Washington Media Coverage
Sizing Food Safety to Fit Small Farms by Gretchen Goetz. Food Safety News. Published 03/10/2011.
Most farmers would rather sift through a batch of seeds than a pile of paperwork. Yet selling to the public requires a food safety plan, which means time spent behind the desk in addition to out in the field. Now an innovative program in Washington state aims to create streamlined guidelines for food safety that will allow small farms to profit from the local food movement without getting bogged down in bureaucracy. Read the entire article.
School Lunch Program Goes Local, Safely by Gretchen Goetz. Food Safety News. Published 02/16/2011.
A school district in Washington state has ditched frozen French fries and chicken fingers this year in favor of fresh fare. Students will not be the only beneficiaries of Vashon's meal service makeover. The local economy is set to get a boost from the program as well. The school district is now working with the Vashon Island Growers' Association (VIGA) to incorporate fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers into school menus. Read the entire article.
School cafeterias hope to serve locally grown food by Leslie Brown. Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber. Published 02/02/2011.
The Vashon Island School District is working with the Vashon Island Growers Association (VIGA) to develop a program to bring locally grown fruits and vegetables into the district’s three cafeterias. Read the entire article.
Mountain View to offer Ferndale Fries as pilot farm-to-school program by KIRA M. COX . THE BELLINGHAM HERALD . Published 01/14/2011.
Students at Ferndale's Mountain View Elementary School will soon be treated to freshly baked potatoes from northwest Washington as part of their school lunch. On Jan. 27, the french fries and tater tots at the school are being exchanged for locally grown potato wedges, as part of a pilot farm-to-school project.
Read the entire article.
School Lunch Reflects Cultural Values by Cynthia Lair . Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Published 11/02/2010.
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Port Angeles schools roll out new menu. Peninsula Daily News. Published 10/29/2010.
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Reinventing the School Lunch by Susan Riemer. Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber. Published 10/27/2010.
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Food for Thought by MATTHEW NASH . Sequim Gazette. Published 10/20/2010.
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Local Food Coming to Schools a Small Bite a Time by Angela Dice. Kitsap Sun. Published 09/29/2010.
Washington State’s Bremerton and Bainbridge school districts celebrated Taste Washington Day with locally sourced menu items that were procured with assistance from the Local Farms-Health Kids Act, a state program designed to help schools that have large numbers of low-income students buy produce.
Read the entire article.
School lunch has so many issues to chew on, it by Maureen O. Seattle Times. Published 09/25/2010.
This thoughtful and in depth report on school meals reform shows the complexity of the issues facing food service directors who are trying to improve the quality and healthfulness of school food. FOCUS district Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Director of Nutrition Services Eric Boutin and Assistant Director of Nutrition Services Wendy Weyer contribute. A related article in the Seattle Times looks at several menu items served in SPS and the issues surrounding each one. Boutin and Tricia Kovacs of Washington’s Farm to School Program are featured in a discussion of the challenges to incorporating fresh, local produce into school meals from the Associated Press.
Read the entire article.
School lunch has so many issues to chew on, it by Maureen O. Seattle Times. Published 09/25/2010.
This thoughtful and in depth report on school meals reform shows the complexity of the issues facing food service directors who are trying to improve the quality and healthfulness of school food. FOCUS district Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Director of Nutrition Services Eric Boutin and Assistant Director of Nutrition Services Wendy Weyer contribute. A related article in the Seattle Times looks at several menu items served in SPS and the issues surrounding each one. Boutin and Tricia Kovacs of Washington’s Farm to School Program are featured in a discussion of the challenges to incorporating fresh, local produce into school meals from the Associated Press.
Read the entire article.
Olympia: School lunches feature Taste Washington Day by John Dodge. The News Tribune. Published 09/23/2010.
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Attention to food safety can open doors by Steve Brown. Capital Press Agricultural News. Published 08/05/2010.
Farmers interested in providing food to schools and other institutions got a look at what's required for Good Agricultural Practices certification during a farm walk July 26. Tricia Kovacs, Farm-to-School Program manager for the Washington State Department of Agriculture, said adherence to GAP is not mandatory statewide, "but some schools require third-party audits or certification," she said. Besides training food producers, she said, her program also trains school food nutrition directors about what to expect with direct-purchasing relationships. Read the entire article.
Filling the GAP to Potential New Markets. Washington State University News. Published 07/27/2010.
When the Washington State Legislature passed the Local Farms-Healthy Kids Act in 2008, it opened a potential new market for local fruit and vegetable producers. The Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Farm-to-School Program is working to build partnerships to enable local growers to take advantage of not only the local school market but also opportunities to provide produce to other institutions. According to WSDA Farm-to-School Program coordinator Tricia Sexton Kovacs, one major step that local producers can take toward taking advantage of those markets is to submit their operations to Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices audits. Read the entire article.
Mock Good Agricultural Practices Audit. Food Safety News. Published 07/26/2010.
The organic farm at Washington State University's Puyallup Research and Extension Center will be the subject of a mock Good Agricultural Practices audit, and farmers are invited to participate. The audit will be conducted as part of the Tilth Producers and WSU Small Farms Program farm walk at the facility on Monday, July 26, from 12:30 to 4 pm. It is free and no advance registration is required. The farm walk audit is a joint project with the Washington State Department of Agriculture Farm-to-School Program.
Read the entire article.
Putting farm food on the plate. HeraldNet. Published 07/07/2010.
The state Department of Agriculture and the Washington School Nutrition Association are asking local farmers to participate in the state Farm-to-School program’s “Taste Washington Day” on Sept. 29.
Read the entire article.
King County program serves up a feast of healthful eating by Maureen O'Hagan. The Seattle Times. Published 07/06/2010.
"It's always amazing how we always have enough food, and it comes out pretty good," said Cristina Orbe, program manager at FEEST, which stands for Food Education Empowerment and Sustainability Team.
The free drop-in program — with a budget of about $50,000, courtesy of the King County Food and Fitness Initiative — teaches young people about cooking and healthful eating. All the meals are centered on vegetables, with a little bit of meat thrown in occasionally. Read the entire article.
Washington Gov. signs food reporting order . Natural Resource Report. Published 06/25/2010.
A coalition of farmers, children’s health advocates, environmentalists, and anti-hunger advocates applauded the Executive Order issued today by Governor Gregoire at the Food Systems Strategies Summit. Executive Order 10-02 brings together agencies and community partners to coordinate their work and increase collaboration to strengthen our state’s food system. Read the entire article.
Food Grown for Kids, by Kids Could Become Staple of Kitsap Lunch Rooms by Marietta Nelson. Kitsap Sun. Published 06/18/2010.
As the local food movement grows, schoolyard gardens are becoming nearly as ubiquitous in Washington public schools as, well, standardized tests. So it only makes sense that some of the homegrown grub makes it on to the lunch line.
Read the entire article.
Perspective: A farm-to-cafeteria program in Jefferson County. The Leader. Published 06/16/2010.
What is a farm-to-cafeteria program and why is it important for our community? It means serving locally grown foods in institutions; including schools, hospitals and senior centers. It means providing better tasting and more nutritious food that’s freshly picked and often organically grown. It means creating new markets for small farmers who struggle with overhead costs, high land values, yet don’t qualify for government subsidies. It means growing school gardens, offering hands-on education in science, math, environment, nutrition and health. The farm-to-cafeteria movement is growing and has expanded to almost 9,000 schools around the U.S. in the last few years. Read the entire article.
Farm-to-School Program in the Bellingham School District. SchoolTube. Published 06/16/2010.
A video following Fairhaven students/volunteers in their efforts for fresh farm food in the cafeteria and afterschool. Read the entire article.
Five Reasons for Optimism on the School Food Front by Sarah Henry. lettuce eat kale. Published 05/10/2010.
An ex-Washington Post reporter, who now blogs about school food, recently spent a week embedded in the central kitchen of the Berkeley Unified School District, in my hometown.
Read the entire article.
Port Townsend group petitions for healthy, local food in schools by Jennifer Jackson. Peninsula Daily News. Published 04/26/2010.
According to the film "Two Angry Moms," it takes a whole community to change the status quo.
Read the entire article.
Hot Lunch: Discussing Student Food, Chicken Nuggets, and Reality TV with the Head of Seattle Public by Steven Blum. The Stranger. Published 04/20/2010.
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is all about the crappy food American public schools serve to kids. Oliver is famous for revamping the school lunch program in Britain, and since the kids there ate crap, and the kids here eat crap, and because kids who eat crap tend to grow up into adults who eat crap, the show focuses mainly on Oliver's attempts to revamp a school lunch program in Huntington, West Virginia, which is filled to the brim with crap. Read the entire article.
Whatcom schools work to get local produce to students by Kira Cox. The Bellingham Herald. Published 04/11/2010.
Whatcom County is heavy in agriculture, with large berry farms, apple orchards and small vegetable farms dotting the landscape, but very little of that produce makes it into the county's seven school districts.
Read the entire article.
School District plans to grow vegetables for lunch program by Anthony Gomes. KHQ Local News. Published 03/22/2010.
Lynette Romney was sitting in a meeting last Spring where students were complaining about the quality of apples and produce in their lunches.
"It occurred to me that we have a ton of fallow fields in this area, why don't we just grow our own?" Romney asked. Read the entire article.
Fresh from the farm: Delivery of beef is latest, tasty lesson for Quilcene School by Jennifer Jackson. Peninsula Daily News. Published 03/08/2010.
Food doesn't necessarily come long distances on a truck anymore. On Wednesday, Quilcene School students will be served tacos made with grass-fed Angus beef raised on a farm 10 miles up the road. Read the entire article.
Farm to School program changes kids' views on food by Lisa Rathke. The Seattle Times. Published 02/08/2010.
About 40 states have farm-to-school programs, but Vermont is a leader in incorporating all three missions into its programs.
"Vermont has really taken it on in quite the most holistic way and not just in a couple of school districts but statewide," said Anupama Joshi, director of the Farm to School program, based at the Center for Food and Justice at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Read the entire article.
Farm-fresh school lunches on the way by Joan Qazi. The Wenatchee World. Published 02/01/2010.
“What’s for lunch?” Sometimes I don’t want to answer this question, especially when I know my kids and I don’t always agree about what constitutes a good meal. If it’s not pizza or burgers, then they show less enthusiasm about sitting down to eat.
There are people whose paid employment means facing up to this question asked by hundreds of kids every day. School food service personnel are charged with feeding our children well-balanced, nutritious meals and snacks during their school day. This task is made even harder by constrained budgets and national health statistics trending upwards for childhood obesity and diabetes Read the entire article.
Farm-to-cafeteria bandwagon rolls on with meetings in Port Angeles, Port Townsend by Jennifer Jackson. Peninsula Daily News. Published 12/13/2009.
Two meetings to advance the discussion started last month at the North Olympic Peninsula Farm to Cafeteria conference are scheduled this week.
In Port Angeles, a short documentary about two Washington state school districts that buy and serve local foods to students, "Stepping Up to the Plate," will be shown Monday.
The film by Candice Cosler, which will begin at 6 p.m. at the Port Angeles Public Library, 2210 South Peabody St., will be followed by a review of highlights of the conference, said Beth Loveridge, a conference organizer and member of the Port Angeles School District's Committee for Nutrition and Exercise.
Read the entire article.
Wash. awarded specialty-crop grants by Dan Wheat. Capitol Press. Published 11/15/2009.
Washington state organizations will receive $2.6 million in federal assistance as they work to expand economic opportunities for specialty crop farmers and develop more efficient farming practices. Grants from the USDA's Specialty Crop Block Grant Program are being administered by the state Department of Agriculture for projects to increase the competitiveness of state fruit, vegetable and horticulture growers.
Read the entire article.
Farm to Cafeteria conference brings buyers, sellers to table by Jennifer Jackson. Peninsula Daily News. Published 11/06/2009.
The message of the first North Olympic Peninsula Farm to The Cafeteria Conference on Thursday was that the farmer and the food buyer should be friends. Read the entire article.
$2.6 million in federal grants will promote Washington agriculture by Jason Kelly. Access Washington. Published 10/15/2009.
After reviewing more than 100 initial concept papers and 35 proposals, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) selected 14 projects that will increase the competitiveness of the state's fruit, vegetable and horticulture growers. Funding for the research, education and marketing projects is provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Read the entire article.
EV district takes fresh approach to lunch by Nina Culver. The Spokesman Review. Published 10/01/2009.
East Valley school district is moving toward more fresh fruits and vegetables, and is sourcing from local farms in season.
Excerpt: [Kitchen manager] Cash said that the kitchen workers requested the menu changes. "We were not happy with the old program," she said. "They worked with us, and it changed for the better."
The cooks are busier now that they're making more things from scratch, but they don't mind. "It's worth it," said Cash. "The kids are giving us compliments." Read the entire article.
Know Your Farmer -- Better Yet, Know Your Farm Worker by Angles Garbes. Seattle Weekly. Published 10/01/2009.
Anyone who works in the food industry knows that the Latino workforce is essential to its success. But to the average "foodie," these workers are practically invisible. From line cooks to dishwashers to farm workers who harvest fruits and vegetables, Latinos remain largely out of view, which means the issues they face are rarely discussed in the food community. But it looks like this is beginning to change. Read the entire article.
School children feast on farm fresh food. Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber. Published 09/23/2009.
It's not officially a part of the farm-to-school movement, since the school district neither purchases from a local farmer nor officially educates students about the benefits of eating locally. However, Chautauqua has a highly productive food garden, which is used as a outdoor classroom for biology and nutrition and cultivated by the students in the school's multi-age first- through third-grade program. Read the entire article.
School Lunch: Are We Doggin' It? by Cynthia Lair. SeattlePi. Published 09/16/2009.
In 2007 I served on the voluntary Nutrition Advisory Committee of the Seattle public school lunch program. Members made field trips to schools, ate the cafeteria lunch food and wrote reports with observations and comments. Read the entire article.
Strengthen Child Nutrition Act by Bob Conner. The Olympian. Published 09/10/2009.
I'm writing to thank The Olympian for its coverage of the national debate on health care reform, and to point out a great opportunity for Congress to support the health of children and families everywhere by reauthorizing and strengthening the Child Nutrition Act ? the law that governs school lunch programs. Read the entire article.
Fifth Season Bounty Fills F2C Freezer. Islands. Published 08/20/2009.
Orcas Island Farm to Cafeteria Program partnered with the FEAST summer agriculture education students at the school to process and freeze fresh produce for use during the school year. The Fifth Season bounty included organic plums, raspberries, Walla Walla onions, russet potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, squash, and green beans. Read the entire article.
Intimate Portrait: Ralph Ariza, AmeriCorps Intern by Ralph Ariza. Mountain Talk. Published 06/05/2009.
My major guiding light right now is the direction that my Community Action Project is taking. I have been researching farm-to-school connections and edible school gardens. Read the entire article.
What's For Lunch? Fruits & Vegetables by Sade Malloy. kimatv. Published 06/05/2009.
The Toppenish School District just got a Gold award from the USDA for their healthy food options. Read the entire article.
Saving the planet starts with kids by Colleen Armstrong. Island Sounder. Published 06/02/2009.
By educating and instilling an appreciation for all plants, creatures and the relationship between them, we are ensuring a brighter future for ourselves and the land that surrounds us. Read the entire article.
Evening Meals at School Open House features new community resource. Islands Weekly. Published 05/17/2009.
The menu and the mission of these community dinners are lessons themselves in the benefit of sustainable, local foods and the strength of a connected community. Inspired by the L.I.F.E. Farm-to-School program, which is designed to teach sustainability, ecology and real life skills, the dinners began two years ago with the goal of strengthening ties between the community and the school. Read the entire article.
Ag department tightens its belt by Cookson Beecher. Capital Press. Published 04/30/2009.
The Washington State Agriculture Department will receive $4 million less than it requested from the state general fund under the 2009-11 operating budget that legislators sent to Gov. Chris Gregoire on Sunday, April 26. Based on governor-directed reductions amounting to $2.2 million, the Farm-to-School program will be scaled back, and funding will be eliminated for the "From the Heart of Washington" marketing campaign and grants for market promotion, fighting trade barriers and the wine commission. Read the entire article.
Study of wetland pastures launched on Lopez Island. Islands Weekly. Published 04/27/2009.
Students in the Lopez Farm-to-School program will visit field stations and learn about the study as well. Read the entire article.
Farm to Cafeteria. KUOW 94.9FM. Published 03/18/2009.
School lunch. Can you smell the chicken nuggets, sloppy joes, and ambrosia salad? What if school lunch was healthy, fresh, and local instead? Straight from the farms to your kids. The "Local Farms - Healthy Kids" bill passed the state legislature last year, but it's been hard to implement. Many schools don't even have kitchens. Today we'll check up on how the farm to school initiative is going in Washington State. Read the entire article.
Farming study aims to aid ag industry by Ingrid Stegemoeller. Tri-city Herald. Published 01/07/2009.
Food and agriculture were worth $42 billion in Washington in 2007, making them among the state's largest employers. Read the entire article.
State ready to slash budget by Cookson Beecher. Capital Press. Published 12/24/2008.
The Agriculture Department, which would have a $129.6 million budget, would see a 12 percent cut in the money coming from the state's General Fund.
The proposed cuts include:
- One of the 2.5 positions in the new farm-to-school program.
Read the entire article.
WSDA's Farm-to-school workshop Thursday by Ingrid Stegemoeller. Tri-City Herald. Published 12/09/2008.
A day-long workshop Thursday, Dec.11, will launch the Washington State Department of Agriculture's new Farm-to-School program and aims to build connections between growers and schools. The free workshop is 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Puyallup, with video conferencing available at Washington State University Extension offices, including Kennewick. Read the entire article.
WSDA Farm-to-School workshop will improve kids' access to healthy Washington foods by Jason Kelly. Washington State Department of Agriculture. Published 12/08/2008.
Washington State Department of Agriculture's (WSDA) new Farm-to-School Program launches this week with a free, all-day workshop on building successful farm-to-school connections in local communities. Read the entire article.
Farm-to-school workshops slated by Cookson Beecher. Capital Press. Published 12/05/2008.
Washington state Extension agents and other ag professionals are invited to attend a workshop about farm-to-school connections. The workshop will provide information about how to help growers expand their local markets and provide access to more fresh foods for school children. The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, at the D.F. Allmendinger Center at the Washington State University research center in Puyallup. Read the entire article.
Lopez Principal to retire and embark on new journey by Colleen Armstrong. Islands Weekly. Published 11/25/2008.
Some of the major events during MacNichol's tenure include the secondary school converting to block scheduling; developing the alternative high school program; bringing the graduation rate up to 98 percent, and the college-bound rate to 95 percent; organizing an annual middle school fall retreat at Camp Nor'Wester; helping the Farm to School program take off; and fostering a relationship with the Lopez Island Family Resource Center through the Readiness to Learn grant. Read the entire article.
Tsongas pays area a visit by Brad Petrishan. Wicked Local. Published 10/23/2008.
Congresswoman Niki Tsongas talked Washington apples rather than Washington politics Friday, as she visited a number of orchards and farms across the fifth congressional district to get a better idea of the challenges facing its 535 farm owners.
"What started my whole reconsideration of the farm bill ? was hearing that one of three children in my district go hungry," she said, adding that she believes local produce can help alleviate the problem through programs such as the Farm to School Program. Read the entire article.
Tsongas tours district's finest farms by Brad Petrishen. The MetroWest Daily News. Published 10/18/2008.
Established about five years ago, the nonprofit Farm to School Program helps match public schools with local farmers who provide them with fresh produce. Read the entire article.
Fresh Produce Programs Are Win-Winners by Editorial Board. Kitsap Sun. Published 10/12/2008.
This spring, Washington lawmakers passed Local Farms-Healthy Kids legislation, with funding to connect schools with Washington farmers and produce distributors. Consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables is a lifestyle change that children may bring home to their families, and carry with them into adulthood - a significant step toward increasing health and reducing obesity in our society. Read the entire article.
Local Produce Gets More Prominent in the Lunch Line by Edie Lau. Kitsap Sun. Published 10/11/2008.
Washington lawmakers this spring boosted the local angle by passing legislation dubbed Local Farms-Healthy Kids, which puts personnel and money toward connecting schools with Washington farmers and distributors. The first act of the new law was to offer $600,000 in grants to elementary schools with a high proportion of low-income students. Read the entire article.
Badly Needed: Seattle-Area School Food Programs by Alex Steffen. World Changing Seattle. Published 09/14/2008.
Farm-to-classroom programs, schoolyard gardens and innovative educational programs like the Netherlands' Kinderkookkafé can not only provide better food than is often available now to even the wealthiest Seattle public school kids, but also teach life-skills in how to eat well. Read the entire article.
Farms to Schools: Local Foods for Local Kids by Julia Steinberger. World Changing Seattle. Published 09/03/2008.
Imagine a school cafeteria where kids line up at a salad bar that's brimming with fresh, locally produced fruits and vegetables. Imagine that they know - and feel proud - that the milk in their milk carton comes from a Washington dairy. It's starting to happen in Washington State. Read the entire article.
25 schools to get state fruits, vegetables by Jennifer Langston. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Published 08/22/2008.
Twenty-five schools statewide will be able to buy Washington-grown fruits and vegetables as snacks this year, thanks to new legislation. The Local Farms-Healthy Kids bill passed nearly unanimously in Olympia earlier this year aims to get nutritious food to schoolchildren and provide economic opportunities to state farmers. Read the entire article.
The Art of Eating Locally by Kayt Lange. The Melon. Published 08/13/2008.
This past legislative session in Olympia, I was thrilled to watch the "Farm to School" bill, sponsored by Rep. Eric Pettigrew, D-Seattle, pass both chambers with ease. This bill, in the top four priorities of our environmental community, attracted support from parents, public health employees, child advocates, state school nutritionists, and farmers alike. Read the entire article.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Get more local produce into the schools by Joan Crooks and Clayton Burrows. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Published 12/18/2007.
We believe Washington is a special place to live that is blessed with productive farmland, thriving communities and millions of people who all want a healthy future for their kids. We believe in helping local farms thrive by providing increased markets for Washington crops while providing nutritious food options for kids in our schools.
"Local Farms -- Healthy Kids" is an idea that marries these goals of thriving farms and healthy kids into one legislative proposal. Read the entire article.
Fresh-produce market makes some gains with schools by Jennifer Langston. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Published 10/16/2007.
The big challenge is to create farm-to-cafeteria programs on an economically meaningful scale.
"You can hardly turn on the radio and not find something about food security, buying local, concerns about global warming," said Allen Rozema, executive director of Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland. "We're on a wave of change, and maybe that's why we're getting traction that other groups haven't in the past."
Read the entire article.Many barriers keep organic food out of school lunches by Jennifer Langston. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Published 10/15/2007.
In the Puget Sound region, consumers increasingly want local food -- for the fresh taste, to curb carbon emissions or because of concerns about the safety of food grown overseas. While schools are offering healthier menu choices, what seems like a no-brainer -- feeding local kids locally grown food -- is surprisingly hard to do.
Read the entire article.Olympia district's farm-to-school program a role model by Jennifer Langston. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Published 10/15/2007.
Across the Olympia School District, each cafeteria offers a hot lunch and salad bar loaded with protein sources, organic produce and greens picked a few miles down the road. The organic salad bar started five years ago after parents at Lincoln Elementary helped make connections with local farms. It's now offered in every school.
How various farm-to-school programs got their start by Jennifer Langston. Seattle PI. Published 10/15/2007.
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Some Washington Schools go Organic for Lunch by Rebecca Cook. Associated Press.. Published 09/12/2004.
The tempting smell of pepperoni pizza drifted through the air as students poured into the cafeteria. But 11-year-old Cameron Landry walked straight past the cheesy slices and started piling organic lettuce, pita pockets and blueberries on his tray. Read the entire article.
Seattle School Board Approves Comprehensive Suite of Nutrition Policies Sales of Sodas and Junk Food. Seattle School Board Approves Comprehensive Suite of Nutrition Policies Sales of Sodas and Junk Food. Published 09/03/2004.
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Our Views. The Olympian. Published 10/28/2003.
Food choice is important. The Olympia School District has a school lunch program that has gained national recognition. And well it should. The Organic Choices Program allows students at the district's 11 elementary schools to dine at a salad bar consisting of healthy, nutritious fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and protein sources such as eggs, beans and cottage cheese. It started at Lincoln Elementary School last year and has since spread to the other elementary... Read the entire article.
Olympia Schools Continue to Focus on Nutritious Food by Wendy Culverwell. The Olympian. Published 04/29/2003.
Adolescents have little trouble indulging their taste for junk food during school hours, but the choices are narrowing in Olympia schools. Read the entire article.
Mount Vernon School Wins National "Farm-to-School" Contest. Q13 FOX News. Published 00/01/0000.
In one week, the Lincoln Elementary School Garden Club will be honored at the National Farm-To-Cafeteria Conference sponsored by the national Farm To School Network. They won the "Real food is ..." national video contest - a competition that encourages schools to show off how they're trying to get healthier, locally grown food into their schools. Read the entire article.
Lincoln Elementary wins video contest, $1,000 and trip to Detroit by Kate Martin . boskagit.com. Published 00/01/0000.
At the beginning of the month, Lincoln Elementary School was chosen as one of five finalists for a video contest by Farm to School, a group that aims to improve the quality of school lunches nationwide. Read the entire article.