Alabama Media Coverage

Highlights of the 2009 Alabama Food Summit by Amanda Storey. Birmingham Weekly. Published 11/12/2009.
Why does food matter to you? And what kind of food matters to you? The convenient kind? The local kind? The fast kind? It probably depends on where you live, how much money you make and how much time you have available. For example, a weekend trip to Pepper Place Market might be considered a no-brainer to some, while others see it as a luxury if they can find transportation to get there. A midday meal comprised of a Big Mac and fries also might be a no-brainer to some, while others recognize that that kind of consumption is part of national food crisis of sorts - a system in which obesity is epidemic and access to fresh, healthy food is limited. Read the entire article.

Getting real about school lunches by Amanda Storey. Birmingham Weekly. Published 11/11/2009.
If you aren’t packing your children's lunch each day, you trust the cafeteria is feeding them nutritionally balanced and safe foods. In fact, over 30 million kids across the country are relying on federally funded school lunches which are often prepackaged, processed, and a far cry from healthy. Here’s how it works: The National School Lunch Program assists schools (public and non-profit private) with a meal program that promises to provide “nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reimburses participating schools with cash and/or donated commodities for each meal they serve. Sounds great, right? Well, not so fast. Read the entire article.

From the farm to the lunch tray by Chad Petri. WKRG News. Published 12/04/2007.
For the fourth year in a row, much of this year's satsuma harvest is going to Alabama public schools in the "farm to school" program. "We look at it as a win win situation," says Director of the Gulf Coast research and extension center Ronnie McDaniel. "I mean, it's helping the growers, plus the kids are getting a good fruit." Read the entire article.

Ag in the Classroom by Kevin Worthington. ALFA Farmers Federation. Published 06/30/2006.
With the number of farmers in the U.S. declining each year, fewer and fewer people have the opportunity to experience farm life. With that in mind, 61 teachers from across the state will be taking the lessons they learned at the Alabama Ag in the Classroom Teachers' Institute back to their students this fall. As Kevin Worthington reports, organizers of the conference hope children will spread the message of agriculture to their parents. Read the entire article.

School lunchrooms increase use of Alabama produce by Amy Sieckmann. The Star. Published 11/28/2004.
The first time Bill Bailey learned what a satsuma was, the state told him it was coming to his school. He'd never heard of such a food before then, and, as child nutrition director of Cleburne County's schools, that made Bailey a tad nervous about how he was going to sell it to a clientele known for picky eating. Read the entire article.

Farm to School Lunch Program by Kevin Worthington. ALFA Farmers Federation. Published 01/16/2004.
Students in Alabama Schools are finding something different on their lunch plate lately - Food Grown in Alabama. Under a new program, school cafeterias across the state are buying much of the food they serve directly from Alabama Farmers. As Kevin Worthington reports, the program is designed to be nutritious to students and beneficial to farmers. Read the entire article.