their community, working a summer job and changing the world, weed by weed. · Read the entire article.
From Farm to School: Improving Small Farm Viability and School Meals by Stacy Kish USDA: CSREES Published 07/29/2008
Improving the nutritional value of school meals is a growing priority among school systems across the United States. In an effort to provide a solution for school administrators, the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) funded a coalition of school districts and farmers from four states to participate in a new program called "From Farm to School: Improving Small Farm Viability and School Meals." · Read the entire article.
New website to link Virginia farmers and schools by Joel Turner The Franklin News Post Published 07/28/2008
A new website is being designed by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service (VDACS) to help match up school system buyers with Virginia farmers. It's the first step in an effort to expand the purchase and use of Virginia food products in the state's school systems. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School ABC 13 WLOS Published 07/23/2008
Great coverage of the Southeast Regional Meeting highlighting farmers, chefs, students and the community coming together to work as one. · Read the entire article.
Coordinator hired for food program by Mackenzie Ryan Statesman Journal Published 07/22/2008
Oregon Department of Education recently hired Joan Ottinger to coordinate the department's Farm-to-School and School Garden programs. · Read the entire article.
Research project studies local food by Blythe Wachter Leader-Telegram Published 07/22/2008
The UW-Eau Claire Chippewa Valley Center for Economic Research and Development, which supplies basic data to help foster regional economic development, and UW-Extension have joined to work on the Western Wisconsin Local Food Project. UW-Extension provided a $10,000 grant for the project, which is examining how much local food is purchased and consumed in western Wisconsin. The project also seeks to support existing efforts aimed at increasing local food purchases and consumption by providing data and research analysis and outreach. · Read the entire article.
Solutions from within Washington County by Judy East Bangor News Published 07/21/2008
A Farm To School initiative is also supporting local purchasing, healthful eating, and increasing nutrition curriculum in our school systems. · Read the entire article.
A Threat to the Local Food Movement by Alan Merrill West Yellowstone News Published 07/21/2008
According to numerous studies, these local food programs help improve children's nutrition while providing family farms with a reliable market. They also promote the local economy and environmentally sustainable agriculture as well as help children and parents re-connect with the providers of their food. · Read the entire article.
Educators gather to study food initiative by Ashley Wilson Asheville Citizan Times Published 07/18/2008
Local newspaper covers the Southeast Regional Farm to School meeting in Asheville, NC · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-school liaison will provide guidance by Paris Achen Mail Tribune Published 07/17/2008
In a jab at childhood obesity, the Oregon Department of Education has hired a farm-to-school coordinator to work with the state agriculture department to help schools start their own farms and buy local fresh produce. · Read the entire article.
Village Feast by Don Guthrie Davis Real Estate Guide Published 07/17/2008
The Village Feast benefits the Davis Farm to School Connection, which supports programs within the Davis schools such as school gardens, second-grade farm visits, recycling programs and local produce in the school lunch program. · Read the entire article.
Using Our Kids to Destroy the Family Farm by Judith McGreary OpEd News Published 07/14/2008
Some school districts are taking action to provide better food for our kids. The rapidly-growing farm-to-school movement has been working to bring local, healthy, and sustainably-raised foods into the schools and reconnect children with the source of their food. As the evidence mounts about the nutrition and safety of grass-fed meats, some schools have started to integrate these animal products into their farm-to-school programs or source organic meats. · Read the entire article.
Farming regs 'housekeeping' by Vanessa Lynn Pinheiro The Litchfield Enquirer Published 07/11/2008
The current Litchfield Farm-Fresh Market is permitted as an accessory use to the school because of its Farm-to-School program. · Read the entire article.
Salem schools seeking new food director by Amanda McGregor The Salem News Published 07/10/2008
Among its work this summer, Jeffers said she and the parent group are pursuing grants for "farm-to-school" foods to get more fresh fruits and vegetables on the school tables. · Read the entire article.
Putting a face on home-grown produce by Jessica Klipa Bradenton Published 07/09/2008
John Matthews is a matchmaker of sorts. Through his newly established business, Suncoast Food Alliance, Matthews unites the two key players in delivering an exquisite meal to the dinner table: the chef and the local farmer. · Read the entire article.
School nutrition joins Virginia Department of Agriculture by Cathy Benson The Roanoke Times Published 07/09/2008
In order to get more locally-grown fresh fruit and vegetables into the diets of Virginia’s school children, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has created a Farm-to-School program and Web site. · Read the entire article.
What’s good for farmers by Anita Shelburne Daily Progress Published 07/09/2008
Richmond continues to try innovative ideas to support Virginia’s farmers. The latest is a program to link farm produce to colleges and universities, public and private grade schools in an effort to provide fresh foods to students and at the same time expand markets for farmers. Plus, organizers hope, the Farm-to-School program will help schoolchildren — many of whom have never been on a farm — to understand where food comes from and the importance of maintaining agriculture. · Read the entire article.
Report Tracks Anti-Obesity Efforts Nurse Week Published 07/08/2008
Lawmakers in 16 states enacted legislation to increase farm-to-school programs or to improve the nutritional quality of school breakfasts, lunches, á la carte selections or vending machine offerings. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School program will be topic Press Connects Published 07/07/2008
The Rural Health Network of South Central New York will host a free workshop on Farm-to-School programs from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. July 31 at Whitney Point Senior High School. Farm to School is an initiative that facilitates connections between school districts and local farms to improve nutrition and health education among elementary, middle and high school students. · Read the entire article.
Teens pick strawberries for city schools by Connor Boals Burlington Free Press Published 07/05/2008
The farm provides local produce for the Burlington school district and all of the strawberries the teens picked will be sent straight to the schools they attend. · Read the entire article.
Chef Proves School Lunch Can Be Healthy, Cheap by Eleanor Beardsley National Public Radio Published 07/02/2008
At the school, he prepares meals for about 800 students, using all fresh, local ingredients. The introduction of healthy school lunch programs, like this one, is one major reason France has been able to curb childhood obesity rates after two decades on the rise, according to two recent studies. · Read the entire article.
Plenty to boast about here in the 'highlands' by Barbara Lucks Snowmass Sun Published 07/02/2008
Back here in Mesa County, a new FARM TO SCHOOL program is establishing guaranteed local markets for fruit and vegetable producers, increasing the quality of nutrition for our children, and minimizing shipping. If there are a few less Palisade peaches and apples at the Aspen Farmer’s Market this fall, blame it on the school kids of Mesa County. They’re munching a local lunch. · Read the entire article.
Catawba Valley schools Charlotte Observer Published 06/29/2008
Catawba Elementary School's Child Nutrition division won second place in the national “Farm to School Fruits and Vegetables” contest sponsored by the USDA. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-school: It’s what’s for lunch by James Raia News Review Published 06/27/2008
Gail Feenstra can’t get the embarrassingly small sum of 75 cents out of her mind. This is the amount spent on food per meal, per day for every child in federally funded school lunch programs. · Read the entire article.
Fresh off the Farm: Va. Program Connects Schools to Homegrown Food by Sandhya Somashekhar Washington Post Published 06/26/2008
State officials have launched a program designed to connect small Virginia farmers with schools in hopes of boosting the agricultural economy and encouraging children to eat organic, locally grown food. · Read the entire article.
Farmers take part in Farm to School Program by Ashley Hall KDRV News 12 Published 06/24/2008
Southern Oregon farmers are taking part in a program they hope will one day provide more locally grown food to area schools. The Farm To School Program would put local produce, flour, eggs, and other food products in school cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
Schools are taking the mystery out of the meat they serve by DeeDee Correll Los Angeles Times Published 06/23/2008
The precooked beef patties with the fake charcoal lines won't be on the menu at Castle View High School this fall. Instead, students will dine on freshly grilled hamburgers from grass-fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free cattle -- what is often described as natural or organic meat -- raised on the plains of eastern Colorado. · Read the entire article.
In search of food's 98 percent solution by Scott Exo The Oregonian Published 06/23/2008
The future for Oregon farmers and ranchers lies not in a futile race to grow and sell more and to do it more cheaply. Their success will be in growing and marketing high quality, highly differentiated, branded products with a credible sustainability story. · Read the entire article.
Eat local: State to deliver Va.-grown fruit, veggies to schools by Associated Press In Rich Published 06/19/2008
A new program has been launched by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to deliver locally grown fruit and vegetables to school cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School program launched by Va. ag dept by Associated Press Daily Press Published 06/19/2008
The department's Farm-to-School program is a matchmaker for school food service directors who are seeking nutritious Virginia-grown farm products for their school menus. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School Program Launched by Associated Press NBC29 Published 06/19/2008
Virginia schools spend more than $6 million annually on fresh produce, and the program is intended to deliver some of those dollars to in-state growers. · Read the entire article.
Students connecting with their roots by Linda Maness The Times Argus Published 06/15/2008
Vermont's schools are growing green. "Growing" is the word being emphasized at school these days, as many are planting their own gardens or contributing to a community garden. Focusing on whole, natural foods — their production, harvest and preparation — is one way that Vermont schools are responding to the deterioration of the eating habits and growing obesity rates of its children. Enter the farm-to-school program. · Read the entire article.
Students plant seed for idea by Eric Gaertner The Muskegon Chronicle Published 06/15/2008
The high school students in Kyle Fiebig's agri-science projects class recently played the role of farmer in the proposed program, except on a much smaller scale. Over a few weeks near the end of the school year, the students grew a couple varieties of lettuce that were fed to staff and students for lunch. Grown in the school's greenhouse, the lettuce was offered to 2,000 to 3,000 students during six lunch sessions. "The overall response was they want it back," Fiebig said. "I like the idea that the lettuce traveled all of 600 feet." · Read the entire article.
Tainted tomatoes hit Vt. by Daniel Barlow Rutland Herald Published 06/14/2008
Many schools still purchase their produce wholesale from corporations in California and Mexico because it is cheaper, he added. Twinfield will be part of the state's farm to school food program starting in the fall, he said, which should put more local, fresh food on the plates of students. · Read the entire article.
East Hill Notes The Ithaca Journal Published 06/14/2008
Worth noting given the increasing costs of transportation: The Cornell Farm to School Program is continuing to help community leaders and extension educators develop and sustain connections between New York farms and cafeterias in schools, universities and other institutions. The program also offers assistance to anyone interested in developing farm-to-school connections. For more information, visit farmtoschool.cce.cornell.edu. · Read the entire article.
Food for thought by Eric Gaertner The Muskegon Chronicle Published 06/14/2008
The days of school lunch lines filled with imported food offerings and food loaded with trans fat could be numbered. A county wide proposal that is just beginning to be thoroughly evaluated would have local schools saying goodbye to well-traveled carrots and greasy fries and hello to fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables and meats that are most likely organic in nature. · Read the entire article.
Students grow lunches by Jennifer Moody Albany Democrat-Herald Published 06/14/2008
Salad greens grown at Seven Oak Middle School have already hit that cafeteria. Now, the greens will be served as part of the free lunches distributed every summer at various locations. Plenty of schools in the fertile Willamette Valley have gardens, but very few grow food to be consumed by students. That may change as food and transportation prices rise and schools look for new ways to motivate healthy choices. · Read the entire article.
District 81 Rep. candidates address conservation issues by Haley Hughes Aiken Standard Published 06/13/2008
S.C. House District 81 field questions: Would you support the S.C. Farm to School Act which, among other things, would encourage schools and farmers to work together to provide fresh produce for school snacks and meals? · Read the entire article.
‘Strolling of the Heifers’ Celebrates Dairy Farming by Tracy Sutton Lancaster Farming Published 06/13/2008
The epicenter of heifer funkiness — or the “cow-nter culture” if you will —was on exuberant, flower-draped display last Saturday at Brattleboro, Vermont’s seventh annual “Strolling of the Heifers.” The theme for the parade this year was “Live Green.” School kids dressed as strawberries promoted their local farm to school program and held placards praising compost. · Read the entire article.
Tomatoes Join the List of School Inedible Edibles by Suzanne Guldimann Malibu Sufside News Published 06/12/2008
According to local farm advocates, the current salmonella outbreak, and other recent food scares that have led the U.S. Academy of Sciences this week to announce that vegetables and fruits are the “leading vehicles” of food-borne illness in the United States, highlights the need for locally grown produce, and local accountability, instead of reliance on imported produce that may not meet local criteria for health and safety. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School program educates kids about local and healthy foods by Beth Beasley Blue Ridge Now Published 06/11/2008
'Thousands of Miles Fresher'- the local food slogan familiar to many in our area, now applies to food served in Henderson County schools. Growing Minds, the program that makes it possible, is a Farm to School Program of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), a non-profit organization based in Asheville. Cafeterias in all Henderson County Public Schools now receive foods such as apples, lettuce, spinach, watermelon, potatoes and tomatoes from as many as a dozen local and regional farms. · Read the entire article.
Grants available to state farmers Bladen Journal Published 06/09/2008
Farm to school grants available. · Read the entire article.
Keeping Up with the Jones, Tastefully by Diane Conners Great Lakes Bulletin News Service Published 06/09/2008
Thirty schools in northwest Lower Michigan now include locally grown fresh food in their menus—and soaring sales indicate students are glad to avoid typical cafeteria fare. · Read the entire article.
Hundreds of new laws take affect in Washington state by Rachel La Corte The Seattle Times Published 06/08/2008
A wide ranging measure sets up a farm to school program in the Department of Agriculture, sets up a grant program for schools, and much more. · Read the entire article.
$10,000 grant fuels healthy eating plan by Pamela H. Metaxas The Republican Published 06/04/2008
Eating healthy may mean loving your vegetables, too. An emphasis on healthy eating habits will be the focus of a program at the Gen. John J. Stefanik School thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Hidden Valley "Love Your Veggies" nationwide school lunch campaign. · Read the entire article.
Field trip leaves schoolchildren ripe with knowledge by Gwen Schoen The Sacramento Bee Published 06/04/2008
They have seen produce in grocery stores, but never sold like this, out in the open by people who actually grow the food. It gives them a whole new perspective. · Read the entire article.
Café Services donation benefits local Farm to School program Reformer.com Published 06/02/2008
Café Services, the food service provider for the Brattleboro Town Schools, has made a donation of $1,200 to help fund the Farm to School Program at Academy, Green Street and Oak Grove schools. · Read the entire article.
NCDA&CS secures U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to support four programs for N.C. farmers The Leland Tribune Published 06/02/2008
The Farm to School initiative serves to increase the number of North Carolina schools purchasing locally grown produce. A new program will be implemented with the grant money to supply schools with N.C. food products. · Read the entire article.
Crunching the local numbers by Susie Middleton Farm to Fork Published 06/02/2008
Everyone loves the new program, because it’s action-oriented. You could prove that with numbers – the hundreds of kids who participated in outdoor classes like Math in the Garden and Read for Seeds this spring, or the hundreds of parent and teacher hours that fueled the speedy execution of the first in-school vegetable garden in West Tisbury. But numbers never tell the whole story. · Read the entire article.
Cook's Corner: Taste The Local Difference The Traverse City Record-Eagle Published 06/02/2008
The Taste the Local Difference Web site, www.localdifference.org, has also been updated with all the search options combined into one step; a local food exchange featuring "land wanted" or "farmer wanted" listings, farm to school plans, healthy eating and more. · Read the entire article.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT by Cindy Cantrell The Boston Globe Published 06/01/2008
As food service director for the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District, Janice Buxton of Nashua embraced recipes from a cookbook made available through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. After a little encouragement, she said, students have done the same. Buxton worked with food service manager Pam Patnode of Dunstable to institute a Farm Food Wednesday incorporating locally grown produce into school lunch recipes from "Fresh from the Farm: The Massachusetts Farm to School Cookbook" by Berkshire author Amy Cotler. · Read the entire article.
Keep it in Vermont by Carol Tashie The Times Argus Published 06/01/2008
What could your town do with $5 million? Or $1 million? Picture more farm-to-school partnerships, where our children are fed healthy, whole foods straight from our neighboring farmers. · Read the entire article.
Many Ore. districts unaware of local food purchase options by Associated Press KTVZ Published 06/01/2008
A survey by the Oregon Department of Agriculture has found that nearly half of Oregon's school food purchasers don't know they can buy from local producers. The Oregon Department of Education is expected to fill a companion position to Schreiber's this summer, making Oregon the first state to have companion farm-to-school program positions in the state departments of education and agriculture. · Read the entire article.
School districts are benefiting from providing local produce by Tamara Scully American Farm Published 06/01/2008
A flyer advertising the Buy Fresh, Buy Local Northwest Jersey chapter led Joanne Untamo, director of operations for Maschio’s Food Services, Inc., based in Flanders, to place a phone call that carried with it the potential to change the face of school lunches in northern New Jersey. The Foodshed Alliance, the non-profit that organizes the BFBL chapter, was more than ready to receive that call. · Read the entire article.
From Farm to Table in Portland Public Schools by Deborah Kane NW Kids Published 06/01/2008
Deborah Kane, Vice President of Ecotrust, talks about the wide scope of farm to school programs to create life-long healthy eaters, what programs exist in the Portland area, and how Portland Public Schools has begun incorporate these programs. · Read the entire article.
Let Them Eat Kale by Debra Lau Whelan School Library Journal Published 06/01/2008
Schools Get Serious about Nutrition: With America’s kids in danger of becoming obese, a growing number of schools are thinking outside the lunchbox. · Read the entire article.
Talking farm and food politics with the candidate by Ari LeVaux The Northcoast Journal Published 05/29/2008
As president, I would implement USDA policies that promote local and regional food systems, including assisting states to develop programs aimed at community supported farms. I also support a national farm-to-school program and am pleased that the Farm Bill provides more than $1 billion to expand healthy snacks in our schools. · Read the entire article.
WHS students get their hands dirty in internship program by Eric Anderson Register-Pajaronian Published 05/28/2008
The Watsonville High Agricultural Academy internship program helps students learn basic agriculture skills and about jobs in the field, while getting an idea of what it’s like to run a farm. · Read the entire article.
What we're doing for Maryland farmers by Roger Richardson The Herald-Mail Published 05/27/2008
These laws include the Chesapeake 2010 Trust Fund, which will provide about $12 million for cover crops and on-farm best management practices to help the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, and the farm-to-school bill which may offer additional markets to our producers while bringing locally-grown products to school children. · Read the entire article.
Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom hands out 22 grants by Bob Meyer Brownfield Network Published 05/27/2008
The Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom program has announced more than $9,700 in grants to 22 educational programs in the state. The program awards up to $500 to groups who sponsor programs or projects that promote agricultural literacy. T · Read the entire article.
School Food Matters by Ranea al-Tikriti New Haven Independent Published 05/26/2008
The New Haven Food Policy Council released a “challenge” to government at all levels, in the form of a “primer” that discusses the obesity problem, the importance of school food in students’ diets, and ideas for action. · Read the entire article.
Aging farmer nurtures younger generation with lease, lessons by Elizabeth Lee The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published 05/25/2008
As farm groups and agriculture schools seek ways to encourage more young people to work the land, property is changing hands. Atlanta's suburbs are filled with subdivisions that once were pastures or crop land. · Read the entire article.
Salem workers, parents scramble to keep school lunches in-house by Amanda McGregor The Salem News Published 05/23/2008
Attempting to keep the school lunch program in-house: The school committee is considering privatization because the food program is losing money, but lunch workers and local parents say their new plan will tweak personnel, bring back cooking from scratch and take advantage of discounted food through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. · Read the entire article.
Districts quizzed on buying local food by Mitch Lies The Capital Press Published 05/23/2008
Nearly half of Oregon's school food purchasers don't know whether they even have the option of buying local food. That was one of the surprise answers to come from a survey the Oregon Department of Agriculture is conducting with Oregon school food buyers. · Read the entire article.
Meeting the acting surgeon general: the rewards of teaching by Elof Carlson Times Beacon Record Published 05/23/2008
The Surgeon General is looking around the country for good models. He suggested a good one for Long Island, a farm to school program that would introduce Long Island vegetables and fruits directly from farmers to the schools, benefiting both in a "win-win" approach. · Read the entire article.
Let's help local farms, school lunchrooms by Julia della Croce The Journal News Published 05/22/2008
Parents need to speak up to their school boards and elected officials to make healthy school food a requirement and support initiatives for farm-to-school programs. Fresh, nourishing food should be the right of everyone, not just the privileged, and its availability to our children should be a public goal. · Read the entire article.
Off the Aramark by Betsy Yagla New Haven Advocate Published 05/20/2008
In Connecticut, more than 80 school districts participate in the state’s “farm-to-school” program, which encourages schools to buy local and provides suggestions for adding food and nutrition into the school curriculum. Nearly every district involved serves local apples, and some serve other fruits and vegetables too. · Read the entire article.
Economics, ecology meet in lunchroom by Aaron French Contra Costa Times Published 05/20/2008
Today's children, largely due to poor diet, are the first generation in U.S. history predicted to have shorter life spans than their parents. And while Americans spend less than 10 percent of their household budget on food, we spend more than 17 percent of our national budget on healthcare. Effecting change requires a two-pronged approach: 1) Change the food that is served, and 2) Educate children about where their food comes from. · Read the entire article.
The Rise of the 'Locavore' by Pallavi Gogoi Business Week Published 05/20/2008
As many as 1,200 school districts around the country, from Alabama to Iowa, have linked up with local farms to serve fresh vegetables and fruit to children. · Read the entire article.
Schools struggle to feed children by Ashley Wilson Citizen Times Published 05/19/2008
With drastic increases in food, gas and labor costs and little or no financial support from the state or their local school districts, child nutrition programs across Western North Carolina and the state are finding it harder to feed their students. · Read the entire article.
Bloomfield Schools Farm to School Program NBC30 Published 05/09/2008
Farm to School in Connecticut · Read the entire article.
Heifer grants keep it green by Bob Audette The Reformer Published 05/06/2008
Since its inception in 2001, the Heifer Educational Fund has awarded more than $125,000 to area schools for projects such as farm-to-school food initiatives, the creation of school gardens and greenhouses, soil conservation and forestry work. · Read the entire article.
Costs hard to swallow by Ryan McCarthy Appeal Democrat Published 05/06/2008
Food prices, increasing more than 4 percent in the Unites States last year, have hit schools here. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the food cost climb is the largest since 1990 and that a similar increase is expected this year. · Read the entire article.
Farm To School: Ecotrust Keeps It Local by Lizbeth M. Brown, Esq. Eco Times Published 05/05/2008
Michelle Markesteyn, Ph.D. is a major force at Food & Farms, as the Farm To School and School Garden Program Coordinator. Farm To School programs enable schools to provide students with healthy, locally-sourced meals, incorporate nutrition-based curriculum, and provide experiential learning through farm visits, gardening, and recycling. · Read the entire article.
School lunch feeling the crunch: Rising food and fuel costs mean higher meal prices by Jennifer Keefe Foster's Daily Democrat Published 05/04/2008
According to Peterson, one nationwide school food initiative that all districts adamantly said would not be compromised is healthy eating awareness; namely the Farm-to-School program. While Peterson said the rising costs of food and fuel are a concern to such programs, which include buying fresh goods and transporting food from farms to schools, "almost everyone is adamant that they won't go back on the changes they've made to school lunches. They're trying to not compromise the nutritional integrity of their programs." · Read the entire article.
Lawmakers Push For Better School Nutrition by Amy Winterfeld National Conference for State Legislatures Published 05/03/2008
Kids and local farmers all benefit when states support farm-to- school programs that make it easier to bring local produce to cafeteria tables. Making healthy food choices available to school kids is a priority for many lawmakers. You are what you eat, they say - and plenty of school kids are testing that theory every day. To keep kids healthy, legislators are taking a look at how to help them with nutritious choices at school. From 2005 through 2007, state lawmakers enacted about 46 bills related to school nutrition standards. · Read the entire article.
Young sprouts learn their garden lessons well by Deborah Donovan Daily Herald Published 05/03/2008
· Read the entire article.
Grant to promote local produce by John Arendt Summerland Review Published 05/01/2008
A local organization would like to see Summerland-grown produce served at the high school’s salad bar. The Summerland Food Action Coalition is applying for a $20,000 grant for its proposed Farm to School Salad Bar Program. · Read the entire article.
D is for Dirt by Julie Flaherty Tufts Journal Published 05/01/2008
School gardens are springing up like daffodils. But will they make children enjoy science, respect the earth and occasionally eat their veggies? An overview of school garden programs around the country and the work of Tufts' graduates to further the school garden movement. · Read the entire article.
Be Fresh: Get a refresher on what sustainable agriculture really is by Brandon Grace Independent Mail Published 04/30/2008
The sustainable agriculture initiatives in this community seek to foster programs and systems aimed at helping our top-notch producers get their wares to the customers in this community. The programs can be as complex as “Grow with Me!” South Carolina’s first farm to school program we are launching in August, or as simple as extending the Anderson County Farmer’s Market season. · Read the entire article.
Teaming local food with area students by Natalie Ragus The Lompoc Record Published 04/30/2008
Small farmers and school districts along the Central Coast may soon team up in a partnership designed to help bring local produce directly from the family farm into school cafeterias. While logistics such as pricing and distribution have traditionally made “Farm to School” programs difficult to get off the ground, an innovative cooperative of local farmers and ranchers may help mitigate some of these issues. · Read the entire article.
Produce law just a start, educators say by Susan Gordon The News Tribune Published 04/27/2008
Public schools would be allowed to pay more for Washington produce as part of a new law promoted as a way to improve child nutrition while supporting Evergreen State farmers. The $1.5 million measure provides $570,000 in school nutrition grants beginning next fall. · Read the entire article.
Law brings state's harvest to lunchrooms by Valoria Loveland Yakima Herald-Republic Published 04/26/2008
This farm-to-school opportunity will help support the profitability of Washington farms and preserve those beautiful open spaces that we all love. And every parent knows that good habits start early. With Local Farms, Healthy Kids, we'll help young people make the right choices for a lifetime. · Read the entire article.
Struggling U.S. farm bill ‘not that simple’ by Alice Bagley Whitman College Pioneer Published 04/24/2008
Title X of the bill even provides funding for purchasing from community garden projects and other locally based initiatives. This is a huge step forward towards “farm-to-school” programs, which have been advocated on the grassroots level in many communities, including Walla Walla. · Read the entire article.
Cow visits Bozeman school by Beth Saboe Montana's News Station Published 04/24/2008
Milk is something that most kids drink on a regular basis, but these days many youngsters may not realize where that glass of milk comes from. But one Bozeman school is working to educate students on the origin of their food, and on Wednesday students at Hawthorne Elementary school got a firsthand look at dairy cows and learned how to milk them. · Read the entire article.
'Farm to School Conference promotes buying school food localy by Melissa Mecija KSBY 6 Action News Published 04/24/2008
Agriculture leaders promote a program that aims to improve nutrition in schools, and help the local economy. Organizers held the first "Farm to School Conference" in San Luis Obispo Thursday afternoon. The program encourages healthy eating for students by encouraging schools to buy from local farmers and ranchers. · Read the entire article.
Schools struggle to dine locally by Kristen Wyatt The Washington Times Published 04/23/2008
A bill awaiting the governor's signature aims to change that. It's part of a national Farm to School movement that is headed to Maryland to encourage more local produce on cafeteria trays. The twin missions of boosting local farmers while trimming fuel costs for shipping food long distances received unanimous approval from Maryland legislators. · Read the entire article.
Home-grown school meals by Editorial Board The Baltimore Sun Published 04/22/2008
With justified concern about childhood obesity and the economic plight of some of Maryland's 12,000 farms, it's a shame that more local produce hasn't gotten to local schools. But a new program for the next school year rightly aims to help by adding more Maryland farm products to school meals. · Read the entire article.
Gonzales Proposes Plan to Bring Fresher Foods into Local Schools by Evan On Truth and Exploration Published 04/22/2008
State Representative Lee Gonzales (D-Flint Township) today introduced House Bill 5967, a bill that would make it easier for school districts to purchase food from local farmers for school lunch programs, bringing more fresh fruits and vegetables into our cafeterias and boosting the local economy. Gonzales' plan would streamline the bidding process for school food administrators by increasing schools' small purchase threshold (SPT) for food procurement to $100,000, up from $19,650. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School movement comes to Md. by Kristen Wyatt The York Dispatch Published 04/22/2008
Maryland's bill would put educators in touch with state Department of Agriculture marketing officials to figure out how to put products like Hochmuth's berries in schools. Officials in other states have said schools and farms alike are enthusiastic about the idea of local food in cafeterias -- they just need a go-between. · Read the entire article.
Maryland joins effort to put local food in school cafeterias by Kristen Wyatt Associated Press Published 04/21/2008
The strawberries just turning red on one Eastern Shore field here could end up on plates almost anywhere — except on cafeteria trays just down the road. A bill awaiting the governor's signature aims to change that. It's part of a national Farm-To-School movement that's headed to Maryland to encourage more local produce on cafeteria trays. · Read the entire article.
Maryland's Governor Cites Ag Accomplishments American Agriculturalist Published 04/21/2008
HB 696 and SB 158 establish the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program in the Department of Agriculture to promote state agriculture and farm products to children through school meal and classroom programs. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School Success Stirring State Action by Diane Conners Great Lakes Bulletin News Service Published 04/21/2008
In separate steps that are aimed at bolstering the state’s burgeoning “farm to school” movement, a Michigan legislator and the state agricultural commission are each trying to make it easier for schools to serve more fresh, locally grown foods in their student cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
Farmers can't sell to state's schools by Associated Press The Baltimore Sun Published 04/21/2008
The strawberries just turning red on an Eastern Shore field here could end up on plates almost anywhere - just not on cafeteria trays at a middle school down the road. · Read the entire article.
Thinking Outside the Lunchbox for Healthy School Food by California Endowment Videos Published 04/21/2008
About 29 million children eat school lunches every day. The five foods those kids are most likely to see on their plates are pizza, chocolate chip cookies, corn, French fries or chicken nuggets, according to the American School Food Service Association. School food is a major part of many children's diets, and right now it's not doing their health many favors. A panel discussion (with Rodney Taylor, director of nutrition services at the Riverside Unified School District; Matt Sharp, director of the Los Angeles office of California Food Policy Advocates; Elizabeth Medrano, parent and community organizer for the Healthy School Food Coalition; and moderator Moira Berry, program manager of the Farm to Institution project at the Center for Food and Justice) examined innovative ways to transform the school food system. · Read the entire article.
Program dishes up healthier students by Bryan Painter The Oklahoman Published 04/20/2008
Maybe they've seen the fields and the gardens. Undoubtedly, they've seen the food on a table. But have Oklahoma students made a connection? And really, why should they? Oklahoma's Farm to School Initiative is answering that question at more and more schools throughout the state. · Read the entire article.
Md. joins Oklahoma in movement to put local food in schools by Associated Press KTen Published 04/20/2008
A bill in Maryland would allow that state to join Oklahoma and others in establishing a Farm-To-School program. The goal of such programs is to encourage the placement of more local produce on cafeteria trays. The program has twin missions of boosting local farmers while trimming fuel costs for shipping food long distances. · Read the entire article.
Parents push for organic school lunches by Erin Jordan Des Moines Register Published 04/18/2008
Nearly 300 Iowa City parents have signed a petition to get more organic, locally grown food into their youngsters' school lunches. The petition asks the board to implement a wellness policy requiring the district's schools to use fresh, locally grown and organic ingredients "to the extent possible." · Read the entire article.
Better meals for students by Cathe Olson Lee Central Coast Newspapers Published 04/18/2008
Some schools in the United States are implementing Farm-to-School Programs to improve the quality of school meals and the effectiveness of nutrition education. These programs not only offer healthy, local foods to students, they provide hands-on educational experiences to connect children with the source of their food. Local farmers benefit from direct sales of their products, which helps the community as well. · Read the entire article.
Earth Day offers a world of good by Christa Buchanan C & G News Published 04/16/2008
To commemorate Earth Day, April 22, the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and its Earth Works urban garden ministry are holding a dinner event featuring fresh, seasonal food and presentations on the importance of local foods and maintaining a connection to the environment. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School by Keagan Harsha WCAX News Published 04/16/2008
These kids are learning the ins and outs of agriculture thanks to a $12,000 grant from the agriculture agency. It's all part of a national farm-to-school program that brings farmers and their products into the classroom. · Read the entire article.
Junior Iron Chef by Melissa Pasanen Burlington Free Press Published 04/15/2008
On Saturday, the Blue Ribbon Pavilion at the Expo filled in for kitchen stadium and the not-so-secret challenge ingredient was a previously provided list of seasonally available Vermont ingredients, including dairy and eggs, maple syrup and honey, apples, root vegetables, winter squash, sprouts, and some grains. The road to victory was to impress the panel of judges (which included this reporter) by using at least five of these ingredients to make tasty and nutritious dishes that might be recreated affordably and served successfully in a school cafeteria. · Read the entire article.
Local produce is good for kids and economy by Kim Pasciuto San Luis Obispo County Published 04/15/2008
Children get almost two-thirds of their daily nutrition during school. By teaching better eating habits and providing fresh, local, healthy food at school, Farm to School programs lead to healthier lives for children. · Read the entire article.
Students reinvent their lunch at Jr. Iron Chef by Matt Ryan Burlington Free Press Published 04/14/2008
Students hungering for better school lunches have taken matters into their own hands. Twenty-three middle school and 12 high school teams, each with five students, prepared potential school lunches at Vermont's first Jr. Iron Chefs, held at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction on Saturday. Judges graded the dishes on taste, use of Vermont products and ability to be replicated for mass consumption. The students' recipes will be featured in a cookbook and could soon be served at their schools. · Read the entire article.
Schools' fresh foods initiative The Post and Courier Published 04/14/2008
Twenty-five schools statewide will have the opportunity to participate in the fresh food program, supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Awards will be made competitively, based on the willingness of school officials to work with local farmers to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables. · Read the entire article.
Jr Iron Chef Stuck in Vermont Published 04/12/2008
Mmm, something smells good. Middle and high school students from all over the state of Vermont compete in Jr Iron Chef which aims to celebrate local food, showcase VT seasonal produce and promote healthy local-food dishes in schools. · Read the entire article.
Tools for Change – One Letter Leads to Legislation by Beth Collins Lunch Lessons Published 04/11/2008
What a few choice words can do to stimulate policy that translates into real change through a local non-profit's e-newsletter after the local paper wouldn't publish it! · Read the entire article.
Farm to School teaches kids to eat local by Mary Barter The Durango Herald Published 04/09/2008
Student Nutrition Services Director Krista Garand recently purchased 650 pounds of ground beef from Fox Fire Farms as a result of the district's involvement in the local Farm to School Program. Since 2004, local farmers and ranchers have been meeting with district health and nutrition staff to put more local farm-fresh foods on students' breakfast and lunch plates and to teach good eating habits and attempt to reduce obesity rates among schoolchildren. · Read the entire article.
Fresh Food Program Promotes Healthy Eating Habits Among Children Illinois Ag Connection Published 04/09/2008
· Read the entire article.
Farm to School Food Program Channel 9 WSYR Published 04/04/2008
School districts are trying to save money, boost the economy, and avoid food recalls by doing one thing: buying local. They're participating in the national Farm to School program. In 1997, only six school districts participated. Now, there are nearly 2,000 programs in 39 states. · Read the entire article.
Fresh Food Program Promotes Healthy Eating Habits Among Children by Stacy Kish USDA: CSREES Published 04/03/2008
Gary Cuneen founded the advocacy group Seven Generations Ahead (SGA) in 2001, located in Oak Park, Ill., to find local solutions to global environmental problems. The group offers a comprehensive "farm-to-school" program called Fresh from the Farm. · Read the entire article.
Agriculture grant to help promote fresh fruit and vegetable consumption South Carolina Headlines Published 04/02/2008
Students in several South Carolina elementary public schools will be munching on fresh carrots or peaches in their classrooms and hallways next school year. A $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is partnering the South Carolina Department of Education’s Office of School Food Services and Nutrition with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture to work with local farmers to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables program. The grant funds will provide fruit baskets inside classrooms, kiosks in the hallways and other innovative approaches to give students the opportunity to grab fresh fruit or vegetable snacks throughout the school day. The initiative will operate in 25 schools. · Read the entire article.
Farm-To-School Conference A Big Success by Kay Liss Lincoln County News Published 04/02/2008
A fairly heavy snowfall did not stop registrants for the Maine Farm to School conference from attending the all-day program hosted by Focus on Agriculture in Rural Maine Schools (F.A.R.M.S.) at the Chewonki Center in Wiscasset March 28. · Read the entire article.
South School Children Hear Stories of Maple Sugaring Village Soup Published 04/01/2008
Staff from Maine Gold were invited by the second grade teaching team of the South School in Rockland to read stories of Maine agriculture. The focus of last week's stories was Maine's fifth season, maple sugaring. · Read the entire article.
On the menu: Town hall meeting focuses on school food by Diane R. Stepp Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published 04/01/2008
Wondering about what goes into your kids stomach at school? A group of east Cobb parents have organized a town hall meeting for 7 p.m. on April 17 at Sope Creek Elementary that will bring state and local education decision makers, legislators physicians, nutritionists, parents and students together to talk about healthier choices. · Read the entire article.
(Fresh) Food Fight by Jessica A. Knoblauch EJ Magazine Published 04/01/2008
Farm to school may be a recipe for success, but barriers prevent these programs from taking hold. · Read the entire article.
Program for schools serves locally grown veggies by Jennifer Justus The Tennessean Published 03/31/2008
A national farm-to-school effort is putting produce from local farmers on some Tennessee students' cafeteria trays. With childhood obesity on the rise, naysayers have been known to place blame on the kids, insisting they prefer cupcakes over carrots. But proponents of a nonprofit National Farm to School program believe the key to healthier eating in cafeterias is education — and access. · Read the entire article.
Oregon's school-lunch crunch by Maya Blackmun The Oregonian Published 03/29/2008
In the geography of a public school lunch, lessons can be learned of faraway places. Teachers at Archer Glen Elementary School could serve them up daily if students traced their school lunches to their origins. · Read the entire article.
Vt. students compete for top chef status Burlington Free Press Published 03/28/2008
Thirty five teams of Middle and High School students from across the state compete for the title of Vermont’s first Jr. Iron Chefs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on April 12 at the Champlain Valley Exposition. The teams of 3-5 students each have 90 minutes to create 1-2 delicious dishes using seasonal, local foods, which can be easily prepared for school food service menus.Celebrity judges then sample each dish, judging them on taste, best/greatest use of local ingredients, creativity, and feasibility of using the recipes as part of school food menus. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School Lunch Table by Annie Bell Muzaurieta The Daily Green Published 03/28/2008
The National Farm to School Program, a non-profit that aims to connect farmers with nearby school cafeterias, has emerged to address the growing effort to get kids to eat fresh produce. The program provides schools with produce, meats, and dairy products from area farmers who have it fresh, according to the article. In 1997, only six local programs existed, but now there are nearly 2,000 programs in 39 states. · Read the entire article.
Fresh from farm: Change state rules to help school menus Battle Creek Enquirer Published 03/28/2008
The Michigan Land Use Institute says schools that have adopted its farm-to-school program have seen increases in meal participation. A new scratch-cooking effort utilizing many local farm products at Glen Lake Schools has boosted lunch participation by 50 percent in one year, according to the institute, and the number of kids eating breakfast at Frankfort-Elberta Schools has nearly doubled with the school-to-farm effort. Offering more fresh, local produce in school meals is healthier for students while also emphasizing the connection with food grown in their own communities. · Read the entire article.
A harvest of patience by Kathy Hanson The DesMoines Register Published 03/27/2008
The Berry Patch Farm and Storybook Orchard have been featured in Iowa State University Extension's Farm to School project. Sponsored by ISU's Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management Program at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the project aimed to increase school foodservice directors', parents' and students' awareness of available locally grown foods and their benefits. · Read the entire article.
School food’s nearly home grown by Tad Sooter Bainbridge Island Review Published 03/26/2008
A bill passed in the state Legislature’s recently adjourned session and expected to be signed by the governor, is designed to clear a path for farmers and school districts to get local produce into the lunchroom. The bill allows districts to favor Washington-grown products when awarding contracts. It also establishes a “farm to school program” and a grant program for purchasing Washington produce with $1.4 million allocated for kick starting pilot projects. · Read the entire article.
Cafeteria offers a taste of nutrition by Geoff Moore Lincoln Journal Published 03/26/2008
If you were caught up in the festivities and family gatherings associated with the Easter weekend, you might have missed the fact that March is National Nutrition Month — a nutrition education and information campaign created by the American Dietetic Association. · Read the entire article.
From farm field to school cafeterias by Robin Horrigan Parenting Project Published 03/26/2008
Farm to School connects schools with local farmers to provide fresh and local food. Students get healthy lunches, learn the value and benefit of fresh foods, the local farmers stay in business, which helps the local economy and the environment gets some relief in the reduced packaging and shipping. · Read the entire article.
Gross School Cafeteria Food? Go Organic! by Whole Earth Generation You Tube Published 03/26/2008
Mike Botticello meets with kids from Hawthorne Elementary, where the school cafeteria food is provided by local organic farmers. The program is provided by 'Farm to School' a organization committed to making sure kids eat healthy, organically grown meals. Mike visits the local farms to see where all this great food comes from. · Read the entire article.
Food program brings together schools, farmers by G. Jeffrey MacDonald USA Today Published 03/24/2008
The National Farm to School Program, a non-profit effort to connect farmers with nearby school cafeterias, is going strong. In 1997, only six local programs existed, but now nearly 2,000 programs operate in 39 states. That means about 9% (11,000) of the nation's 124,000 public and private K-12 schools incorporate their neighbors' bounty into their menus. · Read the entire article.
Teachers find their lesson in kids' food by Mel Huff Times Argus Published 03/21/2008
Since 2000, FEED (Vermont Food Education Every Day) has been developing solutions to hunger by connecting the "classroom, community and cafeteria." The farm-to-school program was developed by Food Works, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont and Shelburne Farms. · Read the entire article.
Emily Jackson convinces tough critics to eat healthy and locally New Life Journal Published 03/19/2008
Moms and dads know it can be quite difficult to get children excited about eating even an average vegetable, not to mention the weird looking ones, like heirloom varieties. But, Emily Jackson is up for the challenge and gets area children engaged with fresh, local food daily as program director for Growing Minds (GM), a farm to school initiative though Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP). · Read the entire article.
N.W. Michigan Growers, Educators Pack Farm-to-School Conference by Patty Cantrell Great Lakes Bulletin News Service Published 03/19/2008
More than 300 people attended a historic conference in Traverse City, Michigan last week aimed at helping school administrators, food service workers, teachers, and students prepare and serve fresher, healthier food at schools and camps. · Read the entire article.
A healthy option of locally grown by Editorial Board The Seattle Times Published 03/16/2008
The "Local Farms — Healthy Kids Act" promotes all Washington-grown food — fruits, vegetables, grains, meat and dairy. The legislation facilitates a farm-to-school program by eliminating bureaucratic impediments to buying local products, including lowest-cost bidding. · Read the entire article.
From farm to foodbank by Mel Huff The Times Argus Published 03/16/2008
Gleaning project brings fresh veggies to low-income tables through Salvation Farms, program of the Vermont Foodbank. · Read the entire article.
State Law Slows Farm-to-School Progress by Beth Collins Great Lakes Bulletin News Service Published 03/16/2008
Here we were, 330 of the region’s professionals in school education, nutrition, and health, working to nudge fresh, wholesome local food into the center of the plate in our schools’ dining rooms. But what did we find, in the course of our conversations, is perhaps the greatest obstacle to that important goal? Our own state government. · Read the entire article.
School, immigrant groups receive funds The Forum Published 03/15/2008
The White Earth project will use the funds to strengthen student knowledge of American Indian food systems on the Indian reservation. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-schools legislation? It's a win for everyone by Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins and Bill Lee Yakima Herald-Republic Published 03/14/2008
Local schools will soon be able to buy more locally grown meat and produce for their lunch programs, thanks to a measure that finished its legislative journey this week and now heads to Gov. Chris Gregoire, who is expected to sign it. · Read the entire article.
Bill links local farmers, schools by Andy Campbell The Bellingham Herald Published 03/13/2008
A bill passed by state legislators in Olympia appropriates $1.5 million to better connect schools and other state-run institutions with local farms. The bill, which passed both houses with just a single vote against it, requests about $1 million of the total for the Farm to School and low-income snack programs. Other parts of the funding go toward a farm to food bank program and other nutritional programs. · Read the entire article.
Mystery meat for our kids? by Rebecca Clarren High Country News Published 03/13/2008
The Farm to School Movement has been around for over a decade now and according to the Farm to School network, 38 states now host such programs, involving more than 10,000 schools. · Read the entire article.
State Legislature Passes Local Farms Healthy Kids Bill by Tom Geiger Press Release: Washington Environmental Council Published 03/11/2008
Today the state legislature passed the Local Farms – Healthy Kids bill (SSB 6483). Votes were very much bi-partisan and essentially unanimous in both the House and Senate. A key benefit of this legislation will make it easier for schools to buy locally grown food – providing markets for local farmers and nutritious, fresh local food for our children. As a package, this bill will become the most comprehensive local foods program in the nation. · Read the entire article.
North Hampton Around the Schools by Tamara Le Seacoast Online Published 03/07/2008
Janet Gorman presented information to the board on the New Hampshire Farm to School Program, a collaboration that would enable North Hampton students to have locally grown fresh organic produce on the school lunch menu for USDA prices. · Read the entire article.
The Cafeteria/Classroom Convergence by Mike Buzalka Food Management Published 03/04/2008
· Read the entire article.
Ground Beef Recall a Serious Downer for Montana Schools by Kisha Lewellyn Schlegel New West Living Published 03/04/2008
As the wasted pounds add up, many school employees, parents and students are questioning more than what’s for lunch. They are questioning the very safety of our current food system. For Robin Vogler, the Somers Middle School Food-Service Director, the recall is, “more reason than ever to pursue local food. · Read the entire article.
Md. delegates hear Farm-to-School program testimony by Stephanie Jordan American Farm Published 03/04/2008
Last week Maryland delegates heard testimony in support of House Bill 696, which would establish the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program. The purpose of the bill is to promote and facilitate the sale of Maryland farm products to state schools and facilities. · Read the entire article.
Restore the 'buy local' mandate by Senator Ginny Lyons The Times Argus Published 03/02/2008
Congress must resist the USDA's undermining of the farm-to-school program. This local food initiative helps children develop eating habits that defend against diet-related disease. It supports all farmers, not just those who grow fruits and vegetables. · Read the entire article.
Wash. measure would encourage farm-to-school relationships by Rachel La Corte Capital Press Published 03/01/2008
The potatoes still need to be planted, as do the squash, but at Kirsop Farm, Genine Bradwin and Colin Barricklow are readying their land for the abundance of vegetables that will go to farmers markets, co-ops and local schools. A small portion of their bounty - mostly potatoes, squash and salad mix - goes to the Olympia School District, which uses fresh fruit and vegetables from about eight local farmers for lunches in its 18 schools. · Read the entire article.
WA measure would encourage farm-to-school relationships by Rachel La Corte Examiner Published 03/01/2008
The measure would help cut through some of the red tape that can prevent schools from getting local food - exempting schools from having to go through a competitive bidding process when they make large purchases of Washington grown food or food that was grown and processed in Washington state. · Read the entire article.
States that have, or are considering, farm-to-school programs by Associated Press Seattle Post-Intelligencer Published 03/01/2008
Summary of states with farm to school policy. · Read the entire article.
Provide safe, healthy meal options by Mark Vallianatos and Moira Beery Pasadena Star News Published 03/01/2008
In support of farm to school: With increased funding and a renewed commitment to providing truly healthy meal options, we would face fewer nightmare scenarios of untraceable tainted ingredients, and school food would no longer be a "downer," but an exciting component of a healthy school environment. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School by Jeannie Prescott KSAX TV News Published 02/29/2008
Food usually travels about 1,500 miles before it arrives on our plates. But today at Roosevelt Elementary School in Willmar, students ate fresh rolls delivered that morning from Benson Bakery. This is not the first time locally grown and produced food has landed on their plates, thanks to the Farm To School program. · Read the entire article.
Students aren't hip to the beet generation by Betsy Hammond The Oregonian Published 02/28/2008
Since last February, elementary students have been offered local produce twice each month in the Harvest of the Month program -- squash in November, cherry cobbler in December, pears in January. But it doesn't mean the kids have to love beets. · Read the entire article.
Support Our Local Farmers Letter to the Editor by State Senator James L. Seward The Daily Star Published 02/28/2008
Farm to School legislation authorized the purchase of New York farm products by schools, universities and other educational institutions. It's been instrumental in ensuring that local farm products reach our school cafeterias, benefiting children and farmers alike. · Read the entire article.
Even if you wince, don't look away by Deborah Kane The Oregonian Published 02/28/2008
When we remember that the line between agricultural issues and health issues is paper thin, we have a real chance at crafting solutions that result in healthier children and a healthier farm economy. · Read the entire article.
Fresh beets on the school lunch menu by Michael Rollins The Oregonian Published 02/27/2008
Portland Public Schools, in collaboration with Ecotrust, has been trying to serve locally-grown fruit and produce all year in school lunches. At Meriwether Lewis Elementary School in Southeast Portland, the regular pizza lunch and taco lunch this day included optional helpings of beets, which were baked whole, then sliced. This video is of lunch on Feb. 27, 2008. · Read the entire article.
Getting local foods into schools by Jane Lindholm Vermont Public Radio Published 02/27/2008
The recent recall of beef from school cafeterias raised questions about where schools' food comes from. School lunch programs rely on federally subsidized foods that are trucked in from out of state, but schools are also turning to local farmers to provide more of what they serve. We examine the challenges of putting more local food in school cafeterias and how the effort also involves educating students about where their food comes from. · Read the entire article.
Second annual session is in voters' hands by Peter Wong Statesman Journal Published 02/25/2008
He also won passage of another bill establishing a farm-to-school program to promote links between Oregon agriculture and students. · Read the entire article.
We chow down on a diet salted with mystery by Julie Deardorff Chicago Tribune Published 02/24/2008
One of the most important outgrowths of farmers markets, however, is the growing popularity of farm-to-school programs, which are popping up all over the country, including Chicago, Oak Park, Grayslake and the northwest suburbs. Some of the efforts link local growers to school food-service companies so fresh food can be used in school lunches. It's a timely idea, given that the Agriculture Department recalled 143 million pounds of factory-farmed beef, after some of it had already been eaten in school lunch programs. · Read the entire article.
Iowa farm-to-school program gets fresh foods to students by Elizabeth Ahlin Omaha World Herald Published 02/24/2008
Iowa is now ramping up its own farm-to-school program, with the goal of getting fresh food to students and creating a new market for local farmers. · Read the entire article.
Ore. lawmakers wrap up their 'test drive' annual session by Brad Cain and Julia Silverman The Capital Press Published 02/23/2008
he Oregon Legislature's "test drive" of annual sessions came to a close late Friday after a day spent wrangling over final details on spending bills, bonding authority and a legislative referral on prison sentences. Among other bills approved in the Legislature's rush to close out the session: A plan to hire a farm-to-school coordinator for the Oregon Department of Education won support. · Read the entire article.
Farm to school bill gets unanimous support from Oregon House by Associated Press Oregon Live Published 02/22/2008
A plan to hire a farm-to-school coordinator for the Oregon Department of Education has won unanimous approval from the Oregon House of Representatives. The coordinator will be a liaison between Oregon school districts and local farmers. The idea is to help schools find local farmers and negotiate contracts with them and to make sure of compliance with federal rules on school food purchasing. · Read the entire article.
Meat is a mystery to schools by Victoria Kim and Janet Wilson Los Angeles Times Published 02/22/2008
Officials at Chino and other school districts around the country have little clue where the food supplied through the National School Lunch Program comes from. After this week's largest-ever recall of beef -- nearly 50 million pounds of which went to schools nationwide -- officials are nervous about the quality of the U.S. Department of Agriculture food that they have no choice but to trust. · Read the entire article.
Farm to school bill gets unanimous support from Oregon House by Associated Press The Examiner Published 02/22/2008
A plan to hire a farm-to-school coordinator for the Oregon Department of Education has won unanimous approval from the Oregon House of Representatives. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-school bill gets unanimous support from Oregon House by Associated Press The Capital Press Published 02/22/2008
Representative Tina Kotek of Portland, the sponsor, says the bill will help open markets for Oregon farmers. · Read the entire article.
School food bill advances but without added funds by Mitch Lies Capital Press Published 02/22/2008
Oregon's farm-to-school program received a slight boost on Feb. 19 when the Oregon Legislature's budget writing committee moved a farm-to-school bill to the House floor, but with a caveat. The joint Ways and Means Committee failed to provide funding for the program. · Read the entire article.
Barclay Plan Will Strengthen Schools, Ensure Quality Education for Kids NewzJunky Published 02/21/2008
Assemblyman Barclay's plan would improve the quality of school nutrition programs, and provide a boost for agriculture-related businesses here in Central and Northern New York, by enhancing the ability of local farmers to sell their products in our local schools. His proposal would remove barriers and provide increased State support for the purchase of local farm products by school districts. This will provide farmers with the opportunity to have a local market for their goods, while also supplying our school children with fresh locally grown healthy food and dairy products. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-school programs keep food supply local -- with happy results by Eartha Jane Melzer Michigan Messenger Published 02/21/2008
Now, as school cafeterias everywhere destroy what remains of the recalled meat and rearrange their menus, a growing farm-to-school movement seeks to restore the regional agricultural bonds that once linked consumers to farmers in their local communities. · Read the entire article.
Edibles - A for appetizing by Eleni Collins The Martha's Vineyard Times Published 02/21/2008
The Winter Local Foods Dinner was a fundraiser for the culinary arts department, a promotion for Farm to School, and a chance for the students to work with exceptional local ingredients while alongside professional chefs Dan Sauer of the Outermost Inn and Matt Safranek of the Harbor View. · Read the entire article.
Vineyarders learn a lesson in local fare by Laurie Higgins Cape Cod Times Published 02/20/2008
It's easy to find locally grown food in the summer, but what if you want to cook a local meal in February? That is exactly the challenge tackled last week by the Island Grown Initiative, a nonprofit group working to support local food on Martha's Vineyard; chef Daniel Sauer from the Outermost Inn; and Martha's Vineyard Regional High School's culinary arts department. The resulting dinner was a brilliant success. The dinner was the first official public event for the new Farm to School Program that Island Grown Initiative launched in December to try to create bridges between local farms and the schools. · Read the entire article.
Anderson County produce program gives schools local options by Samantha Harris Independent Mail Published 02/18/2008
If Anderson County schools are worried about getting tainted meat, the “Grow With Me” program might alleviate those concerns. During the Anderson County Board of Education meeting on Monday, Anderson County Farmers Market manager Brandon Grace and Allison Schaum, of Palmetto Agriculture Consultants, talked about the program, which could supply Anderson schools with locally-grown produce. · Read the entire article.
Healthy foods rise to top of menu by Kara Hansen The Daily Astorian Published 02/13/2008
Preparing some of the meals at Astoria High School has become a live performance of sorts with the addition of display cooking, a technique that aims to give students a hot, high-quality meal, its freshness proven by their ability to watch it made before their eyes. There's a statewide move toward farm-to-school food programs, for both environmental and health benefits. In Astoria, much of the district's produce and other foods already come from Oregon or not far from it: potatoes from Sherwood, rutabagas grown in Troutdale, apples and cherries from Rainier and Washington-milled flour. · Read the entire article.
Cash Prizes offered in high school essay contest Muskogee Phoenix Published 02/11/2008
Oklahoma is making great strides in expanding local food sources, with such programs as Farm to School, farmers’ markets, Tulsa’s “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” campaign, and the Oklahoma Food Cooperative. Proponents say a more local food supply can relieve hunger, stimulate economies, improve nutrition, reduce obesity and revitalize communities. · Read the entire article.
Proud of her school lunch program by Carol Judd The Boston Globe Published 02/09/2008
Since implementing wellness policies, food service departments across the Commonwealth have been introducing products using whole grains. Directors are demanding, and suppliers are providing, more whole grain products. We have made a commitment to serving more fresh fruits and vegetables, and have partnered with the Farm to School Project to use locally grown produce. · Read the entire article.
Local farmers may shake up school lunches by Aileen Charleston The Federal Way Mirror Published 02/09/2008
In 2002, the Olympia School District introduced a pilot program at an elementary school that provided students with an organic salad bar containing locally grown fruits and vegetables during lunchtime. Buying from local farmers is a process that sounds easier than it is. Schools need to abide by strict state rules and regulations that force them to buy food from the lowest bidder, regardless of where the food items are grown. · Read the entire article.
Kerr Center sponsors essay contest The Oklahoman Published 02/07/2008
The Kerr Center is inviting state high school juniors and seniors to submit essays on "The Value of Locally Grown Foods” for its 2008 essay contest. Grand prize is $750; first runner up, $500; and honorable mention will receive $250. Entry deadline is March 28, and winners will be announced in early May. Contest information has been sent to high schools statewide and is posted online at www.kerrcenter.com. Information about farm-to-school programs and the essay contest are available online at www.kerrcenter.com or by calling the Kerr Center at (918) 647-9123. · Read the entire article.
Prosperous Farms, Well-Fed Kids by Diane Conners Great Lakes Bulletin News Service Published 02/07/2008
More than 30 schools in the region are now serving about a dozen local farm products, from apples to winter squash. Most schools worked with the Michigan Land Use Institute to figure out how to add local farm products to their cafeterias and bring first-hand experiences with farms to their classrooms. Schools embracing local foods have seen powerful results. Frankfort-Elberta students are eating five times as many apples since the school replaced the bland apples it was serving—picked for their tolerance of long distance shipping, not taste—with juicy, local varieties. A Benzie County Central elementary school ditched its traditional candy sale and raised $6,000 in one day by selling local farm products instead. · Read the entire article.
New Site Connects Iowa Schools and Farms to Improve Nutrition Url Wire Published 02/06/2008
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recently announced a new website for the Iowa Farm-to-School program, which is designed to improve child nutrition and strengthen local and regional farm economies by partnering farmers with local schools. · Read the entire article.
Lawmakers take up farm-to-school plan by Mitch Lies Capital Press Published 02/05/2008
An Oregon House committee on Jan. 23 forwarded a farm-to-school bill to the full Legislature that supporters said could improve school lunch menus and benefit Oregon farmers. Known currently as Legislative Concept 79, the bill calls for the state to add $95,000 to the Oregon Department of Education's 2007-09 budget to hire a farm-to-school program coordinator. The coordinator would work with chef Cory Schreiber, whom the Oregon Department of Agriculture hired earlier this year to be its farm-to-school program coordinator. · Read the entire article.
Dave Matthews performs for farm to school fundraiser by Mike Greenhaus Relix Published 02/04/2008
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds will play their first show in Hawaii as part of Jack Johnson's fifth annual Kokua Festival. The funds raised from the Kokua Festival will be used to further support school recycling on Oahu, sponsor field trips, and roll out the new farm-to-school program 'AINA In Schools. · Read the entire article.
Ag Department website links food producers with schools by Darwin Danielson Radio Iowa Published 02/04/2008
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey has introduced a new website designed to increase the size of the Iowa Farm-to-School program. He says the purpose of the program is to get farmers who're producing fruits and vegetables locally to connect with schools to sell some of those products to schools. Northey says the website can help both sides in the program. · Read the entire article.
Lean Funds Keep School Food Fatty by Scott Learn and Betsy Hammond The Oregonian Published 02/03/2008
Oregon's school nutrition leaders are trying to put more fresh foods in students' lunches, rely less on high-fat foods and buy from local farms and food processors. But economic constraints force most to rely on commodity meats and other products. Recent video footage of downed cows being slaughtered at a plant that sources to schools around the country highlighted the frustration school districts have receiving unknown ingredients. This article looks at the current make-up of school lunches and why and how Oregonians are fighting to transform it. · Read the entire article.
My view: More fresh, local foods for students by Marion Kalb Santa Fe New Mexican Published 02/03/2008
Students at more than 10,000 schools nationwide are eating fresh fruits and vegetables grown on nearby farms. The bad news is that school food service staffs, who prepare our children's lunches, are only given $1 per meal to buy the food they serve. · Read the entire article.
IDALS Launches New Farm-To-School Program by Staff Wallaces Farmer Published 02/01/2008
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey announced last week a new Web site for the Iowa Farm-to-School program, which is designed to improve child nutrition and strengthen local and regional farm economies by partnering farmers with local schools. To learn more visit www.agriculture.state.ia.us/farmToSchool.htm. · Read the entire article.
Bills would help get local produce to schools by Staci Matlock The New Mexican Published 01/31/2008
Several bills to promote locally grown produce are moving swiftly through the Legislature this session. Backers say the legislation is aimed at providing New Mexicans with healthier food and improving one of the state's more dismal statistics: New Mexico ranks second in the nation for food insecurity. Two bills would appropriate $1.44 million for schools to buy more fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables for school lunches. · Read the entire article.
Northey launches new Farm-to-School program Web site by Associated Press Oskaloosa Herald Published 01/30/2008
The Farm-to-School program will provide an increased opportunity for schools to connect with local farmers to provide children across the state with fresh, locally grown, seasonal fruit and vegetables, meat, milk, eggs and nuts in their lunches. In addition to including local foods in school meals, the program also helps build a connection between students and the farmers that grow and produce their food. · Read the entire article.
Lawmakers look to connect local food with schools by John Dodge The Olympian Published 01/28/2008
State lawmakers considering a bill to make it easier for K-12 schools, state agencies and colleges to buy Washington-grown food should stop by the public cafeteria in the Pritchard Building on the Capitol Campus to see how the food connection can work. · Read the entire article.
Farms, schools may cultivate relationships by Jennifer Henrichsen Yakima Herald-Republic Published 01/25/2008
School cafeteria food still bites. Just ask Aiden Kerr, a fifth-grader from Seattle. The 10-year-old student told state House committee members Thursday that the amount of processed food in school cafeterias is "profoundly disgusting" and that it needs to change. Aiden was one of several to testify in favor of House Bill 2798, also known as the local farms/healthy kids act. If enacted, the bill would enhance student health while also boosting farm economies. · Read the entire article.
Iowa's Northey unveils Farm-to-School web site by Peter Shinn Brownfield Network Published 01/25/2008
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is working to connect local schools with food produced by local farmers. Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey told Brownfield his Department is moving quickly to implement the farm-to-school law passed last year by the state legislature. · Read the entire article.
Ag secretary launches Farm-to-School Web site Sioux City Journal Published 01/24/2008
Iowa agriculture secretary Bill Northey this morning announced a new Web site for the Iowa Farm-to-School program, which is designed to improve school nutrition and strengthen farm economies by partnering farmers with local schools. The Web site is located at www.agriculture.state.ia.us/farmToSchool.htm. · Read the entire article.
Bill seeks to get more healthful food into schools by Jennifer Langston Seattle Post-Intelligencer Published 01/24/2008
The polite word fifth-grader Aden Kahr uses to describe school lunches is "problematic." Aden joined farmers, parents, school nutritionists, social-service providers, food banks and environmental groups in urging the state to get more healthful Washington-grown food into cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
Ag Sec. Northey: Launches new farm-to-school program website by Tess Capps Iowa Politics Published 01/24/2008
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced a new website for the Iowa Farm-to-School program, which is designed to improve child nutrition and strengthen local and regional farm economies by partnering farmers with local schools. To learn more visit http://www.agriculture.state.ia.us/farmToSchool.htm · Read the entire article.
Multiplication tables by Editorial Board The Oregonian Published 01/22/2008
Parents want their kids to eat more fresh produce, schools want to serve it, and Oregon farmers are eager to sell it. While the state Department of Agriculture has expertise in farms and food processing, Schreiber will need a counterpart with expertise in school nutrition to meet him halfway. That's why the farm-to-school coalition will be in Salem this week, seeking $95,000 for a matching position -- think salt and pepper -- in the state Department of Education. · Read the entire article.
Giving teeth to food policies by Stephanie Kosonen GoSkagit Published 01/22/2008
Mo McBroom, a lobbyist and policy director for the Washington Environmental Council said the Local Farms, Healthy Kids bill aims to correct that and other roadblocks farmers could experience with getting their product into institutional kitchens. It would create a Farm-to-School program to foster relationships between farms and schools. The program would troubleshoot predicted supply issues and help to introduce curricula for students to learn about the environmental, economic and health benefits of consuming locally grown foods. The bill would also help eliminate red tape that currently prevents schools from being able to buy local food. · Read the entire article.
Cory Schreiber Takes on Hot Lunch by Stacy Larsen Live PDX Published 01/15/2008
Currently, only 14% of school nutrition services food originates in Oregon. Working out of the Food Innovation Center, Schreiber’s focus is to increase the amount of fresh, Oregon foods moving from farmers to school cafeterias to upwards of 50%. · Read the entire article.
Jr. Iron Chef Competition to be held at the Expo Burlington Free Press Published 01/14/2008
Vermont middle and high school students are invited to participate in the Jr. Iron Chef Competition on April 12 at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, a fundraiser for the Burlington School Food Project and VT FEED’s farm-to-school programs. Teams of three to five students in the middle school and high school competitions will create one or two dishes that could be prepared for school food service menus using seasonal, local foods. Teams must be chaperoned by a parent or school employee. Application deadline is Feb. 8. Applications and more information at 864-8415, www.JrIronChefVT.org or www.vtfeed.org. · Read the entire article.
Study: Kids Will Eat Healthy School Meals Nurse.com Published 01/10/2008
A University of Minnesota study that appeared in the Review of Agricultural Economics shows school lunch sales don’t decline when healthier meals are served and that more nutritious foods don’t necessarily cost schools more to produce. The study contradicts the findings of previous studies, which showed students preferred fatty foods and that healthier meals cost more to make, the authors said. The researchers analyzed five years of data for 330 Minnesota public school districts and found the schools that served the healthiest lunches did not see a drop in demand. The study looked at compliance with federal standards for calories, nutrients, and fats. · Read the entire article.
Bill aims to put local foods on school lunch menus by Jennifer Langston Seattle Post-Intelligencer Published 01/09/2008
Legislation to be proposed in Olympia next week could catapult Washington to the forefront of national efforts to get more farm-fresh, locally grown food into lunches at schools and at other institutions. It borrows from piecemeal efforts in other states, but would go further. · Read the entire article.
Renegade lunch lady saving kids' lives, one plate at a time by Fran Fifis CNN Published 01/09/2008
Ann Cooper is on a whirlwind campaign to change the way kids eat in schools. "We're killing our kids with food," she says. Half of all the Hispanic and African-American kids born in 2000 and one-third of Caucasian kids will have diabetes in their lifetime, many before they graduate college, Cooper says, citing U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics. "It's all because of what we are feeding them," she says. "It's all preventable." · Read the entire article.
Chef leads effort to serve Oregon food to students by Leslie Cole The Oregonian Published 01/08/2008
The Oregon Department of Agriculture hires its first farm-to-school coordinator to increase the quantity of Oregon-grown foods in school lunchrooms. The new hire? Renowned Portland chef Cory Schreiber. · Read the entire article.
Agriculture summit plants a seed for future economic growth by Heidi Cenac Anderson Independent-Mail News Published 01/04/2008
Sustainable agriculture involves three pillars: farming in a way that preserves the land for future generations, creating systems and practices that make farming economically feasible, and preserving the viability of rural communities. James Horne of the Kerr Center told those in attendance about creating farm-to-school programs that allow local farmers to provide food to surrounding schools. It’s one of several ideas that Brandon Grace, manager at the Anderson County Farmers’ Market, wants to implement here to make agriculture a sustainable industry. · Read the entire article.
Farmers Going Back to School by Debra Eschmeyer Touch the Soil Published 01/01/2008
The move underway in America, to connect schools to local farms, will be the best educational and nutritional enhancement to public health and education in this century. By virtue of their educational missions, community-building potential, and purchasing power, K-12 schools have a unique responsibility to act as models for social responsibility, which includes the food served to students at school. Farm to School is a school-based program that connects K-12 schools and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting small and medium-sized local and regional farmers. · Read the entire article.
Pioneer in Northwest cuisine works on Oregon school supplies by Associated Press Rockford Register Star Published 12/30/2007
As the acclaimed, James Beard award-winning chef of Wildwood Restaurant in Portland for 13 years, Cory Schreiber has served plenty of discerning patrons. But come 2008, he'll have to please a whole new set of picky palates: Oregon's schoolchildren. · Read the entire article.
Restaurateur leads farm-to-school effort East Oregonian Published 12/26/2007
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has hired noted chef and author Cory Schreiber to spearhead and manage the department's efforts to increase use of Oregon fresh and processed foods in the state's school feeding programs. · Read the entire article.
Upstate farmers to supply school veggies by Associated Press CBS: Albany Published 12/24/2007
Under a new "Farm to School" program, children in the Big Apple will soon be crunching carrots from upstate fields. Schoharie Valley Farms, southwest of Albany, will soon start shipping carrot slices to more than a million kids in New York City's 1,400 schools. · Read the entire article.
Oregon Department of Agriculture hires noted chef by Associated Press KTVZ Published 12/22/2007
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has hired a James Beard award winning chef to try and get more locally grown food into Oregon schools. · Read the entire article.
Committee’s goal is to provide county residents access to healthy foods by Carolyn Lange West Central Tribune Published 12/20/2007
A crisscross network of people who grow, pack, transport, distribute, buy and eat food, and then dispose of or compost the leftovers, exists in every community. The network that joins people with life-sustaining food, however, is interrupted by poverty, lack of nutritional education and a system that, for the most part, forces people to rely on a distant food source that’s vulnerable to soaring gas prices, natural disasters, a changing climate and even terrorism. For the last several months the Kandiyohi County Food System Steering Committee has been studying the food network in Kandiyohi County in an attempt to better understand how it works. · Read the entire article.
Renowned restaurateur to help get more Oregon foods into schools The Oregonian Published 12/20/2007
The Oregon Department of Agriculture announces the hiring of noted chef and author Cory Schreiber to spearhead and manage the department's efforts to increase utilization of Oregon fresh and processed foods in the state's school food programs. In his new role, Schreiber will work with farmers, food processors, distributors and school district food service staff, as well as existing farm-to-school groups and programs, to help get more nutritious, locally produced foods into Oregon schools. · Read the entire article.
Wilderness 'facts' disputed by Bill Ayres The Mountain Mail Published 12/20/2007
Are food banks necessary? The answer is yes, but with an explanation. · Read the entire article.
Get more local produce into the schools by Joan Crooks and Clayton Burrows Seattle Post-Intelligencer Published 12/18/2007
We believe Washington is a special place to live that is blessed with productive farmland, thriving communities and millions of people who all want a healthy future for their kids. We believe in helping local farms thrive by providing increased markets for Washington crops while providing nutritious food options for kids in our schools. "Local Farms -- Healthy Kids" is an idea that marries these goals of thriving farms and healthy kids into one legislative proposal. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School Program is a Hit with Students Country Folks Published 12/17/2007
Article highlights one community's successful Farm to School Project that was a product of a state funded Farm to School grant. · Read the entire article.
Education commissioner tours White Earth schools by Amber Nohrenberg DL-Online Published 12/12/2007
Seagren asked about the rate of prevalence of childhood obesity at the school, a growing problem nationwide for children. Lukvik said the school has developed a “farm to school” program that brings locally grown foods to the school, a healthier alternative to the regular menu of highly processed school lunches. The school also works on including traditional American Indian foods. In the school’s lunch area, the walls are decorated with posters for different challenges for the students, such as a walking challenge and a wild rice harvest challenge. Lukvik said students and elders participate in the programs. · Read the entire article.
Things you can do now at your school by Tara Roberts Cosmo Girl Published 12/11/2007
Eat locally and healthfully. Farm to School connects school cafeterias to local farms. Instead of shipping frozen foods across the nation in huge trucks, which uses tons of fuel, you can eat fresh produce and meat from around the corner. More than 700 school districts across the nation participate. Contact Farm to School for more info. · Read the entire article.
From the farm to the lunch tray by Chad Petri WKRG News Published 12/04/2007
For the fourth year in a row, much of this year's satsuma harvest is going to Alabama public schools in the "farm to school" program. "We look at it as a win win situation," says Director of the Gulf Coast research and extension center Ronnie McDaniel. "I mean, it's helping the growers, plus the kids are getting a good fruit." · Read the entire article.
Cafeteria Lunch May Be Farms’ Growing Market by Julia Rappaport Vineyard Gazette Published 11/30/2007
Martha’s Vineyard does not have a celebrity chef to revolutionize its cafeteria food, but on Tuesday, members of the Island Grown Initiative will join with parents, teachers, farmers and lunch ladies to try their hand at changing school lunch. The transformation begins, according to Ali Berlow, executive director of the initiative, with a new Vineyard chapter of a national program called Farm to School. · Read the entire article.
Food For Students From Students by Steven Goode The Hartford Courant Published 11/28/2007
The instructional plan developed by Cipriano and Rodrigues called for students to use the 11-year-old Agri-Science & Technology Center to grow fresh vegetables for the school district's lunch tables, including kale, leeks, winter squash, parsley, oregano, onions and Scotch bonnets, a Jamaican chili pepper. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School Council seeks "hands on approach" to food learning by Pat Curtis Radio Iowa Published 11/28/2007
A former candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture is among the Governor's appointees to serve on the new Farm to School Council. Denise O'Brien, along with her husband Larry, raises fruits and vegetables near Atlantic. O'Brien is one of seven people that will help guide a new program approved by the legislature last year. The Farm to School program is designed to provide students with a more "hands-on approach" when it comes to learning about food production. · Listen to the recording · Read the entire article.
Alberton students enjoy eating fruits of labor by Vince Devlin and Kim Briggeman Missoulian Published 11/28/2007
There was chili meat from Missoula, onions from the Bitterroot Valley and potatoes from Manhattan (the Montana one.) But the students of Alberton School made their own salsa, out of tomatoes they grew in the local community garden. And they chowed down on apples picked in Norm Brovold's orchard. The recent homegrown school lunch was the latest activity of Alberton's first fling with the Farm-to-School program, the Mineral Independent reports. And organizers say it's had all kinds of benefits already. · Read the entire article.
Students focus on healthy eating by Cymbre Foster Traverse City Record-Eagle Published 11/27/2007
Amy White was looking for a way to change what kids ate at Glen Lake Community Schools without making the students feel forced to do it. Senior Abbie Christiansen said she's not only learned a lot about food, but about how to take what she's learned and make changes at a grassroots level. "I've always been interested in healthy foods but I've also learned about the kinds of things we can do at our school to be part of the farm-to-school movement and getting healthier food into our school, which is a nice option to have after school," said the 18-year-old. · Read the entire article.
Study: Kids Will Eat Healthy School Food by Associated Press NY Times Published 11/26/2007
Maybe getting schoolchildren to eat healthy foods isn’t a hopeless struggle. Bucking some common notions, a University of Minnesota study has found that school lunch sales don’t decline when healthier meals are served, and that more nutritious lunches don’t necessarily cost schools more to produce. · Read the entire article.
Stirring up nutrition goals for farm bill by Nicole Gaouette Los Angeles Times Published 11/25/2007
Parents, nutritionists and physicians want Congress to overhaul the legislation, which they say promotes fatty school lunches, in an effort to fight obesity. Those changes would have a direct impact on Los Angeles children, said Elizabeth Medrano, an organizer for the Healthy School Food Coalition, which has worked for the last six years to improve school lunches. "We see access to healthy food, daily, as a health benefit, a prevention program," she said. · Read the entire article.
Mettawee Holiday Feast Goes Localvore by Sarah Hinkley Rutland Herald Published 11/20/2007
While fifth-graders of Mettawee Community School in West Pawlet gave a slew of red potatoes a final scrub, second-graders in Brook Debonis's class broke bread for stuffing. Everyone was pitching in to put together the first "Eat Local Challenge" Thanksgiving feast at the West Pawlet school. At noon today, the pupils, staff and senior guests — close to 450 people — are expected to be served a feast made of as much local produce and poultry as possible... · Read the entire article.
Students get fruit facts in vote by Lucas K. Murray Gloucester County Times Published 11/17/2007
A special election was held in Paulsboro on Friday morning with three candidates vying for votes among a finicky electorate. No, it wasn't to decide an open council seat The young voters of Billingsport Elementary School were choosing an apple to appear on the cafeteria menu as part of their school wellness initiative. · Read the entire article.
Local ag organization snags award by John Boyle Asheville Citizen-Times Published 11/15/2007
The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project was named nonprofit of the year, and in its press release, the association noted that "for a decade ASAP has been running one of the most successful local food campaigns in the Southeast, and has been a leader in the farm-to-school movement. This year ASAP published a groundbreaking study of the value of local food to the economy of Western North Carolina, showing the market in that region alone could be worth almost half a billion dollars." · Read the entire article.
School food firm gets ‘A’ for apples by Benjamin N. Gedan The Providence Journal Published 11/13/2007
In a rare serving of positive financial news for Rhode Island farmers, food service giant Sodexho has agreed to greatly expand its local purchases. The deal, brokered by the nonprofit group Kids First, involves agreements with at least three farms to supply apples, butternut squash and potatoes to Sodexho. The food company supplies breakfast and lunch to 13 school districts. Their clients, including Woonsocket, Scituate and Cumberland, educate 58,600 students. · Read the entire article.
Leahy, Sanders And Welch Slam Bush For Targeting MILC Program In White House’s New Veto Threat To Th All American Patriots Published 11/09/2007
Welch said, “The President is once again demonstrating his reckless and out-of-touch priorities. We are working hard to assure fairer milk prices, cut commodity payments for wealthy Western farmers, support farm-to-school programs, and fund food stamps. President Bush is yet again a roadblock to progress.” · Read the entire article.
Gov. Culver: Appoints four members to the Farm to School Council by Brad Anderson Iowa Politics Published 11/08/2007
Function of the Farm to School Council: The program seeks to link elementary and secondary public and nonpublic schools in this state with Iowa farms to provide schools with fresh and minimally processed food for inclusion in school meals and snacks, encourage children to develop healthy eating habits, and provide Iowa farmers access to consumer markets. The Farm-to-School program may include activities that provide students with hands-on learning opportunities, such as farm visits, cooking demonstrations, and school gardening and composting programs. The program shall seek to establish with public agencies and nonprofit organizations, a structure to facilitate communication between farmers and schools. · Read the entire article.
Community Food Projects and the Farm Bill by Debra Eschmeyer KPFK: Uprising Published 11/05/2007
Anyone who eats has an interest and stake in the farm bill. Passed by Congress approximately every five years, the farm bill is a giant piece of legislation that forms the foundation of our food system. It sets policies and budgets for everything from crop subsidies and country-of-origin labeling to food stamps and conservation programs. The farm bill directly impacts everything you eat and as a tax payer, you are footing the bill. · Read the entire article.
Weed It and Reap by Michael Pollan NY Times Published 11/04/2007
There’s an important provision in both bills that will make it easier for schools to buy food from local farmers. And there’s money to promote farmers’ markets and otherwise support the local food movement. · Read the entire article.
County Budget Committee Gingerly Approves $2 Million LCSO Budget by Sherwood Olin The Lincoln County News Published 10/31/2007
Winston said her office is currently pursuing a $26,000 grant that will support the Farm to School initiative: an effort encouraging Lincoln County schools to acquire their food from sources local growers. · Read the entire article.
New farm bill should promote healthier foods by Mladen Golubic The Wichita Eagle Published 10/31/2007
The FRESH Act also would increase funding for a wide array of smart initiatives, including farm-to-school programs, farmers' markets, fruit and vegetable promotion, and the fruit and vegetable snack program that provides free, healthy snacks to schoolkids across around the country. · Read the entire article.
School lunch goes gourmet in Rockport by Lynda Clancy Knox County Times Village Soup Published 10/29/2007
The scent of rosemary and sage filled the kitchen at Camden Hills Regional High School last week, with steam rolling high above pans of angel hair pasta, waiting to be tossed with shrimp and red peppers. This fall, she's inviting professional chefs once a month into the high school kitchen to prepare a special dish for students and staff, one that will appeal to just about everyone, and represent a healthy meal. · Read the entire article.
Schools plant gardens to sprout healthy eaters by Elizabeth Lee Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published 10/25/2007
School gardens are enjoying a revival energized by the local food movement and concern over childhood obesity. Growing fruits and vegetables, the thinking goes, will teach science, math, even literature — and, garden organizers hope, a lifetime of healthier eating habits. The idea is promising enough to have caught the attention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is studying school gardens as a way to promote a more nutritious diet and to boost produce consumption. · Read the entire article.
Chew on this by Gwyneth Doland Santa Fe Reporter Published 10/24/2007
“The reason we have a Farm to School program is because of the farm bill,” Winne says. “The New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council got some of their money from the farm bill—and they were the ones who got the junk food out of schools! That’s one of those little programs that makes a big difference.” · Read the entire article.
A taste for local food in Oregon schools by Bruce Pokarney The Hillsboro Argus Published 10/23/2007
Oregon Dept. of Agriculture proponents of getting more nutritious and locally-grown foods into Oregon schools may have additional support thanks to a project just completed by Oregon State University and one just getting started by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. · Read the entire article.
Center for Integrated Ag Systems to Focus on 'Farm to School' Programs Wisconsin Ag Connection Published 10/23/2007
The Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has been named as lead agency in a six-state area for a new national program to encourage schools to serve more locally grown food. As regional lead agency for the National Farm-to-School Network, CIAS will be the hub for farm-to-school activities in the Great Lakes region, encompassing Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Indiana. · Read the entire article.
EPA Announces First-Ever Ag Advisory Committee USAgNet Published 10/18/2007
"Continuing efforts to strengthen relations with the agriculture community, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the establishment of the first-ever Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee. The panel is being formed under the guidelines of the National Strategy for Agriculture, and it will advise the administrator on environmental policy issues impacting farms, ranches and rural communities and operate under the rules of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. · Read the entire article.
New Farm to School Link Launched The Ellsworth American Published 10/18/2007
As a means to support community-based food systems, strengthen family farms and improve student health, the National Farm to School Network launched this week its improved Web site, farmtoschool.org. The release coincides with National School Lunch Week, Oct. 15-19. · Read the entire article.
Burlington School Food Project: A recipe for school and community partnership by Susan H. Stafford The Center for Public Education Published 10/17/2007
This city-wide, community-driven initiative has incorporated local farming practices into the classroom through science, math, literacy, and nutrition curriculum and brought fresh produce and healthy eating practices into this district’s lunchrooms. · Read the entire article.
Fresh-produce market makes some gains with schools by Jennifer Langston Seattle Post-Intelligencer Published 10/16/2007
The big challenge is to create farm-to-cafeteria programs on an economically meaningful scale."You can hardly turn on the radio and not find something about food security, buying local, concerns about global warming," said Allen Rozema, executive director of Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland. "We're on a wave of change, and maybe that's why we're getting traction that other groups haven't in the past." · Read the entire article.
Naturally Iowa, Inc. Supplies Elementary School With Good Natured Family Farms Milk Products CNN Money Published 10/16/2007
The dairy products supplied by Naturally Iowa are part of the "Farm 2 School Lunch Program," facilitated by Bistro Kids, LLC, Good Natured Family Farms, and Ball's Food Stores. The goal of the program is "to bring local, farm fresh or organic foods from the small family farm to your child's lunch tray." · Read the entire article.
Let's Redo School Lunch by Gail Borelli The Kansas City Star Published 10/16/2007
Helping children put a face to the farmers who grow their food is a concept that is building momentum, says Anupama Joshi, director of the Farm to School Program, a national clearinghouse for information and assistance. Each school’s program is unique because of seasonality and community support, she says, and most include in the lunch line just one or two local foods, such as apples. · Read the entire article.
Local Carrots With a Side of Red Tape by Kim Severson NY Times Published 10/16/2007
The dirt on Richard Ball’s farm in Schoharie County is 15 feet deep, rich with minerals and perfect for growing sweet carrots.About 150 miles south, the New York City schools serve 850,000 meals a day. Some of them contain carrots. But the carrots come from other states. So Mr. Ball and a group of people dedicated to getting local food into cafeterias had an idea: Why not feed New York City schoolchildren New York State carrots? · Read the entire article.
School Food Going Local by Timothy Cipriano The Hartford Courant Published 10/16/2007
Two years ago, the Connecticut General Assembly enacted legislation to eliminate junk food such as soda, greasy potato chips and other unhealthy food options from our schools. In addition, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture established the Connecticut Farm-to-School program, which not only gets locally grown products into school cafeterias but also supports local farms that offer fresher produce for school meals and snacks. This effort not only provides healthier food for our children as the country struggles with childhood obesity, it also provides much-needed economic assistance to small local farms. · Read the entire article.
Many barriers keep organic food out of school lunches by Jennifer Langston Seattle Post-Intelligencer Published 10/15/2007
In the Puget Sound region, consumers increasingly want local food -- for the fresh taste, to curb carbon emissions or because of concerns about the safety of food grown overseas. While schools are offering healthier menu choices, what seems like a no-brainer -- feeding local kids locally grown food -- is surprisingly hard to do. · Read the entire article.
Olympia district's farm-to-school program a role model by Jennifer Langston Seattle Post-Intelligencer Published 10/15/2007
Across the Olympia School District, each cafeteria offers a hot lunch and salad bar loaded with protein sources, organic produce and greens picked a few miles down the road. The organic salad bar started five years ago after parents at Lincoln Elementary helped make connections with local farms. It's now offered in every school. In a time of tight budgets, the district has found ways to buy food that others consider luxuries. Half to 70 percent of its produce on any given day is organic, compared with the occasional item in many schools. About 7 percent comes from local farms. · Read the entire article.
Spell is the enforcer of food laws by Michael A. Bell Sun Herald Published 10/12/2007
BILOXI --State Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Lester Spell said protecting residents from tainted catfish imported from China, along with initiating a program to help obese students eat farm-fresh vegetables, are reasons voters should re-elect him Nov. 6. Spell identified the state as being the worst in the nation for obesity. His Farm to School program is not only helping school children eat healthier, but also benefitting local growers who sell produce directly to school systems. · Read the entire article.
From the field to the cafeteria by Will Sands The Durango Telegraph Published 10/11/2007
Locally raised meat, vegetables and grains are beginning to take the place of canned peas and tater tots in La Plata County. Area schoolchildren are reaping the benefits of locally farmed food now that Durango’s Farm-to-School effort is picking up momentum. Farm to School is a national effort rooted in a basic concept. Schools, the most community-driven of all institutions, should get their food from the source – local farms and ranches. Children’s nutritional needs are better served, students gain valuable education about food systems and local environmental issues, and local farmers get a much-needed financial boost. · Read the entire article.
Local students are eating up fresh produce by Sheila G. Miller The Bulletin Published 10/09/2007
Throughout the year, students in the Bend-La Pine Schools stand in front of a large fruit and vegetable bar and often get the chance to choose between locally grown wedges of cantaloupe and watermelon, some grabbing dozens of cherry tomatoes and pepper strips. The produce comes through a farm-to-school program, sparked by the same woman who manages the Bend Farmers Market. · Read the entire article.
Food for thought by Taryn Plumb The Boston Globe Published 10/07/2007
Through the "Get Smart, Eat Local" Farm to School program facilitated by the University of New Hampshire in Durham, Heron Pond regularly provides produce to 27 schools comprising 15,000 students. "People like New Hampshire the way it is: a rural state. But if we don't support our local businesses, it's not going to stay that way," said Nathan Duclos, UNH Farm to School Director. "If we can replace even 10 percent of [school cafeteria food] with local food, it would make a big difference. · Read the entire article.
Students shuck mounds of corn for harvest week by Delia Marshall Somerville Journal Published 10/07/2007
"Somerville - Corn silk was flying all over town as Somerville schoolchildren celebrated Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week (Sept. 24-28). Throughout the week, students were encouraged to eat fresh, locally grown items at lunch. These included pears, melon slices, apples, tomatoes, zucchini, and most dramatically, corn on the cob. · Read the entire article.
Farm fresh, but at school by Karen Herzog Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published 10/06/2007
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 the entire article.
Making Use of Local Produce by Dana Hudson Rutland Herald Published 10/04/2007
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 the entire article.
Fresh, Local at High School by Melissa Beecher The Boston Globe Published 10/04/2007
Participating in the state's Harvest for Students Week, Bedford High School is purchasing local produce for lunches through Lanni Orchards, a Lunenburg farm. Buoyed by the statewide Farm-to-School Project, Harvest for Students was held last week in Bedford and other communities. According to the state, 40 local farms are selling produce to 85 public schools and 13 colleges across the Commonwealth. · Read the entire article.
In the lunchroom, the flavors are local by Catherine Baum Daily Hampshire Gazette Published 10/04/2007
"The food at the Williston Northampton School cafeteria last week hadn't traveled far. For the Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week, the school served up produce straight from the fields of Westhampton. At least 100 Massachusetts school districts and colleges joined in the statewide iniative last week, putting locally grown foods at the center of its menus." · Read the entire article.
Can the "farm-to-school" movement gain traction in Philly? by Tom Namako City Paper Published 10/03/2007
"I really think there are some hurdles to doing it, but is it impossible to do? We sent a man to the moon. Just buy corn from Pennsylvania processors who buy Pennsylvania corn." · Read the entire article.
Area schools join state in recognizing benefits of locally-grown foods by Kevin Goodwin The Saratogian Published 10/02/2007
This week is New York Harvest for New York Kids Week (NYH4NYK), which is the annual celebration encouraging nutritious food choices among children, while promoting and supporting New York farmers. It ties in with the state's ongoing Farm-to-School efforts, which work to promote fresh New York products on school menus. · Read the entire article.
Grow Montana Snags National Award by Kisha Lewellyn Schlegel New West Published 10/02/2007
To strengthen local food systems, Grow Montana also created FoodCorps with four AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers who work to create Farm to Schoolinstitutional buying programs at schools and institutions around the state. This year, the coalition also worked with the Montana legislature to pass aprocurement bill that allows state institutions to more easily purchase Montana made food, opening a $33 million market to local farmers and ranchers. · Read the entire article.
Eating Locally - Bath County Schools buy produce from local farmers by Madelynn Coldiron Kentucky School Advocate - The monthly newsletter of the Kentucky School Boards Association Published 10/01/2007
Bath County schools are helping local farmers improve their bottom line while the farmers are making sure students get quality veggies and fruits in their cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
Oral Health America Celebrates National School Lunch Week Oral Health America Published 10/01/2007
Good oral health and good nutrition go hand-in-hand, and National School Lunch Week (October 15-19) is a great opportunity to ensure that children are eating healthy foods for lunch. · Read the entire article.
Fresh, Local Produce for Kids a Win-Win-Win The Ann Arbor News Published 09/28/2007
Each Friday, elementary and middle schools students in the Ann Arbor school district are served fruits and vegetables from local farms, with signs telling them the names of the farms that grew the produce. · Read the entire article.
Farm Freshness Goes to School by Karen Nugent Worcester Telegram & Gazette News Published 09/28/2007
Worcester cafeterias helped launch lunches with locally grown crops.The Worcester public school system was a pilot program site three years ago for the Massachusetts Farm to School Project, a state Department of Agricultural Resources program. The program now involves more than 50 Massachusetts farms selling locally grown food — sometimes including eggs, cheese and meats — to more than 100 schools and colleges in the state. Approximately 20 participating school districts, as well as Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Clark University, are in Central Massachusetts. · Read the entire article.
Somes schools, students make a hash of anti-junk food law by Stacy Finz San Francisco Chronicle Published 09/28/2007
"It seems that while kids were preparing to go back to school this fall, food manufacturers were busy re-creating their products - shrinking portions, eliminating trans fats and baking instead of frying - to make them meet the requirements of the Food Nutrition Standards Bill by July 1." · Read the entire article.
Goodbye trans fats, hello broccoli: Farm to School project brings local edibles into cafeterias by Mary Carey Amherst Bulletin Published 09/28/2007
"In recognition of the first annual Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week, Sept. 24 to 30, Amherst elementary schools students could choose locally grown tomatoes, squash, carrots, green beans, watermelon and cantaloupe along with their main course. On Tuesday, they could be seen opting for the vegetables and fruit without the least bit of prodding. The statewide initiative was coordinated by The Massachusetts Farm to School Project, an organization founded and run by Wildwood Elementary School parent Kelly Erwin, and sponsored by the state's Department of Agricultural Resources, the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Agricultural Preservation Corporation, MassDevelopment and Project Bread." · Read the entire article.
Houlton: Schools reap healthful harvest by Jen Lynds Bangor Daily News Newspaper Published 09/27/2007
Houlton Maine completed its 2nd annual Harvest luch with great success. The school district included more then the Food Service program for the better of the students. · Read the entire article.
A Maine Course for Students by Craig Crosby Kennebec Journal Morning Sentinel Published 09/27/2007
The Nokomis High School junior had no idea that Wednesday's hot lunch was almost entirely locally produced, but Raye could see the difference in the potatoes, chicken and corn on her tray."It looks real," she said with a laugh. · Read the entire article.
Schools work to contain meal prices by Gregg L. Parker The Huntsville Times Published 09/26/2007
The rising cost of milk and fresh produce has proved itself to be a hindering factor in implementing a reasonably priced lunch at Madison City School. This article explains the negative effects of price increases in breakfast staples as a result of increased transportation cost and decreased supply. However, the Madison City Schools are steadfast in their belief for a healthy and affordable lunch and this article explains how this problem is being tackled. · Read the entire article.
BHS Initiates Fresh Produce Lunch Program by Patrick Ball Bedford Minuteman Published 09/26/2007
Usually fresh, local produce can be found only at high-end restaurants or farmers’ markets. But now, Bedford High School can be added to that once-exclusive list. · Read the entire article.
Cape harvest festival shows off local food Cape Cod Times Published 09/26/2007
The Cape's second annual harvest festival coincides with this week being the first Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week, according to a proclamation signed by Gov. Deval Patrick. Farmers, students, school food services directors and public officials will gather across the Commonwealth to draw attention to the wide variety of locally produced foods Massachusetts has to offer. · Read the entire article.
Locally Grown Foods Served by Pamela H. Metaxas The Republican Published 09/25/2007
A simple, healthy message was delivered at Lambert-Lavoie School yesterday: Local produce in school meals helps students learn healthy eating habits to avoid obesity and subsequent health problems. · Read the entire article.
More Pupils Eat What Neighboring Farms Grow by TESS NACELEWICZ Portland Press Herald Published 09/24/2007
Local projects stress economic, educational and health benefits of using Maine-grown produce. · Read the entire article.
Locally Grown Fruits, Veggies a Hit by David Jesse The Ann Arbor News Published 09/24/2007
Student after student found room for the fresh fruit, cleaning out each serving tray almost as soon as it came out of the kitchen. · Read the entire article.
A Tamer of Schools Has Plan in New Orleans by Adam Nossiter The New York Times Published 09/24/2007
Despite the two year anniversary this August of Hurricane Katrina, it is safe to say that the emotional and social impacts far outweighs the physical devastation caused by this natural disaster. As the new year starts in New Orleans, vocal school administrators voice the need for the school systems to be a second family to the students by not only providing a strong structural foundation but also addressing the poverty issue as well, which would require providing three meals a day and health and dental care. · Read the entire article.
A Feast for the Children by Kathryn Hudy The Ithaca Journal Published 09/24/2007
Nutrition program expands in local schools; helps children make healthy choices · Read the entire article.
Kids get fresh in the lunchroom - fruits and veggies that is by David Jesse The Ann Arbor News Published 09/24/2007
Student after student found room for the fresh fruit, cleaning out each serving tray almost as soon as it came out of the kitchen. That's exactly what members of the Ann Arbor Farm to School Collaboration wanted to see - students enjoying fresh fruit and vegetables as part of Farm Fresh Fridays. · Read the entire article.
It Doesn't Get Any Fresher Than This by Elissa Bass The Day Published 09/21/2007
The State's Farm-to-School Program Brings Local Produce Into Public Schools · Read the entire article.
Food Bank Seeks Change to Farm Bill by Rob Chaney The Missoulian Published 09/21/2007
The farm bill delivers the grant funding needed by Garden City Harvest, Farm to School and other local projects that produce locally grown food to Missoula residents and schools. · Read the entire article.
Beach Café promotes healthy eating at high school by Sarah Bates Fallbrooks Bonsall Village News Published 09/20/2007
Featured as one of the leaders in healthy meal plans, Fallbrook High School strives to better itself by implementing programs which are both tasty and healthy. These changes have been the result in rising concern from parents on a national scale which led to the establishment of Senate Bill 965, which set restrictions for fat and sugar content in cafeteria food. · Read the entire article.
Tory Pledge: Schools, Hospitals to Buy Local by GLORIA GALLOWAY AND DAVID ANDREATTA The Globe and Mail Published 09/19/2007
Hospital patients, school children, civil servants and provincial prisoners would eat Ontario broccoli, apples, pork and everything else grown and raised on the rich farmland of the province where John Tory would be premier. · Read the entire article.
Deal on Fees Might Keep Local Produce at Schools by Michelle Jarboe News & Record Published 09/19/2007
Schools will pay more in delivery fees this year to receive fresh fruit and vegetables from North Carolina growers. · Read the entire article.
Students on Board with Healthy Eating by Patty Miller The Edmond Sun Published 09/18/2007
School lunches have turned the corner from fat-filled, calorie-laden meals to nutritious choices. · Read the entire article.
More Schools Looking to Local Fields for Freshness by James Goodman Democrat and Chronicle Published 09/18/2007
More cafeterias go with homegrown · Read the entire article.
Schools Get Deal on Fruits, Veggies by Jim Nesbitt The News & Observer Published 09/18/2007
State agriculture officials announced a cost-saving compromise aimed at salvaging a popular program that purchases fresh, North Carolina-grown produce for school lunch programs from the mountains to the coast. · Read the entire article.
Farm To School Program Provides Nutrition For Students by Chere Simmons Farmer and Rancher News Published 09/15/2007
This is a nice description of the SW Florida Farm to School Program. · Read the entire article.
More to School Nutrition than Meets the Eye by Ben Aaronson and Lynda King The Harvard Post Published 09/13/2007
A bill that would set healthier standards for food sold in Massachusetts public schools is gaining momentum in the state Legislature. · Read the entire article.
Leopold Center Releases Results of Consumer Food, Climate, and Health Survey Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Published 09/11/2007
A recent survey shows that American consumers are skeptical about the safety of the global food system and many believe that local foods are safer and better for their health than foods from afar. · Read the entire article.
Schools hope chef's touch whets cafeteria appetites by J.M. Lawrence Boston Globe Published 09/10/2007
"Like any good chef launching a new venture, Kirk Conrad knows you have to work the room. He wears his white chef's coat and mingles with the customers, asking about their $2.25 entrees..." · Read the entire article.
Oregon State/ODA Project Adds Momentum to Farm-to-School Efforts by Staff Western Farmer-Stockman Published 09/10/2007
Proponents of getting more nutritious and locally-grown foods into Oregon schools may have additional support thanks to a project just completed by Oregon State University and one just starting by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. · Read the entire article.
The School Cafeteria, on a Diet by Andrew Martin The New York Times Published 09/05/2007
Due to Senate Bill 965, there are now tighter limitations as to what good food is and what junk food is. Ever since the banning of deep fryers in school cafeterias, schools have replaced formerly deep fried food for its baked counterpart, lowering meals’ fat and sugar content...the staggering statistics of children with obesity is enough to justify why certain foods must be restricted in schools. · Read the entire article.
From Farm to School The Dallas Morning News Published 09/03/2007
If you are growing vegetables in East Texas, you have to love the potential that the House farm bill offers you. The same thing applies if you're growing oranges in the Rio Grande Valley. For that matter, this legislation, which the Senate will consider after it returns this week, could open up markets for farmers statewide. · Read the entire article.
Family Meals during Adolescence Are Associated with Higher Diet Quality and Healthful Meal Patterns by Nicole I. Larson, MPH, RD, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, MPH, RD, Peter J. Hannan, MStat, Mary Story Family Meals during Adolescence Are Associated with Higher Diet Quality and Healthful Meal Patterns Published 09/01/2007
An interesting study proving that "Family meals during adolescence may have a lasting positive influence on dietary quality and meal patterns in young adulthood." · Read the entire article.
Grant will help fund farm-to-school program by Staff Reporters The News & Observer Published 08/30/2007
A $1 million federal grant will help 25 elementary schools receive fresh local produce through a popular "farm-to-school" program. · Read the entire article.
Maine Harvest Lunch by Kristen Anderson Bangor News Published 08/29/2007
Scrutiny on the bounty An innovative workshop, recognizing that Maine has so much that's fresh, local and organic, shows 'lunch ladies' how to incorporate it into school lunch programs. · Read the entire article.
Green Food in the School Cafeteria: Is it Healthy? by Earth Talk PoliticalAffairs.net Published 08/19/2007
Now that many schools have stopped selling sodas and other unhealthy vending machine items to their students, improving the nutritional quality of cafeteria food is on the agenda of many parents and school administrators. And luckily for the environment, healthier food usually means greener food. · Read the entire article.
Eat the earth by Loren Haar VC Reporter Published 08/16/2007
Remember school lunches? Those tater tots and ochre-colored hamburgers, the canned green beans and- what was it?- Chef's Surprise? Things are different now in Ventura County. Farm-to-school programs are bringing fresh food and nutrition education to the citizens who need it most: our children. Utilizing locally grown produce and other products from area farms, county schools are feeding children nutritiously while teaching them about the advantages of growing and eating healthy foods. And our local farmers are benefiting. · Read the entire article.
Lunch Program Goes Hollywood by Capi Lynn Statesman Journal Published 08/06/2007
This program is one of nine in the nation to be featured in a film project highlighting the best practices of school lunchrooms...The district's participation in 'Cooks for Kids', a nine-part series coordinated by the National Food Service Management Institute at the University of Mississippi, may even bring attention to Oregon's proposed farm-to-school legislation. · Read the entire article.
FEAST for Health by Susan Lang Cornell Chronicle Published 08/01/2007
Kids prepare unfamiliar, healthy foods in class that become part of school lunch in CU nutrition-education program. · Read the entire article.
Fresh Food Nation by Cathe Olson Mothering Published 08/01/2007
Some US schools now make it a priority to feed students fresh, wholesome food, and are turning to farm-to-school programs to improve the quality of school meals and the effectiveness of nutrition education. Farm-to-school programs not only offer healthy, tasty, fresh food to students, but also provide hands-on educational experiences to connect children with the sources of their food. Local farmers benefit from direct sales of their products, which helps the community as well. · Read the entire article.
Linking subsidies to healthful foods practices with Community Volunteers in Medicine by Ana M. Negrón The Philidelphia Inquirer Published 07/19/2007
It's an outrageous contradiction. On one hand, public-health experts try to educate Americans about the importance of healthful food choices. On the other, our federal government shells out billions of dollars to subsidize the production of pork, beef and other artery-clogging meat, as well as oil and sugar - while fruits and vegetables receive almost no support at all. · Read the entire article.
Program to Improve School Nutrition, Support Local Farms to Go National With $2.3 Million Kellogg Gr by Public Interest Newswire Ascribe Published 07/13/2007
Building on previous success in several states, a $2.34 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will make it possible for the Center for Food and Justice at Occidental College to establish and coordinate - in collaboration with the Community Food Security Coalition - the National Farm to School Network. The effort will link local farmers with school cafeterias across the country, improving student nutrition while giving small farmers access to a multi-billion dollar market. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-college program a national model by Nancy Remsen Burlington Free Press Published 07/10/2007
University of Vermont students ate 10,000 Vermont apples from Shoreham orchards; munched organic carrots and mesclun lettuce grown in fields in the Intervale in Burlington; drank milk from Vermont cows; and consumed local honey, maple syrup, chicken and cheese. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-Cafeteria programs in the works in Kansas by Mike Shields KHI News Service Published 06/28/2007
Hoping to teach youngsters to eat healthy while putting more dollars into the pockets of local farmers, groups across the country have been promoting so-called Farm-to-Cafeteria programs. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-Cafeteria programs in the works in Kansas by Mike Shields KHI News Service Published 06/28/2007
Hoping to teach youngsters to eat healthy while putting more dollars into the pockets of local farmers, groups across the country have been promoting so-called Farm-to-Cafeteria programs. · Read the entire article.
How does your garden grow? The Mississauga News Published 06/14/2007
Students from Mississauga's Thomas Street Middle School will get their hands dirty next Monday when they travel to a working farm to plant tomatoes. About 30 Grades 6-8 students will visit farmer Lorenz Eppinger to help him plant his tomato crop at Greenfields Organic Farm in Campbellville. · Read the entire article.
Homegrown freshness on menu for Oregon schools by Amy Hsuan The Oregonian Published 06/03/2007
Evolution is transforming Oregon school lunches, as the movement toward calorie-conscious fare adds another goal: becoming homegrown. · Read the entire article.
Schools fight obesity with fresh produce by Sarah A. Reid The Fayetteville Observer Published 06/03/2007
North Carolina schools have found another way to fight childhood obesity — fresh produce. · Read the entire article.
Make food part of curriculum Albany Times Union Published 06/03/2007
If you consider an obesity rate of nearly 25 percent among New York children much too high, think that good eating habits should be reinforced at school and want agriculture in the state to be strong, you'll find Gov. Eliot Spitzer's Healthy Schools Act easy to like. · Read the entire article.
Program connects farmers to HSU by Cerena Johnson The Eureka Reporter Published 06/01/2007
This month, Humboldt County’s chapter of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers will launch a pilot program for local farmers to provide food to Humboldt State University. · Read the entire article.
Farm To School by Beth Parent WCAX News Published 06/01/2007
From dairy farmers to vegetable growers, Vermont has a wide variety of home grown products. And today, Ferrisburgh students showcased producers in their community by bringing the farm to school. · Read the entire article.
Kansas eyes program that gives students taste of the farm by Mike Shields Topeka Capital-Journal Published 05/29/2007
Rural groups across the country have been promoting Farm-to-Cafeteria programs in hopes of teaching youngsters to eat healthy while putting more dollars into the pockets of local farmers. · Read the entire article.
Students visit bison farm by Linda Vanderwerf West Central Tribune Published 05/22/2007
Fifth graders toured the J&L Bison ranch northwest of Willmar as part of the school's farm to school program. · Read the entire article.
Willmar's Farm to School Program Generating a Buzz by Linda Vanderwerf West Central Tribune, Willmar Published 05/22/2007
The Willmar School District is gaining statewide attention for its Farm to School food service program. School districts from the Twin Cities area have contacted Annette Derouin, the district's food service director, for guidance in developing programs to use nutritious Minnesota products in their schools. · Read the entire article.
Research aims to make it easier to serve local produce as classroom snacks by Melissa Davis University of Wisconsin--Madison News Published 05/21/2007
Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch, a partnership between the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and the Madison-based nonprofit organization REAP Food Group, was created in 2003 to help local growers and food-service professionals introduce fresh, locally grown products into local elementary school cafeterias. · Read the entire article.
Schools put farming back on the table by Oregon School Boards Association Oregon School Boards Association Published 05/01/2007
· Read the entire article.
Bills connect local schools with locally grown food by Peter Wong The Statesman Journal Published 04/12/2007
Three bills, approved Wednesday by the House Education Committee and pending in the Legislature's budget committee, could lead to increased awareness of agriculture by students, greater participation in school gardens, and more sales of fresh and processed Oregon food to Oregon schools. · Read the entire article.
School Food Should Lead to Help by Jennifer Wilkins The Times Union Published 04/01/2007
A familiar proverb claims "all roads lead to Rome." Well-engineered roads were a key strategy for the Roman Empire's military, commercial and political expansion. At the Community Food Security Coalition's National Farm to School Conference last month, Roberta Sonnino of Cardiff University in Wales captivated more than 400 listeners with hope of a very different kind of expansion from the Eternal City. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School Programs Need More Support Capital Press Published 03/30/2007
Kudos to the politicians and groups, ranging from agricultural to conservation organization, who seek to develop a Farm to School program. There are various House bills working through the Oregon Legislature to encourage schools to not only use healthier foods, but to specifically serve Oregon-produced agricultural products. · Read the entire article.
Mass. Schools Serving Local Produce Boston Globe/AP Published 03/29/2007
Article examines the benefits for purchasing from local growers to serve in colleges and k-12 schools. Profiles efforts at Clark University. · Read the entire article.
Local produce in schools means better taste, more profits by Adam Gorlick Boston Globe Published 03/25/2007
Clark is one of about a dozen colleges in the state participating in the Massachusetts Farm to School Project, a three-year-old program that helps eliminate the middleman in food distribution by having more farmers bring their fruits, vegetables and dairy products straight to campuses. · Read the entire article.
School menus turning more green, local by Dan Howley Albany Times Union Published 03/25/2007
A Farm-to-School bill now before the education committee would reimburse state school districts an extra 5 cents on every meal in exchange for their efforts to get New York produce -- the closer to home the better -- into the schools. · Read the entire article.
Local Food Donated to Burlington Schools WCAX Published 03/24/2007
Farm to School Food Project Coordinator Rachel Daley said, "The schools feed all the school kids breakfast and lunch meals every day on a shoestring budget. And they're still trying to incorporate local produce, fresh, local, healthy produce, into the daily diet of Vermont school kids." · Read the entire article.
Farm to School director wants program to grow by John Dobberstein Tulsa World Published 03/21/2007
"It's about growing healthy kids and growing a health rural economy," Kirby said Monday in a phone interview from Washington, D.C., where she was attending the National Farm-to-Cafeteria Conference. In Oklahoma, family farms have been struggling to diversify their incomes, and children's nutritional habits rank low overall. · Read the entire article.
Schools think globally, snack locally by Molly Walsh Burlington Free Press Published 03/16/2007
When Alison Forrest wanted students at Brewster Pierce Elementary School in Huntington to eat Vermont-grown parsnips, she brought the pale white root vegetables into classrooms for a taste test before she introduced them in the lunch room. · Read the entire article.
Portland schools push local produce by Mateusz Perkowski Capital Press Published 03/02/2007
Students in 56 schools in the Portland area are served locally grown food as part of Harvest of the Month · Read the entire article.
Federal Rule Kills Proposal On Farm Sales to Schools by Daniel de Vise Washington Post Published 03/01/2007
State Del. Jane E. Lawton (D-Montgomery) abruptly withdrew a bill yesterday that would have allowed Maryland school systems to give farmers a small competitive advantage in selling food for consumption in schools and other facilities. · Watch the video · Read the entire article.
Mayor Hazel McCallion and Mississauga middle school students to harvest healthy "local food" snack by Diana Crosbie CNW Group Published 03/01/2007
Children and families in Greater Toronto urban communities such as Mississauga are missing a strong sense that local farms are a big source of healthy food. They are separated from nearby Greenbelt farms, not only by miles of highways and roads but also by a lack of awareness of how food grows. Most have no opportunity for hands-on experience at local farms. · Read the entire article.
Schumer outlines plans for Farm Bill 2007 by Eric Monnat The Evening Telegram Published 03/01/2007
Sen. Charles E. Schumer proposes farm bill for 2007 that gives farmers a voice. · Read the entire article.
by Brian Woodman Jr. Bloomfield Journal Published 02/22/2007
Tim Cipriano has been the director of Food Services for the Bloomfield school district since July 1, 2006, described himself as a self-taught chef. <A href="http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/redirect.cfm?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=461&BRD=1650" ><img border=0 alt="Click Here!" src="http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/bannerad.asp?ADLOCATION=4000&PAG=461&BRD=1650&LOCALPCT=100&AREA=410&VERT=499&NAREA=410&barnd=3403"></a> His 15 years of experience in the culinary arts, which includes working at several restaurants in the Northeast, has resulted in a website for school nutrition professionals - www.localfooddude.com. · Read the entire article.
Local Food Program Focuses on Schools by Dale Rodebaugh The Durango Herald Published 02/15/2007
Southwest Coloroda tries to create a connection between farm and plate in their community. · Read the entire article.
Locally Grown Green Beans on Schools by Jessica Klipa Bradenton Herald Published 02/14/2007
Students at many of the Manatee County schools will be offered locally grown beans for lunch. Hill '04 and Fulmer '05 use grant to bring local food to R.I. public schools by Christian Martell The Brown Daily Harold Published 02/01/2007
The Wednesday farmers market outside the Sharpe Refectory is familiar to most students, but its origins may not be as well known. The event, which is weekly during warm weather months, was the first stage in Louella Hill's '04 mission to bring locally grown produce to Brown - a project she still helps oversee through Farm Fresh Rhode Island, which received its third consecutive grant from the Rhode Island Foundation last month. · Read the entire article.
Bills push local produce on school menus by Staci Matlock The Santa Fe New Mexican Published 01/31/2007
Supporters of local agriculture have bills before the House and Senate to buy more locally grown produce for New Mexico school children. · Read the entire article.
Dean Casey Addresses Farm to School Initiatives YouTube Published 01/31/2007
Dean Casey from Farm Bureau discusses what Farm Bureau is doing to help foster Farm to School initiatives. · Watch the video · Read the entire article.
Locally Healthier Food by Andy Kirkaldy The Addison Independent Published 01/25/2007
FERRISBURGH CENTRAL SCHOOL students dig into their hot lunches Tuesday afternoon. The school is working with Vergennes Union High School Walden Project students to bring more local food into school lunches and raise the younger children’s awareness of local farming. · Read the entire article.
Planting the seed by Keith Edwards Kennebec Journal Published 01/25/2007
Local farmers salivating over the prospect of selling goods to schools that serve thousands of lunches a day -- and school food service directors hoping to get students salivating over fresh, locally produced food -- connected Wednesday. · Read the entire article.
Fresh Vegetables make Healthy School Lunches by Mike Colbert Lincoln County News Published 01/24/2007
In an age when child obesity is rampant and vending machines dispense junk food in schools, parents, teachers and others hope to establish new protocols under a Farm to School Project that would keep schools in Maine supplied with fresh, locally grown foods. · Read the entire article.
Bringing the Farm Home by Sharon Letts The Eureka Reporter Published 01/23/2007
According to a poll conducted by California Food Policy Advocates, in Humboldt County, 42 percent of youths over the age of 5 and 46 percent of adults are overweight. The study goes on to state that unhealthy eating and inactivity have far surpassed tobacco as the leading contributors to premature death — with cardiovascular disease and complications with diabetes the biggest players.An organization that has been at the forefront of educating people about the nutritional value of fresh fruits and vegetables — as well as the importance of family farmers’ role in providing that nutrition — is the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. · Read the entire article.
The Hidden Hunger: Farm to School by Ginnie Graham Tulsa World Published 12/19/2006
Tulsa Public School is among the first districts to participate in the Farm-to-School program, which links local farmers to school districts. · Read the entire article.
A new taste adventure by Susan Troller The Capital Times Published 12/05/2006
Led by L'Etoile chefs Tory Miller and Eva Ringstrom two Mondays each month, approximately 175 students at Sherman Middle School are developing a hunger for fresh, healthy food while they learn eating habits that supporters of improved nutrition for school kids hope will last a lifetime. · Read the entire article.
Way Better than Summer School! by Diane Conners Michigan Land Use Institute Published 12/02/2006
Students grow or pick, then sell and donate fresh produce · Read the entire article.
New program offers state farmers new opportunity Southwest Farm Press Published 11/28/2006
Oklahoma’s public school students will soon be enjoying more locally grown fruits and vegetables in their school meals, because of new legislation creating the Oklahoma Farm-to-School Program. · Read the entire article.
Fatty foods get shelved in schools by Beth Gollob and Wendy Moses NewsOK.com Published 11/27/2006
Vici Grimes never thought she'd see kids get excited about fresh fruits and vegetables. As part of a pilot project begun last year in Stillwater Public Schools, the child nutrition coordinator started buying fresh produce from Whitmore Farms in Coyle. Now, along with pizza and fries, Stillwater students have daily access to fresh strawberries, asparagus, squash and similar foods. · Read the entire article.
Grow Michigan by Christopher Bedford Detroit Free Press Published 11/22/2006
Newspaper columnist Erma Bombeck once observed: "Thanksgiving dinners take 18 hours to prepare and 12 minutes to consume -- the length of most televised football half times." This Thanksgiving, perhaps, the food will get a little more attention than the Detroit-Miami game, given the Lions' record. But, for the most part, food is an invisible force in Michigan. It is taken for granted. Its source is unknown. · Read the entire article.
Home-grown options weighed by Jenn Smith Berkshire Eagle Published 11/19/2006
Munoz, the Get Fit program manager for the Northern Berkshire REACH Community Health program, was one of more than 40 people from across the state who attended the first Farm to School conference sponsored by local nonprofit Berkshire Grown. The event was held yesterday afternoon at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School. · Read the entire article.
First Lady Baldacci Keynote of Farm-to-School Forum by Kim Fletcher Lincoln County News Published 11/08/2006
Maine’s First Lady, Karen Baldacci, was the Keynote Speaker before an audience of more than 100 people who turned out for the first Farm-to-School Forum in the GSB school cafeteria and gym on Nov. 2. The forum was designed as a community gathering exploring the opportunities to partner local farms with local school systems with aims to establish and grow a mutually beneficial relationship. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School puts improves nutrition by Caroline Booth Lara Southwest Farm Press Published 10/30/2006
Oklahoma watermelon grower Bob Ramming wants to see Oklahoma school kids eating more fresh, healthful produce, and he’s part of a program that’s making it happen. Ramming’s family-run operation, Ramming Produce Inc., was the first in the state to be a part of the pilot program that has evolved into the Oklahoma Farm-to-School Program. · Read the entire article.
Chef finds joy cooking for some of Portlands Smallest Eaters by Leslie Cole The Oregonian Published 10/10/2006
Chef James Fowler measures success not by Michelin stars for his kitchen or huzzahs from well-heeled patrons, but by the cheers of two fourth-graders who hear that their homegrown cucumbers from the schoolyard will show up on the salad bar. · Read the entire article.
Commissioner: Celebrate NY Harvest for NY Kid Week by NY State Department of Agriculture & Markets NY State Department of Agriculture & Markets Published 09/29/2006
Commissioner Nathan L. Rudgers today encouraged schools across the State to celebrate New York Harvest for New York Kids Week (NYHNYK), which runs October 2-10. This annual celebration encourages nutritious food choices among children, while promoting and supporting New York’s harvest. · Read the entire article.
Breaking ground by Zenaida Serrano Honolulu Advertiser Published 09/03/2006
The high noon sun beamed down on the grounds at Sunset Beach Elementary School, where two dozen or so workers were gathered last weekend to create an organic garden for students. Among them: Grammy-nominated musician Jack Johnson, manning a circular saw, then shoveling earth into the raised planting beds that were created. · Read the entire article.
Farm Raisers Make Cents for Schools by Diane Conners Great Lakes Bulletin News Service Published 08/28/2006
"Sporting a cap that said “Born to Farm,” Tom Cooper nursed a cup of coffee as 26 fourth graders from nearby Central Lake Elementary School hopped off their buses and scrambled into the pole building where his family turns cherries into specialty jams, salsas, and fruit butters." · Read the entire article.
Obesity war by Stacy Finz San Francisco Chronical Published 08/28/2006
There's a cartoon circulating among nutritionists these days: two really overweight parents -- one sprawled on the couch in front of the television with a soda resting on his belly, the other dishing up ice cream in the kitchen -- and their chubby daughter sitting on the floor, amid chip bags, pizza boxes and cookie wrappers. The caption reads: "Ahh ... it's nice to be home ... the only food they serve at school these days is good for you." · Read the entire article.
The Value of Fresh Produce by Angie Newsome Citizen Times Published 08/15/2006
A group of women scooped slips of red and orange fruits from Vanessa Campbell’s cutting board last week, popping them into their mouths, humming “yums” and “ahs” that are music to a farmer’s ear. · Read the entire article.
Ag in the Classroom by Kevin Worthington ALFA Farmers Federation Published 06/30/2006
With the number of farmers in the U.S. declining each year, fewer and fewer people have the opportunity to experience farm life. With that in mind, 61 teachers from across the state will be taking the lessons they learned at the Alabama Ag in the Classroom Teachers' Institute back to their students this fall. As Kevin Worthington reports, organizers of the conference hope children will spread the message of agriculture to their parents. · Read the entire article.
Fertile Minds by Shirin Parsavand PE.com Published 06/26/2006
To many students, working in a school garden feels more like play. Even pulling weeds is a break from the classroom. Their teachers, though, know they are learning all the while, about how plants grow and how to work together. · Read the entire article.
Crops go from "Farm to School" by James S. Tyree Pryor Daily Times Published 06/20/2006
Watermelons planted the seeds for building a closer connection between Oklahoma school districts and local growers.It was quite a feat, considering the Hinton-area watermelons were seedless. · Read the entire article.
Program links farms, schools by John Dobberstein Tulsa World Published 06/08/2006
"One afternoon in 1995, Oakland teacher David Roach was talking with one of his high school students when he had a life-changing realization. 'She was feeding her child some candy,' recalls Roach, a slightly built 40-year-old with waist-long dreadlocks. 'I said, 'Hey, why are you feeding your baby candy?’ She said, ‘Mr. Roach, where can I go to get him an apple or an orange?’ That’s when it hit me. We gotta create food for this community.” · Read the entire article.
Senate approves Farm-to-School program by KTEN, TX. KTEN, TX. Published 05/24/2006
The state Senate has given its approval to a bill allowing Oklahoma farmers to sell produce to schools and to teach children healthy eating habits. The so-called Oklahoma Farm-to-School Program has already passed the House and now goes to the governor. · Read the entire article.
Pine Hill shows off salad bar by Sara Watson Arthurs The Times-Standard Published 05/13/2006
The new cafeteria addition is the latest in the county wide Farm to School movement, which aims to promote connections between schools and local farmers for both nutritional and economic benefits. Students will also be taking field trips to area farms to see these connections. · Read the entire article.
Flash in the Pan: In Search of the Montana Taco by Chef Boy Ari Missoula Independent Published 05/04/2006
In the cafeteria of Missoula’s Lewis and Clark primary school, hungry students file past a sign by the kitchen door announcing which components of the day’s meal are made from Montana ingredients: Soft-shell Montana tortillas filled with Montana beef, Montana cornbread, Montana honey sticks, Montana carrots and Montana huckleberry parfait. · Read the entire article.
Real food for real hunger by Traci Hukill Whole Life Times Published 05/01/2006
One afternoon in 1995, Oakland teacher David Roach was talking with one of his high school students when he had a life-changing realization. 'She was feeding her child some candy,' recalls Roach, a slightly built 40-year-old with waist-long dreadlocks. 'I said, 'Hey, why are you feeding your baby candy?’ She said, ‘Mr. Roach, where can I go to get him an apple or an orange?’ That’s when it hit me. We gotta create food for this community. · Read the entire article.
MCPS has chance to enhance health of students, local farms by Guest Columnist Missoulian Published 04/09/2006
· Read the entire article.
Do Apple Slices Make the Grade? by Kim Peterson The New York Times Published 04/05/2006
A little plastic bag filled with New York apple slices is a symbol of change in the city's school cafeterias. The question is whether it's a change for better or worse. · Read the entire article.
Events focus on children’s health, fighting obesity by Marion Davis Providence Business News Published 04/01/2006
Dr. David R. Gifford couldn’t get the words out without a chuckle: “Happy Apple Awards.” But the purpose of the contest with the tongue-twister name is quite serious – Rhode Island’s kids need to eat more fruit and less junk food, or else their health is going to suffer. · Read the entire article.
Homegrown Lunch by Eve Pranis Kidsgardening.com Published 04/01/2006
Farm Foods Fuel Snacks, Fundraisers, Learning. Clare’s school is a pilot site in the Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch (WHL) program. · Read the entire article.
Farm Fresh School Lunches Can Cost More, but Worth It by Diane Conners Michigan Land Use Institute Published 03/24/2006
When schools launch local food programs, they often receive strong community support, including private donations to cover start-up costs. · Read the entire article.
Gobbling Greens by Jacquie Paul The Press-Enterprise Published 03/20/2006
On pizza day at Jefferson Elementary School, most youngsters were more interested in lettuce, broccoli and strawberries. A long line formed outside the school's cafeteria as students waited to heap trays with fresh goods from the new Farmer's Market Salad Bar Lunch Program. · Read the entire article.
Food to School Program Equals Healthier Children by The Empire State Farmer The Empire State Farmer Published 03/15/2006
The Farm to School meeting was held at the CCE office in Watertown, N.Y. on Tuesday, February 21st, with Rosalind Cook as the moderator and coordinator of this event. Rosalind is the Community Food Security Educator and Farmers; Market Nutrition Program Team Member for CCE of Jefferson County. · Read the entire article.
Offering a Fresh Alternative by Richard Dymond Bradenton Herald Published 02/25/2006
For the past year, students at Jefferson Elementary School in Riverside, Calif., have had a choice at lunchtime. Along with the usual hot entree option the Jefferson Unified School District offers for about $2, for the same price children can choose a salad bar option featuring fresh fruit and vegetables from local growers and salad dressing in single-serving pouches. · Read the entire article.
Offering a Fresh Alternative by Richard Dymond Bradenton Herald Published 02/25/2006
For the past year, students at Jefferson Elementary School in Riverside, Calif., have had a choice at lunchtime. Along with the usual hot entree option the Jefferson Unified School District offers for about $2, for the same price children can choose a salad bar option featuring fresh fruit and vegetables from local growers and salad dressing in single-serving pouches. · Read the entire article.
Kids Develop A Taste for Healthy Foods by Barbara Blake WNC Parent Published 02/01/2006
Jordan Scheffer and Brian Word-Sims don’t care much about the science behind nutrition. But they know what tastes good. “I like potatoes and green beans, and I liked mashed bananas — usually just the mushy kind,’’ said Jordan, a kindergartner in Susan Shillcock’s K-2 class at Dickson Elementary School. · Read the entire article.
Forum at Brown to promote use of locally grown food by Peter Lord Environmental Journal Published 01/29/2006
A forum to discuss ways to promote more uses of locally grown food in institutions and restaurants has been scheduled for Friday at Brown University. The event is sponsored by Farm Fresh Rhode Island, a group which receives support from Brown Dining Services, the Division of Agriculture at the State Department of Environmental Management, the Rhode Island Department of Health and Kids First. · Read the entire article.
From the fields to the lunch line in Katonah by Diana Bellettieri The Journal News Published 10/19/2005
Nine-year-old Theo Kuhn never expected to be learning during his lunch period. But this month he learned that apple farmers release thousands of bees to pollinate their trees in the spring. He also found out after taste-testing four different types of locally grown apples that Cortlands are his favorite. · Read the entire article.
Alliance wants more locally grown foods in schools by Elizabeth Leonard Poughkeepsie Journal Published 10/14/2005
The Northern Dutchess Alliance is working with the Cornell Cooperative Extension to host a "Farm-to-School" initiative, which will bring more local foods into schools. Farm-to-School programs aim to increase the amounts of locally grown foods used in the school meals program. Targeting "nutrient-rich" foods, they may emphasize fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, local meats, dairy products and eggs. · Read the entire article.
Farm Fresh Idea by Dennis Pollock Fresno Bee Published 10/14/2005
Bridges between Valley farmers and school food-service programs aren't built in a day. But if a meeting this week in Fresno is any indication, some of the building blocks are starting to move into place — thanks to some on-the-spot connections between school districts looking for fresh, healthy produce and farmers out to sell it. · Read the entire article.
Fate of ag bills decided by Ali Bay Capital Press Published 10/14/2005
More than 950 bills slid across Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk this year, tackling everything from country-of-origin labeling and air quality to organic aquaculture and farm to school programs. · Read the entire article.
Middle schoolers taste-test farm-fresh menu by Julia Melloni Burlington Free Press Published 10/13/2005
The cafeteria at Lyman C. Hunt Middle School in Burlington was bustling with the usual high energy associated with school lunchtime. A bowl of cream of broccoli soup was innocently overturned off a table and splattered all over the floor while a few seventh-graders were busy eating jalapeño peppers in an effort to see how many peppers it took to produce a sweat. · Read the entire article.
Local farms supported by Emily Paret Campus Times Published 10/06/2005
Wilson Commons Wednesday featured the "Harvest of Rochester," which reflected the changes that Dining Services has made in an effort to achieve their goal of sustainability. On a number of fronts, we are working on taking a larger role in the issue of sustainability, Director of Campus Dining Services Cameron Schauf said. "This Wilson Commons Wednesday featured local products and those partnerships. · Read the entire article.
Go All-Organic! by Jeanne Howard Monterey County Weekly Published 10/06/2005
Demand for organic foods has been steadily expanding from what was an esoteric stratum into a demographically mixed consumer group—yet still only a handful of chefs in Monterey County restaurants are committed to using organic ingredients. In a leap beyond the leading edge, The Otter Bay (formerly Otter Bay Café) at CSU Monterey Bay has opened the fall semester by offering a menu featuring 100-percent organic fresh fruit and vegetables, and around 95 percent organic produce in prepared meals. · Read the entire article.
Farm-school partnerships teach ABCs of healthy eating by Chris Swingle Rochester Democrat & Chronicle Published 09/28/2005
Schools in Geneva, Ontario County, have found that connecting with local farmers is one way to serve healthier, tastier food at low cost. They buy apples from local farmers. The district's baker lives in Penn Yan, Yates County, and picks up local tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and melons at a produce auction there twice a week. Last year, the district began buying some items from Pedersen Farms, five miles from the schools' central food-receiving office. · Read the entire article.
With a little work, there’s hope for preventing diabetes by Liz Koch Santa Cruz Sentinel Published 09/26/2005
For many of us, diabetes can be crossed off our list of possible diseases if only we are willing to take action. Prevention is the key. Easier said than done, prevention includes personal lifestyle changes and even more difficult cultural and social changes. · Read the entire article.
For Cranston schools, a cornutopia - Project boosts good nutrition, R.I.-grown produce by Barbara Polichetti The Providence Journal Published 09/20/2005
I like to promote the state of Rhode Island and its beautiful farms," said [Vincent Confreda Jr.] who has more than 400 acres under cultivation in Cranston, Warwick and Scituate, and is the largest vegetable grower in the state. "We have to educate the children about eating healthy foods, about the benefits of locally-grown produce. Fresh Gets Invited to the Cool Table by Marian Burros New York Times Published 08/30/2005
YOU don't usually find a college tour guide showing off the school cafeteria to prospective applicants. But at Middlebury College in Vermont this summer, that was where a student guide made her four-star sales pitch. ''The food here is amazing,'' she said. · Read the entire article.
Schools Cutting Back on Junk Food: Soda Pop, Candy Gone by Jose L. Sanchez Jr The Press Democrat Published 08/26/2005
Ongoing changes in food service at Petaluma city schools and a new computer system that will eliminate the stigma associated with subsidized meals should result in better nutrition, school officials said. · Read the entire article.
Sustinence for Students Is Best Homegrown by Joy Franklin Citizen Times Published 08/07/2005
A couple of years ago, Harold Davis heard from a neighbor that the schools in Yancey County couldn’t afford to buy lettuce because the price had gotten too high. Davis, a Yancey County farmer who was growing lettuce at the time, took enough samples of his crop to the school system’s central office for several people to take home and try. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School bill in the works by Judith Gerber Published 07/22/2005
As farm-to-school programs spread throughout California, a proposed bill to create a California Farm to School Nutrition Improvement Program is working its way through the state legislature. · Read the entire article.
Movable Feast by Marian Uhlman Philadelphia Inquirer Published 07/11/2005
Johnathan Russell is the kind of teenager who doesn't just eat his vegetables. He grows them, markets them, and gets other kids to eat them, too. None of this he could have imagined four years ago when he entered University City High School and started working in the school's half-acre garden. · Read the entire article.
Farm Collectives Cultivate Ties to School Lunch Plans by Fred Alvarez LA Times Published 07/10/2005
The Rodriguez brothers were ready to call it quits. After a quarter century of farming, the Oxnard strawberry growers couldn't manage to turn a buck anymore between soaring costs and sinking prices. Then they went back to school. · Read the entire article.
We get to eat the food! by Ali Bay Capital Press Published 07/08/2005
In the morning shade that surrounds Birch Lane Elementary School in Davis, Calif., the chirping of birds is replaced with the quiet clanking of hoes and shovels. A handful of eager fifth-graders has attacked a few pesky weeds and withering crops that have outlasted the spring season. · Read the entire article.
Filling the cafeteria with local food by Will Sands The Durango Telegraph Published 07/07/2005
Groudbreaking Farm to School porject makes first local strides. “If we’re going to subsidize something, what better than the health of our children,” Bruen concluded. “But the school district is going to have to hear from the community. The community is going to have to come out and say that this is valuable.” · Read the entire article.
Farm to school Burlington Free Press Published 06/28/2005
Mitzi Johnson was frustrated knowing children in South Hero were passing local apple orchards on their way to school, but were being served apples shipped from Washington in the cafeteria. · Read the entire article.
Fresh food goes to urban classes by Judith Gerber Capital Press Published 06/10/2005
The highly urbanized city of Compton might seem an unlikely place to find farm-fresh produce, but that’s just what elementary students in the Compton Unified School District find on a daily basis as the district now operates farm-to-school salad bars at all of its 24 elementary schools. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School Programs Promote Healthy Lifesyle by Anupama Joshi and Moira Beery Poppy Seeds Published 06/05/2005
Picture a school food service staff strolling through a farmers' market, chatting with farmers and ordering the freshest of produce for the school cafeteria. A few years back, this was unheard of but not any more! · Read the entire article.
The Time Is Ripe to Support Local Food Production by Neal Peirce Charlotte Observer Published 05/21/2005
Is America ready for a metropolitan agriculture policy? Is the time ripe to take some of the billions in subsidies now flowing to big commodity crop operators and focus instead on sustainable farm production in and around the citistate regions where 80 percent of us live? · Read the entire article.
Redman House to open stand by Roger Sideman The Register Pajaronian Published 05/12/2005
After a rainy winter, strawberries, sweet peas and carrots, those heralds of spring, are hot sellers. Organic farmer Stephen Pedersen is eager for this weekend's opening the Redman House Farmstand beside the historic home on Lee Road. · Read the entire article.
Orders for North Carolina Strawberries Jump 65 Percent Bladen Journal Published 05/03/2005
Chalk it up to the irresistible sweetness of fresh, locally grown strawberries. A record number of North Carolina berries will find their way into school lunches this year through the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Farm-to-School Program. · Read the entire article.
Sysco Breathes New Life Into Local Agriculture by Kevin Robinson-Avila NMSU News Published 04/27/2005
· Read the entire article.
Food-community ties put on the front burner by Sara Watson Arthurs The Times-Standard Published 04/20/2005
Eat local. That was the basic goal in a series of sessions Tuesday where farmers met with produce-buying groups and businesses to see how to get area residents eating more locally grown food. · Read the entire article.
No Kidding. School Food that Tastes Good by Diane Conners Great Lakes Bulletin News Service Published 04/16/2005
"In 1997, when Rodney Taylor directed food service for the public schools in Santa Monica and Malibu, Calif., he juggled menu planning, orders, deliveries, and supervised the cooks who made lunch for 15,000 students. Mr. Taylor believed his finely tuned operation was doing a swell job until the day a parent urged him to replace the pre-packaged fruits and vegetables at the salad bars with produce from local farms. · Read the entire article.
Forums seek ways to put health foods in schools by Jeff Tobin Santa Cruz Sentinel Published 04/06/2005
A growing number of parents, teachers and health specialists are looking toward fresh, locally grown foods to convert children from sugar cane to sugar snap peas. · Read the entire article.
Let'em eat salad by Josh Miner San Francisco Chronicle Published 03/23/2005
Here are a few statistics from the California Department of Health Services that every parent should find alarming: 7 in 10 kids consume two or more servings of junk food a day, while only 3 in 10 eat the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Two in 3 fail to get enough exercise, and 1 in 3 are overweight or obese. · Read the entire article.
WNC Leaders Trying to Reverse Obseity Trend in the Mountains by Michael Flynn Citizen Times Published 03/22/2005
Peas like the cold weather,' said instructor Katherine Daven to a bundled-up group of Isaac Dickson Elementary School fifth-graders, who were wondering how anything planted on such a chilly day could possibly grow. · Read the entire article.
Chef To Plant Health Garden To Feed Fremont’s Students by Amy Bentley-Smith Fremont Gazette Published 03/10/2005
Is it possible for an elementary-aged child to want a stalk of celery instead of a candy bar, to be excited about making a broccoli casserole as if it were Rice Crispy treats? · Read the entire article.
Students Seek Food That by Cara Mia DiMassa Los Angeles Times Published 03/09/2005
The corner of Alvarado Street and Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles is a fast-food lover's paradise. A Winchell's doughnut shop shares the mini-mall there with a liquor store that also sells an array of chips and sodas, a frozen yogurt store and a Mexican takeout restaurant called El Burrito. · Read the entire article.
Healthy eating puts money in pockets of Fresno-area growers by Robert Rodriguez Fresno Bee Published 02/06/2005
The federal government's new guidelines urging Americans to drink more milk and eat more fruits and vegetables are drawing cheers from many central San Joaquin Valley farmers. · Read the entire article.
Students digging into fresh, locally grown lettuce, fruit by Barbara Blake Citizen Times Published 02/04/2005
The kids at Hall Fletcher Elementary School in West Asheville don’t much care that the lettuce in the salads they wolf down at lunchtime is grown just a few miles away on a farm in Madison County. · Read the entire article.
Congressman Asks Lawmakers to Focus More on Preventative Health Care by Massey, Barry Albuquerque Journal Published 01/19/2005
U.S. Rep. Tom Udall wants the Legislature to help out in getting rid of junk food and encouraging better eating habits among New Mexicans, particularly children. · Read the entire article.
Advocates push for homegrown school lunches The Sacramento Bee Published 01/18/2005
Getting up close and personal with a homegrown tomato could help combat the high incidence of childhood diabetes and obesity nationwide. · Read the entire article.
"Advocates push for school grown lunches" by Walter Yost Bee The Sacramento Bee Published 01/18/2005
" Getting up close and personal with a homegrown tomato could help combat the high incidence of childhood diabetes and ..." · Read the entire article.
UC researchers find farm-to-school programs shift students by Lynn Halprin University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources News Published 01/14/2005
If given a choice of fresh fruits and vegetables, children will eat them, according to a University of California study. · Read the entire article.
Congress Could Put More Local Food Into Schools by Diane Conners Great Lakes Bulletin News Service Published 01/10/2005
"The kids rave about the taste. Local farmer Mark Doherty is making sales in a new market. And cooks in this northern Michigan school district are pleased to be serving his fresh, bursting-with-flavor apples to students in the lunch line." · Read the entire article.
Schools Are New Market for New England Apples by T. Susan Chang Good Fruit Grower Published 01/01/2005
Northeast apple growers, especially those in New England, face no shortage of challenges. Though New England apple production ranks seventh in the country, orchards are primarily small operations, subject to the same pressures that small farms face across the nation. · Read the entire article.
Schools Are New Market for New England Apples by T. Susan Chang Good Fruit Grower Magazine Published 01/01/2005
Apple wholesalers are discovering a whole new market through farm-to-school programs in the New England states. · Read the entire article.
Commissioner Applauds New Apple Slicing Facility: North Country Company Slices NY Apples for NYC Sch by Department of Agriculture & Markets New Press Release Published 12/22/2004
State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan L. Rudgers today visited a new fruit processing facility, Champlain Valley Specialty of New York, Inc., in Keeseville, Essex County, and offered congratulations on its first 900 cases of apple slices ordered for New York City schools through the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Program. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School Program by Rick Macsuga Published 12/03/2004
Article about the Connecticut Farm to School Program. · Read the entire article.
Field Trip Aims to Make Veggies Attractive by The Associated Press Published 12/02/2004
First came fruits. Even a short lecture on Vitamin C, folic acid and potassium couldn't keep fourth-grade fingers from grabbing up orange slices. But then came vegetables and the choruses of "Ewwwwwwwwww," as the boys and girls of Menlo Park Terrace School scampered past the mushrooms, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. · Read the entire article.
Coffee House venturing to locally grown produce by Angela Pang The California Aggie Published 11/30/2004
For fans of organic food or those interested in trying something different and healthier, the ASUCD Coffee House recently began featuring locally grown produce as salad bar selections. · Read the entire article.
School lunchrooms increase use of Alabama produce by Amy Sieckmann The Star Published 11/28/2004
The first time Bill Bailey learned what a satsuma was, the state told him it was coming to his school. He'd never heard of such a food before then, and, as child nutrition director of Cleburne County's schools, that made Bailey a tad nervous about how he was going to sell it to a clientele known for picky eating. · Read the entire article.
Local Orchard Makes the Grade by Jason Schreiber The Rockingham News Published 11/19/2004
Eating an apple a day not only keeps the doctor away, it’s also teaching local school kids a valuable lesson in farming. · Read the entire article.
Environment Grants Awarded by The Republican The Republican Published 11/19/2004
The New England Grassroots Environment Fund in Montpelier, Vt., has awarded $32,000 in grants to 20 community groups across the Bay State. · Read the entire article.
Community Alliance With Family Farmers produces guide to fresh foods from Central Coast farms by Register-Pajaronian staff Register-Pajaronian Published 11/16/2004
The first edition of the Local Food Guide, produced by the Community Alliance With Family Farmers, is rolling off the presses. This free, 32-page resource is a guide to local food and farming in Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties. Copies will be available as of Saturday at farmers' markets, natural food stores and public libraries throughout the three counties featured in the guide. · Read the entire article.
Connecticut schools supporting local farms by WFSB Eyewitness News WFSB Eyewitness News Published 11/13/2004
The town's school system is one of seventeen in the state participating in a farm to school program, where local farms supply schools with what they need for their lunch programs. Alliance introduces guide to locally grown food by Gwen Mickelson Santa Cruz Sentinel Published 11/12/2004
Locally grown food tastes better, according to Liv Nevin of Community Alliance With Family Farmers. The alliance is about to release its first edition of the Local Food Guide, designed to make finding Central Coast-grown food easier for consumers. · Read the entire article.
Survey: Schools Want More Fresh Food by Diane Conners Michigan Land Use Institute Published 11/09/2004
Buying local could reduce youth obesity, grow farm economy · Read the entire article.
If You Build It, Children Will Come to the Salad Bar by Mary MacVean Los Angeles Times Published 11/04/2004
In the cafeteria at Caldwell Elementary School in Compton one day recently, not a single child was in line for the standard lunch of corn dogs and canned fruit. A few feet away, though, a dozen children stood waiting for the salad bar, where the line has gotten so long that an aide sometimes plays "Simon Says" to amuse the children while they wait. · Read the entire article.
Editorial: Nutritious school lunches a boon for Windsor by B.W.D. Windsor Times Published 10/13/2004
To many of us who recall the offerings of the school cafeteria, nutritious school lunches would appear to be an anomaly. Stewed prunes and sloppy joe's hardly fit today's standards of a healthy diet. · Read the entire article.
Windsor students buying into healthy food by Nathan Wright Windsor Times Published 10/13/2004
Sarah Lemmon knows exactly why she eats salad every day at school. "It's good vitamin C," said the Windsor Creek Elementary School third grader. "It will make me strong, and healthy, and smart." · Read the entire article.
BUSD Wins Food Award For Improving Child Health by J. Douglas Allen-Taylor Berkeley Daily Planet Published 10/12/2004
Berkeley Unified School District has received a Golden Carrot—a top national award for food service—from the Washington, D.C.-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). · Read the entire article.
Week yields healthy harvest: Students learn about nutrition, agriculture by Syracuse Post-Standard Syracuse Post-Standard Published 10/06/2004
Rachel Kaufman's eyes were wide with wonder as she gazed at all the plump, red apples hanging from the trees at Owen Orchards. · Read the entire article.
Davis school program supports life-long healthy eating habits in children by Heather Graham, Gail Feenstra, Ann M. Evans, and Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr California Agriculture Published 10/01/2004
The school environment can positively affect students in areas beyond traditional academic achievement. An innovative program in Davis, the Farm to School Connection, sought to promote the development of life-long healthy eating habits in children and to create a school environment that made connections among the school garden, cafeteria and classroom, and linked them to local agriculture. · Read the entire article.
Local school nutritionists challenge ag commissioner on Farm-to-School program by Christine S. Diamond The Lufkin Daily News Published 09/28/2004
Several local school nutritionists on Monday challenged Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs on the success of the Farm-to-School program. "I would love to support the Farm-to-School program, but why is the produce coming from Houston?" asked Lufkin Independent School District nutritionist Donna Rose. The question came during Combs' discussion of the need for good nutrition in the schools and her hopes to secure money to reward those districts that... · Read the entire article.
Commissioner Lauds Use of NY Products in NY Schools by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Published 09/16/2004
State Agriculture Commissioner Nathan L. Rudgers today applauded the United States Department of Defense (DoD) for increasing the use of New York food products in New York school meals and expanding its Fresh Program to include 150 schools in the Syracuse and Binghamton areas, in addition to New York City’s 1,100 schools. · Read the entire article.
Some Washington Schools go Organic for Lunch by Rebecca Cook Associated Press. Published 09/12/2004
The tempting smell of pepperoni pizza drifted through the air as students poured into the cafeteria. But 11-year-old Cameron Landry walked straight past the cheesy slices and started piling organic lettuce, pita pockets and blueberries on his tray. · Read the entire article.
Fresh Produce on Way to School by Pamela Metaxas The Republican Published 09/12/2004
Chicopee has received more than $15,000 in its first Project Bread grant in a collaborative effort to provide fresh fruits and vegetables throughout city schools through the fall and encourage healthy eating habits. · Read the entire article.
Seattle School Board Approves Comprehensive Suite of Nutrition Policies Sales of Sodas and Junk Food Seattle School Board Approves Comprehensive Suite of Nutrition Policies Sales of Sodas and Junk Food Published 09/03/2004
· Read the entire article.
Several Area School Districts Participating In A "Farm To School" Project by KOTV, The News on 6 The News on 6 Published 08/31/2004
Four Oklahoma school districts started a new mouth-watering project Tuesday. And its connecting students back to their Oklahoma roots or in this case, vine. · Read the entire article.
Wright’s Farm to school bill passes Senate The Valley News Published 06/26/2004
The New York State Senate recently passed a bill that would allow local school districtd to use and serve local farm products, said Senator Jim Wright, who authored the bill. The legislation cuts red tape for local municipalities. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School teaches kids to eat right by Joy Agcongay Santa Cruz Sentinel Published 06/15/2004
Erik Zarco returned to the front of the line to get another bite of chard. "It’s good. One more, please," he said. The recent High Ground Organics farm visit is part of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers’ 2-year-old Farm-to-School program. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Stamp Nutrition Education program via the California Nutrition Network, the program works with fourth- and fifth-graders to choose fresh fruits and vegetables to fight childhood obesity while also working with state and local agencies to develop markets and distribution for small, organic farmers.Farm-to-School is part of a larger local effort called Ready Set Grow! "We focus on fourth- and fifth-graders because that’s the age they start making conscious, autonomous decisions about what they eat," said Heidi Lidtke, Ready Set Grow! program coordinator. · Read the entire article.
Food for thought Fort Worth Star-Telegram Published 05/24/2004
Sandra Haverlah's concerns about the Texas Department of Agriculture's new public school nutrition policy are misplaced. (See Wednesday commentary "Biting off more than the state can chew.") The nutritional policy provides local districts with a legal means to keep the junk food industry's unhealthy wares out of students' diets, but it doesn't limit their power to set menus or address individual... · Read the entire article.
The Best Food For Our Children The Mountain Times Published 05/13/2004
The Farm-To-School program operated by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Service (NCDA&CS) is good news for schoolchildren and good news for agriculture. This beneficial state program is helping to provide students with the best quality fruits and vegetables produced by Tar Heel farmers. For example, the Food Distribution and Marketing divisions of NCDA&CS are currently coordinating deliveries of fresh North Carolina strawberries to children in 116 school systems. · Read the entire article.
Strawberries' Spring on the menu for Ashe County Schools Mountain Times Published 05/06/2004
North Carolina school children will soon begin enjoying the fresh, sweet taste of locally grown strawberries at lunch as part of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Farm-to-School Program. Forty-one of the state’s 116 school systems including Ashe County Schools have placed orders for strawberries, with the fruit being delivered over a three-week period beginning April 26. It is the largest order of strawberries since the program began in 1998. For the 2002-2003 school year, a total of $334,839 worth of produce was purchased from local farmers through the Farm to School Program. Commodities offered included watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, apples, pumpkins, cabbage, broccoli and sweet potatoes. · Read the entire article.
A healthy partnership: innovative farm to school programs address childhood nutrition by Karen Imas State News Published 05/01/2004
The United States loses two acres of mostly prime farmland every minute to development--the fastest such decline in the country's history, according to the American Farmland Trust. More than 25 percent of Americans under 19 are overweight or obese--a figure that has doubled in the last 30 years, according to the Community Food Security Coalition. Although these two facts may seem to be unrelated, advocates of Farm to School programs see a connection. What is Farm to School? There is a growing consensus among a wide spectrum of individuals, including teachers, farmers, lawmakers and parents, that integrating locally grown produce into school cafeterias can provide health benefits for kids while helping to reconnect communities with local agriculture. Farm to School is a broad term for various types of programs and initiatives, such as establishing salad bars, incorporating local produce into lunch and breakfast menus, holding events like a "local food day," bringing a farmer into a classroom, creating a school garden and taking field trips. These programs often arise from grassroots efforts by local farmers, school administrators, and advocates who recognize the potential market opportunities for farmers and the educational and nutritional opportunities for kids. Across the country, such initiatives have gained momentum and are taking on many different forms through the support of government grants, advocacy groups and legislation. · Read the entire article.
Local farmers produce fresh fruit for schools The New Hampshire Published 04/09/2004
When Ray Hetnar was approached by a member of the Office of Sustainability Programs about his family's orchard supplying apples for an initiative involving local schools, he said he was open to anything. It turns out Hetnar made a wise business decision. The program, called Farm to School, took off like wildfire throughout the state of New Hampshire, exceeding the expectations of all involved. Last July, the UNH Office of Sustainability Programs (OSP), in partnership with the N.H. Coalition for Sustaining Agriculture, received a three-year, $76,000 Sustainable Agriculture Research Education Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. The result was New Hampshire's introduction to the Farm to School Program, whose goal is to support the local economy through an increase in access to local markets for local farmers and build a closer connection to the agricultural community by encouraging students to "Eat Local" through classroom and cafeteria education, according to Julie Newman, the education director for the OSP. "That way students begin to enjoy their food while connecting with local farms," she said. "And the farmers get to expand their market." · Read the entire article.
Local university initiates program to link schools, farms Dover Community News Published 03/19/2004
The University of New Hampshire’s Office of Sustainability Programs (OSP), in partnership with the N.H. Coalition for Sustaining Agriculture, is responding to that question with the development of the first New Hampshire Farm to School Program. This project is supported by a three-year, $76,000 USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research Education grant. The remaining 24 percent of the budget is covered by university funds. The Farm to School Program is an initial step toward creating a sustainable, community-based food system example that can be expanded to support additional business and educational programs that connect New Hampshire farms and farm products to K-12 classrooms and cafeterias throughout the state, according to Julie Newman, OSP education program director. · Read the entire article.
Parents learn how to create healthy school environment by Jennifer Morey The Times-Standard Published 03/14/2004
About 40 parents interested in learning about or improving school meals attended the second annual Farm to School Conference put on by Food for People at the Humboldt County Library on Saturday. The focus of the conference was on empowering and assisting parents who want to help create a healthy school environment. The Farm to School movement, a nationwide grassroots movement, seeks to bring healthier meals into schools, including more fresh produce bought from local farmers or grown... · Read the entire article.
Farm to School Lunch Program by Kevin Worthington ALFA Farmers Federation Published 01/16/2004
Students in Alabama Schools are finding something different on their lunch plate lately - Food Grown in Alabama. Under a new program, school cafeterias across the state are buying much of the food they serve directly from Alabama Farmers. As Kevin Worthington reports, the program is designed to be nutritious to students and beneficial to farmers. · Read the entire article.
Local Food to Local Sources: Farm to School in Western North Carolina by Emily Jackson New Life Journal Published 01/01/2004
An article that highlights farm to school efforts in western North Carolina and describes how Growing Minds, a school garden program that helps teachers use the garden as an instructional tool, links local schools with fresh foods and farms in Western North Carolina. · Read the entire article.
Teaching Kids about Real Food by Umut Newbury MotherEarthNews.com Published 01/01/2004
School lunch is a serious matter for Alice Waters, a California chef, restaurateur and a longtime organic food advocate. In her newest school initiative, Waters has convinced the Berkeley Unified School District to include food as part of its academic curriculum for all students — kindergarten through 12th grade. Across the country, other advocates of fresh, locally grown and organic foods are following Waters’ lead and are working to improve their school lunches, too. · Read the entire article.
Pennsylvania farmers target colleges as market for produce Knight Ridder Tribune Published 12/19/2003
Each week in fall, Indian Orchards of Middletown Township, Delaware County, delivers about five bushels of apples to nearby Swarthmore College. "Their student body was eager to get real apples instead of waxed apples," says Nancy Bernhardt, whose grandparents started the 15-acre orchard nearly 100 years ago. It's not a large quantity of fruit, but it's an important part of her business, said Bernhardt, one of 40 representatives of farms and colleges in southeastern Pennsylvania who met ... · Read the entire article.
Food Fight by Jerry L. Van Marter PCUSA News Published 11/14/2003
At it's Nov. 10 annual meeting in Boston, the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) urged passage of The Farm to Cafeteria Projects Act, which is designed to help schools create a healthy menu through grants to school districts to buy local food from regional farms. · Read the entire article.
Our Views The Olympian Published 10/28/2003
Food choice is important. The Olympia School District has a school lunch program that has gained national recognition. And well it should. The Organic Choices Program allows students at the district's 11 elementary schools to dine at a salad bar consisting of healthy, nutritious fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and protein sources such as eggs, beans and cottage cheese. It started at Lincoln Elementary School last year and has since spread to the other elementary... · Read the entire article.
New Program Brings Fresh Fruit to School by Melissa M. Scallan The Sun Herald Published 10/08/2003
Students at Pass Road Elementary enjoyed fresh cantaloupe, grapes, apples and pears at lunch Thursday, which wasn't possible until this year. The state departments of agriculture and commerce and education have teamed up to provide all school districts in the state with fresh fruits and vegetables grown by Mississippi farmers. "It's absolutely phenomenal," said Debbie Chatagnier, child nutrition administrator for the Gulfport... · Read the entire article.
North Carolina School Districts for more nutritious cafeteria fare by Pam Kelley The Charlotte Observer Published 09/27/2003
In the war against childhood obesity, the school lunchroom is Bonnie Parker's battleground. As child nutrition director for Union County Public Schools, Parker and her staff plot ways to get schoolkids to eat more fruits and vegetables, less fat and sugar. They serve restaurant-quality spinach salads and quietly replace hot dogs with turkey dogs. They search for kid-appealing products, such as fresh pineapple spears packaged like push-ups. Increasingly, school food service officials are trying to overhaul lunch programs, blamed as contributing to the nation's obesity epidemic. Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools recently rolled out "Munch Boxes," healthy grab-and-go boxed lunches designed to attract children who regard Lunchables as fine cuisine. And more than 40 N.C. school districts now buy fresh produce from the state's farmers. · Read the entire article.
Farm to School by Rosalie Rayburn Albuquerque Journal Published 09/03/2003
Contracts help state growers financially and the fruit is a treat for schoolchildren They're sweet, juicy and on the kids lunch menu around New Mexico and other states. Watermelons are being served at schools through the end of September as part of a national program to support farmers and deliver nutrition to youngsters. The melons are the first fruits of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's $200,000 Farm to School program. · Read the entire article.
School Contracts Help New Mexico Watermelon Growers Financially by Rosalie Rayburn Albuquerque Journal Published 09/03/2003
They're sweet, juicy and on the kids lunch menu around New Mexico and other states. Watermelons are being served at schools through the end of September as part of a national program to support farmers and deliver nutrition to youngsters. The melons are the first fruits of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's $200,000 Farm to School program. New Mexico is one of 17 states participating. · Read the entire article.
Coppell, Texas, Schools but back on sweets by Katherine Morales The Dallas Morning News Published 08/29/2003
Ice cream, chips and cookies - the spoils of Coppell elementary school cafeterias - won't be so easy to come by this year. The district no longer allows elementary students to buy more than one of these items, called "extras," during meals. A volunteer group of parents and administrators recommended the change after studying the eating habits of young children in the district. · Read the entire article.
Taking farm to school York Dispatch Published 07/13/2003
Officials last week unveiled the state's new Agriculture Education Initiative designed to make school-aged children aware of the importance of agriculture in their lives. Announcing the initiative at the Pennsylvania Association of Agriculture Educators Summer Convention in Doylestown, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff said that with "less than 2 percent of Americans engaged in farming today, each generation is becoming further removed from agriculture." · Read the entire article.
Fresh, local food for kids will have long-term benefits by Margaret Krome The Capital Times Published 07/10/2003
Given the chance, children gobble freshly picked fruit. My favorite volunteer role at my daughter's urban elementary school is accompanying children to the outdoor classroom during lunch recess. Kids enjoy planting and weeding, but no activity compares to picking sweet cherry tomatoes or fresh raspberries and plopping them right in their mouths. Fresh fruits and vegetables have gone out of children's diets, replaced by processed and fried foods. The national Community Food Security Coalition reports that on a typical day, 45 percent of children eat ... · Read the entire article.
Growing Awareness by Carry Seidman Albuquerque Tribune Published 05/16/2003
The goal of the program is to strengthen children's understanding of the sources of their food and instill in them the importance of a reverence for growing things. "I think it's very important that children know where their food comes from that's the bottom line," says Le Adams (no relation to Victoria), director of the program and a small-scale farmer herself. "And nothing teaches as well as hands-on activities." The hands-on activities on this day include planting pansies in individual pots for each child to nurture for Mother's Day and planting wheat grass seeds for later consumption. · Read the entire article.
Educators talk about improving school lunches by Sara Watson Arthurs Times-Standard Published 05/11/2003
Remember the sickly green "mystery meat" of the school cafeteria -- how it had the texture of a well-used dish sponge? Around 70 people met at the Humboldt County Office of Education on Friday to try to come up with creative alternatives. School food service directors, administrators, teachers, school board members and parents attended the Farm to School Conference, organized by Food for People. · Read the entire article.
Farmers, educators to talk lunch by Sara Watson Arthurs Times-Standard Published 05/05/2003
EUREKA -- Farmers, educators and parents will meet this week to discuss the possibility of including food from local farms in school lunches. Food for People is hosting the "Farm to School" conference, part of a national movement to make school meals more nutritious and let farmers market directly to schools in their communities. Educating students on nutrition and agriculture is another goal of the program. · Read the entire article.
Nutrition Plays Key Role in Community Viability by Lisa Soloman Nutrition Spot Light Published 04/30/2003
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Olympia Schools Continue to Focus on Nutritious Food by Wendy Culverwell The Olympian Published 04/29/2003
Adolescents have little trouble indulging their taste for junk food during school hours, but the choices are narrowing in Olympia schools. · Read the entire article.
Cafeterias feature fresh produce by Robert Malone The Clarion-Ledger Published 04/13/2003
Mississippi farmers can look forward to a wealthier future — and the state's children, a healthier future — through a new program that puts fresh produce in public school cafeterias. The Farm to School program is allowing schools to put a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in their lunchrooms, said Guy Feltenstein, director of fruits and vegetables for the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce in Jackson. The program, he said, is the result of the combined efforts of the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, the state Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Defense's nutrition program. The state's purchase from local farmers will provide more nutritious meals for children and develop a new market for farmers. That will boost Mississippi's economy, said Patrick Sullivan, policy and communications coordinator in the Department of Agriculture and Commerce. · Read the entire article.
North Carolina Officials Try to Improve School Lunches for Kids, Farmers by Molly Hennessy-Fiske Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News Published 03/19/2003
It was spaghetti versus chicken nuggets at Wilburn Elementary School's cafeteria, but this food fight proved no contest. Most students ignored a sign recommending the less salty, lower-fat spaghetti and heaped nuggets on their plastic foam trays. Ten year-old Mia McDougald bucked the trend, but not because she saw the sign. "The spaghetti is my favorite because of the cheese flavoring of it," said the third-grader at Wilburn, a Raleigh year-round school that last year served more lunches than any other elementary school in Wake County, where more school meals were served than any other Triangle county. March is National Nutrition Month, when politicians have lunch at local elementary schools and students such as Mia learn the basics of healthy eating. What they don't learn is where the food on their trays comes from -- and how those sources influence the nutritional value of their lunches. · Read the entire article.
County has food appeal; Locally Grown Products featured at Farm Bureau Luncheon by Fred A. Mohr The Post-Standard Published 03/08/2003
State and local lawmakers rubbed shoulders with farmers and their advocates while dining on Oswego County-produced fare Friday at the second Farm Bureau legislator luncheon. "We grow everything in this county: onions, potatoes, apples, pears. We have wineries, dairy farms, you name it," said Nancy Weber, a member of the county Farm Bureau's promotion and education committee. "We're the best-kept secret in the state." · Read the entire article.
School children need healthier food choices Beaumont Enterprise Published 02/27/2003
Far too many Texas schoolchildren are beginning the day with a sugary soda and candy bar from a vending machine. This is happening for breakfast -- and in too many instances for lunch -- in high schools, middle schools and even elementary schools. When students -- some who receive 60 percent of their daily meals at school -- choose snacks instead of more nutritious foods from school cafeterias, they not only shortchange themselves in learning development, but they also set themselves up for... · Read the entire article.
Slippery Rock University Taps Local Farmers for food by Mary Pickels Pittsburg Tribune-Review Published 02/09/2003
A garden of potentially endless nutrition and community good will has been planted at Slippery Rock University, seeding interest by other state schools of higher education. It appears to be an obvious trade-off. Produce, locally grown, is harvested and delivered to nearby institutions of education, where fresh vegetables and fruits are served. Staff and students reap health and taste benefits, and farmers are assured of a buyer for a portion of what they grow. It's a process at work at the Butler County school, in a pilot project designed by a graduate student, college administration and the school's food service provider, Aramark. · Read the entire article.
Learning about agriculture Los Banos Enterprise Published 01/24/2003
The kids are plant and soil savvy because they are members of the school's Garden Club, which is one facet in a coalition between the nationwide Farm to School program and the Valleywide Community Alliance With Family Farmers (CAFF). · Read the entire article.
Eat Your Vegetables? Only at a Few Schools by Elizabeth Becker and Marian Burros NY Times Published 01/13/2003
A school lunch often looks like an exercise in fat loading, with a supersize soft drink from a vending machine, followed by a candy bar from another machine. The meal is more in keeping with one from a fast-food outlet than what the Department of Agriculture says is a nutritious meal.This yawning discrepancy between what students should eat and what most of them actually pile onto their trays has become a central issue in the national debate over why Americans are growing obese. · Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School program benefits students and farmers The Norman Transcript Published 01/01/2003
According to research, students choose more servings of fruits and vegetables when they are given the choice of high quality, farm-fresh produce, according to Chris Kirby, the Oklahoma farm-to-school coordinator. And when children are well-nourished, they learn better, he said. · Read the entire article.
The Farm to School Program by The Los Angeles Unified School District Nutrition Network Published 00/01/2003
Farm to school program video: connecting farms and farmers to the classroom · Read the entire article.
Empty bellies -- the real issue in homeland security by Andrew Fisher and Mary Embleton Seattle Post-Intelligencer Published 10/27/2002
At first glance, America's food system may seem exemplary, at least for those of us with access to stores and who can afford grocery prices. We can visit a local supermarket almost anywhere in the country and buy Mexican mangoes in May, Chilean grapes in March or even organic cherry tomatoes in January. Upon closer scrutiny serious problems lurk behind the grocery aisles. Despite the image of cornucopia, the alarming truth is that America cannot sufficiently support a food system that feeds its own people. At a time when the importance of national security is at an all-time high, our country is in a state of food insecurity. Increasingly, on the most basic level, food is not produced or available locally and affordably. Small and medium-size farmers are regularly squeezed out of business by the high cost of business, low prices for their products and poor access to markets. · Read the entire article.
Beyond corn and potatoes by Caroline Porter Record-Journal.com Published 10/26/2002
Lunch has become more interesting this year at Dodd Middle School, and some local farmers may benefit. This year, through the efforts of the school’s new chef, Tim Cipriano, the Park Place school has become a participant in the Connecticut Farm to School Program. · Read the entire article.
Schools get fresh vegetables via defense department idea Lexington Herald-Leader Published 10/22/2002
A program that has connected Kentucky produce growers with school lunchrooms has put fresh vegetables on the table for schoolchildren this fall. The Farm to School Initiative started off small this year in Kentucky, but it could eventually feed nearly 700,000 pupils in almost 1,300 schools. Doris Pruitt, food service director for Warren County Public Schools in Bowling Green, said she was pleased with the program's first year. · Read the entire article.
Hannibal elementary students join ‘New York Harvest’ by Andrew Henderson The Valley News Published 10/05/2002
Hannibal is one of two school districts in New York State to participate in the Farm to School Program, which was created by Cornell University. The other school district is Johnson City. The program, managed by Tracy Farrell of Cornell, is a multi-state project that is funded by the USDA. "The point of the whole project is to see what we can do in New York State about getting more New York-grown food into the schools," Ms. Farrell said Wednesday. "It’s an event like this that raises awareness in the community and this is a very agricultural community." At the state level, Governor George Pataki recently signed a law that promotes New York Harvest for New York Kids Week. · Read the entire article.
Taking Home-Grown to Heart; Farm to School Program puts N.Y. Produce in Cafeterias by Scott Scanlon HighBeam Research Published 10/03/2002
James Sivy and several of his classmates huddled around a tray of honeycomb Wednesday and tried to muster the courage to taste a forkful of the gooey concoction. Sivy took a chance, as the eyes of his friends grew wide. "You want to chew until the only thing left is the wax, and then you want to throw away the wax," Ruthie Trujillo, of Grindstone Farms in Richland, said as Sivy chomped down. "It's pretty good," said the 10-year-old fifth-grader from Dennis M. Kenney Elementary School in Hannibal. · Read the entire article.
History of Fulton police and fire departments to be discussed tonight The Valley News Published 09/14/2002
In a joint bipartisan letter to State Education Department Commissioner Richard Mills, Republican Senator Jim Wright and Democratic Assemblyman Felix Ortiz have requested that the State Education Department modify state regulations to make it more feasible for schools to purchase fresh, locally grown produce from farmers. The proposed changes would allow municipalities—including school districts—to purchase produce directly from local farmers. Currently, the General Municipal Law makes the process too cumbersome for food service directors to utilize prospective suppliers. The lawmakers are asking Commissioner Mills to issue simple and fair guidelines, as part of the Farm to School program, to encourage schools to buy local farm products. The criteria would establish reasonable steps that schools would need to take to purchase products through traditional bids, quotes, or using the existing bidding exemption law. · Read the entire article.
School lunch with more local touches The Spokesman Review Published 07/31/2002
Last week I took my two kids with me to a farmers' market. That in itself is nothing new. But for whatever reason - alignment of planets or phase of the moon - this time they were filled with excitement over the bounty before them. "Do you want to have corn with dinner, mom?" my 5-year-old asked. "Is this a zucchini?" "Strawberries!" my 2-year-old squealed. · Read the entire article.
Farm to school. Innovative effort cooking up nutritional ties St. Albans Messenger Published 07/07/2002
To a person they agree that the health and nutrition of Vermont children is among the most important issues currently facing the state. But the question remains – what can be done to improve it? · Read the entire article.
Lincoln schools to offer local greens for lunch The Sacramento Bee Published 06/26/2002
With its own rodeo grounds and plenty of nearby farms and ranches, Lincoln might seem like meat-and-potatoes territory. But the folks who plan school lunches say the area's rural roots make it ideal for offering kids a lighter menu option - a salad bar stocked with locally grown fruits and vegetables. · Read the entire article.
Initiative to aid State Farmers Takes Root by Debra J. Groom The Post-Standard Published 04/01/2002
Farmers in Madison County and the rest of the state could pick up more customers through a program recently approved by Gov. George Pataki. The Farm-to-School Initiative urges schools, colleges and other educational institutions to buy more products from New York state farms. The program's goal is to increase sales for New York farmers and increase the amount of fresh, locally grown food served to state children. Some Madison County school districts already get some of their fruits and vegetables from New York growers. · Read the entire article.
Hannibal students are eating meals with more local flavor by Andrew Henderson The Valley News Published 03/09/2002
Since September, students in the Hannibal Central School District have been eating meals that feature more local flavor. The district is one of the first two pilot sites for Cornell University’s Farm to School Program, a multi-state project that is funded by the USDA. The program works closely with a task force composed of members of NY Farms and New York State Foodservice Association. · Read the entire article.
It's a Win-Win: From Farm to School by The Extension Connection A Quarterly Publication of Iowa State University Extension Published 12/01/2001
"A movement is afoot to improve the economic stability of Iowa's small farmers while improving the long-term health of school children. It's a win-win initiative called "farm to school." "It makes sense for children, makes sense for farmers, yet has enormous challenges," said Robert Karp, of Practical Farmers of Iowa." · Read the entire article.
Region farms sell to schools by Paul Woolverton Fayetteville Observer Published 09/03/2000
Some of the watermelon and cantaloupe slices nestled next to the meatloaf and beef-and-noodle dishes on North Carolina school children's lunch trays in the last two weeks came from Brent Jackson's farm about 30 minutes east of Fayetteville. Jackson, who has a 550-acre produce farm in the Clement area north of Autryville, sold the melons to the schools through the Farm-to-School program. · Read the entire article.
How a School Salad Bar Can Be a Learning Experience, Too. by Robert Gottlieb and Michelle Mascarenhas The Los Angeles Times Published 11/28/1999
"Picture this: Lunchtime for 900 students at Castelar Street Elementary in Chinatown, one of L.A. Unified's 430 elementary schools. Less than half the students grab fried tacos, while more than half line up for the farmers' market fruit and salad bar. These students get to choose from 10 different fruits and vegetables, including sliced Fuji apples, mandarin oranges, carrot sticks, broccoli spears, a combination of red leaf, romaine and iceberg lettuce and Fuyu persimmons. Some of the salad-bar lines are so long during lunch period that several students have to be sent to the hot-meal window where there are no lines." · Read the entire article.
Farm briefs Fayetteville Observer Published 09/12/1999
North Carolina school children are eating locally grown seedless watermelons in their school lunches through a state program. A total 2,327 cases of watermelons are being served in 52 school systems under a Farm-to-School program that the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is operating. · Read the entire article.
Funds help schools buy N.C. produce by Miriam Stawowy The Herald-Sun Published 01/07/1999
For five years, spring has brought fresh, ripe strawberries to Person County school cafeterias. Sometimes, sweet potatoes too. Most of the produce doesn't come from far-away places like California and Florida, though, but from the nearby fields of Person County farmers who grow and deliver their crops for... · Read the entire article.
Watsonville by Matthew Sommer City on a Hill Press Published 00/01/0000
UC Santa Cruz students will be building a garden at Watsonville’s Renaissance Continuation High School this quarter and teaching the students about sustainable farming techniques. · Read the entire article.
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A Living, Breathing Salad by John Suchocki The Springfield Republican Published 00/01/0000
To make a point, Chicopee School Lunch Food Services Director Joanne Lennon dressed up as a potato and was glad to do it at a recent press conference at Lambert Lavoie School attended by Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette, U. S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and School Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. Lennon, along with three other ladies, dressed as vegetables and fruit to mark Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week Sept. 24 to 30 and to emphasize the importance of using locally grown food in school meals. The message was also brought home by the work of RuralVotes, a nonpartisan advocacy organization based in Western Massachusetts that advocates use of local produce and expanding preventative health care strategies nationwide. Homegrown Foods Debut In Md. Schools by Scott Broom WUSA 9 Published 00/01/0000
Maryland public school kids got their first taste of locally grown produce in lunchrooms around the state today. Schools in at least 17 of the states 23 counties are participating in Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, according to the state's Department of Agriculture. Together with the state's Department of Education, the agencies have created the Maryland Farm to School program. · Read the entire article.
Florida by USDA USDA Published 00/00/0000
"Hey! Where's the man with the Collards?" One boy's question reflects how much students in Northwest Florida schools like having fresh cooked collard greens included in their school lunches. · Read the entire article.
Media That Matters: Good Food by Arts Engine Inc. Film Festival Published 00/00/0000
A number of short documentaries about food, farming, gardening, youth involvement, soda in schools and more! · Read the entire article.