Maryland Media Coverage

Striving for nutrition, appeal and affordability by Scott Blackburn. Delmarva Now. Published 10/16/2008.
Nutrition, appeal and affordability continue to be primary focuses for school food and nutrition service programs in our state. This year, the focus on providing students with fresh fruits and vegetables has expanded with the Farm to School initiative. Not only does this program encourage our children to enjoy the benefits (taste and nutrition) of fresh produce, it also enables school systems to partner with local farmers, supporting this vital industry. Read the entire article.

Promoting Agriculture: Students flourish during Homegrown School Lunch Week by Laurie Savage. Frederick News Post. Published 10/13/2008.
The Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week celebration kicked off recently at Takoma Park Middle School with the crunch of Montgomery County-grown apples. "Food doesn't grow in the supermarket, it grows in Maryland on farms," said Sen. Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County. Raskin was a lead sponsor, along with Del. Sheila Hixson, of Farm-to-School Program legislation. Read the entire article.

Local produce on school menu is a winning offer by Roger Richardson and Nancy S. Grasmick. Delmarva Now. Published 10/13/2008.
We thank The Daily Times for its coverage of the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School initiative and the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Program during the week of Sept. 22-26. This exciting new program, signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley this year, is designed to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches and to help educate students about the source of their food, how it is produced and the benefits of a healthy diet. Read the entire article.

Farm-to-School initiative shows great promise by Roger Richardson. Cumberland Times-News. Published 10/12/2008.
Thank you for your coverage of the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School initiative and the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Program (Sept. 22-26). This exciting new program, signed into law by Gov. (Martin) O’Malley this year, is designed to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches and to help educate students about the source of their food, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet. Read the entire article.

School Menus Offer Locally Grown Food by Lori Aratani. Washington Post. Published 10/02/2008.
State and local officials are hoping a new initiative will help schoolchildren across Maryland appreciate local farmers and the crops they grow. Last week, the state sponsored Homegrown School Lunch Week, an effort to teach children that the watermelon chunks and cucumber slices they see on their lunch trays come from nearby fields -- not the supermarket. Farmers and officials appeared at Maryland schools, where they set up displays of Maryland-grown produce. Read the entire article.

Making the connection from farm to plate by Jesse Yeatman. Southern Maryland Newspapers. Published 10/01/2008.
A new program aims to educate students on where their food comes from and make school lunch healthier in the process. "It's a very important connection for them to make … from the farm to the plate," said Susan McQuilkin, marketing executive for the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission. She said many children do not know where the food they eat comes from or how food grows. Read the entire article.

A look at new laws taking effect in Md. by Associated Press. The Baltimore Sun. Published 09/30/2008.
FARM TO SCHOOL: Promotes the sale of farm products grown in Maryland to Maryland schools. Read the entire article.

Back to food's roots by Karen Goldberg. The Washington Times. Published 09/26/2008.
In this age of soaring childhood obesity rates and eating bad food on the run, there is often a disconnect between food origins and the food on our plates. That's why Maryland created the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program. The initiative, named for the late state delegate, encourages using Maryland-grown products in public schools. The program also will help educate children about the origins of their food and how to incorporate healthy eating into their diets. Read the entire article.

Program connects schools with farmers by Margarita Raycheva. Gazette. Published 09/25/2008.
During the Homegrown School Lunch Week, schools highlight locally grown products and use them to teach students about healthy eating as well as the dynamics of local food production in their area. The initiative will expand in future. The Maryland State Department of Education is developing guidelines for teachers, so they can include nutrition and agriculture education in their classroom curriculum, said Stewart Eidel, who oversees school and community nutrition programs at the Maryland State Department of Education. Read the entire article.

Lunch program connects farmers to schools by Jeremy Arias. The Gazette. Published 09/24/2008.
Students, county and state representatives joined area farmers Tuesday at Takoma Park Middle School to kick off the statewide Homegrown School Lunch Week, part of the Jane Lawton Farm to School program. The aim of the program, named after former state Del. Jane E. Lawton (D-Dist. 18) of Chevy Chase, is to connect the often overlooked Maryland farmers and agricultural community to state school cafeterias as a market. County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) took the podium briefly to praise the benefits to both farmers and students. Read the entire article.

Farm to School Days - It Takes a Lot of Food to Feed 17,000 Students a Day by Pete Hurrey. The Bay Net. Published 09/24/2008.
Beginning on Monday, Sept. 22, St. Mary’s County Public Schools embarked on a revolutionary nutrition program called Farm to School, in St. Mary’s County. The program seeks to introduce locally grown farm products to children in St. Mary’s County Schools. This first of its kind program will have children introduced to the concept of local produce and, as part of their normal school curriculum learn about farming and nutrition. Read the entire article.

Fresh idea: Schools pair with Baugher’s to provide local produce to students by Karen Kemp. Carroll County Times. Published 09/23/2008.
Carroll County students will be helping to support local agriculture when they eat the fresh gala apples that come with their school lunches this week. The school system is partnering with Baugher’s Orchard in Westminster to offer the newly picked fruits to 38 schools for the first Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, which started Monday. It is part of the Jane Lawton Farm to School Program created during this year’s session of the Maryland General Assembly in an effort to bring more locally grown products into schools. Read the entire article.

Maryland Students Get a Taste of Locally Grown Produce by Megan A. Conlan. Capital News Service. Published 09/23/2008.
The cafeteria tables in Takoma Park Middle School were lined with both adults and students enjoying locally grown produce during Tuesday's kick-off event for Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week. Read the entire article.

Washington Co. schools to serve local produce by Erin Cunningham. Herald-Mail. Published 09/18/2008.
Lunch provided at public schools could include an apple from as far away as Washington or fruit canned in Florida. However, next week, Washington County Public Schools will offer meals that include fresh fruit and vegetables grown, for the most part, within 45 miles. Washington County Homegrown School Lunch Week is derived from a Maryland Senate bill passed earlier this year that established the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program in the Department of Agriculture. Read the entire article.

Maryland Researchers Find Kids Will Eat Fruits and Vegetables at School. Media Newswire. Published 09/17/2008.
How can you get children to eat more fruits and vegetables at school? University of Maryland researchers have released preliminary findings that show there are actually a number of ways to accomplish that. It's the first time Maryland school-based interventions have been shown to help kids eat a healthier diet. Read the entire article.

Homegrown school lunches to appear across Maryland by Stephanie Jordan. American Farm. Published 08/26/2008.
The Maryland Farm to School program is picking up steam across the state, with 17 counties signed up to participate in Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, which will be held Sept. 22 to Sept. 26. Read the entire article.

School lunch program to start. The Herald-Mail. Published 08/12/2008.
The Jane Lawton Farm to School Initiative was established during the 2008 session of the General Assembly to bring more Maryland grown products to school lunches and to help educate students about the source of their food, how it is produced and the benefits of a healthy diet. Read the entire article.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Homegrown Foods Debut In Md. Schools by Scott Broom. WUSA 9. Published 00/01/0000.
Maryland public school kids got their first taste of locally grown produce in lunchrooms around the state today. Schools in at least 17 of the states 23 counties are participating in Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, according to the state's Department of Agriculture. Together with the state's Department of Education, the agencies have created the Maryland Farm to School program. Read the entire article.