National Media Coverage
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.
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.
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.