National Farm to School Network Nourishing Kids and Community

Our Vision: The National Farm to School Network envisions a nation in which Farm to School programs are an essential component of strong and just local and regional food systems, ensuring the health of all school children, farms, environment, economy and communities.

Download our brochure, contact information, chronology, and list of accomplishments.

The National Farm to School Network sprouted from this desire to support community-based food systems, strengthen family farms, and improve student health by reducing childhood obesity. Eight regional lead agencies and national staff provide free training and technical assistance, information services, networking, and support for policy, media and marketing activities. The National Farm to School Network is a collaborative project of the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College and the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC).

What is Farm to School? Farm to School is broadly defined as a program that connects schools (K-12) 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 local and regional farmers. Since each Farm to School program is shaped by its unique community and region, the National Farm to School Network does not prescribe or impose a list of practices or products for the Farm to School approach.

In sum, Farm to School brings healthy food from local farms to school children nationwide. Farm to School is a comprehensive program that extends beyond farm fresh salad bars and local foods in the cafeteria to include waste management programs like composting, and experiential education opportunities such as planting school gardens, cooking demonstrations and farm tours. The program teaches students about the path from farm to fork, and instills healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. At the same time, use of local produce in school meals and educational activities provides a new direct market for farmers in the area and mitigates environmental impacts of transporting food long distances. The Farm to School approach helps children understand where their food comes from and how their food choices impact their bodies, the environment and their communities at large.

History

From just a handful in the late 1990’s, Farm to School programs have spread to approximately 400 in 2004, 1,000 in 2007 and over 2,000 in 2010 spanning all 50 states. Click here for the Chronology of Farm to School. Origins of the National Farm to School Network date back to a collaborative project, the National Farm to School Program, led by the Center for Food & Justice in 2000. A four-year project funded by the USDA Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS 2000-2004), the National Farm to School Program spearheaded the development of the farm to school movement across the country, successfully assisting organizations in starting up and sustaining farm to school efforts, fundraising, and providing informational resources, education and training for stakeholders.

In order to sustain and build on the momentum created through the National Farm to School Program, over 30 organizations across the nation gathered in 2005 to explore the opportunities for a collaborative national farm to school structure that strengthened and expanded activities in states with existing programs and assisted others that did not yet have programs. Out of this planning process, the National Farm to School Network was born in 2007. The National Farm to School Network is supported in part by a $2.4 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Click here for a summary of our accomplishments.

Contact Debra Eschmeyer for more information and join our network here.

Staff

The Network is jointly managed by staff from the two organizations along with eight Regional Lead Agencies:

Urban & Environmental Policy Institute
Occidental College
1600 Campus Road | Mail Stop M1
Los Angeles, CA 90041
www.uepi.oxy.edu

Anupama Joshi - Program Director
Tel: 323-341-5095
Fax: 323-258-2917

Debra Eschmeyer - Outreach & Communications Director
Tel: 419-753-3412
Cell: 419-905-8612

Community Food Security Coalition
www.foodsecurity.org

Marion Kalb - Program Director
3900 Paseo del Sol
Santa Fe, NM 87505
Tel: 505-474-5782
Fax: 505-473-3421

Megan Lott -Program Policy Coordinator 
110 Maryland Ave NE #307
Washington DC 20002
Tel: 202-543-8602
Fax: 202-543-0978