What is Farm to School?

Farm to School programs are popping up all over the U.S. These programs connect schools with local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime, and supporting local small farmers.

Schools buy and feature farm fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, eggs, honey, meat, and beans on their menus; incorporate nutrition-based curriculum; and provide students experiential learning opportunities through farm visits, gardening and recycling programs. Farmers have access to a new market through schools and connect to their community through participation in programs designed to educate kids about local food and sustainable agriculture.

During the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. In 1991, four states were reporting obesity prevalence rates of 15–19 percent and no states reported rates at or above 20 percent. In 2002, 20 states have obesity prevalence rates of 15–19 percent; 29 states have rates of 20–24 percent; and one state reports a rate over 25 percent. (www.cdc.gov). Also alarming is the growing trend of unhealthy foods and drinks being available on school campuses, influencing children’s choices towards eating. While our children are eating unhealthy foods, our farmers are losing out on potential markets due to globalization and the growing trends of corporations consolidating agribusiness. Farm to School programs are one solution to this multi-faceted problem that is rooted in our faulty food system. By providing healthier options in school cafeterias and through education that connects the food in the cafeteria to farms and health, children can better relate to how their food choices affect their own health, their family and the local farmer.

The National Farm to School Program

The National Farm to School Program is a collaborative program of Center for Food & Justice (CFJ), a division of the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College and the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC). Initiated in 2000, the National Program has 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 farm to school stakeholders.

The program is jointly managed by staff from the two organizations:

Center for Food & Justice Urban & Environmental Policy Institute Occidental College 1600 Campus Road | Mail Stop M1 Los Angeles, CA 90041 www.farmtoschool.org www.uepi.oxy.edu Anupama Joshi Program Director Tel: 323-341-5095 Fax: 323-258-2917 Debra Eschmeyer Program Media & Marketing Manager Tel: 419-753-3412 Cell: 202-557-6942

Community Food Security Coalition www.foodsecurity.org Marion Kalb Program Director 3900 Paseo del Sol Santa Fe, NM 87505 Tel: 505-474-5782 Fax: 505-474-5782 Steph Larsen Program Policy Organizer  110 Maryland Ave NE #307 Washington DC 20002 Tel: 202-543-8602 Fax: 202-543-0978

Origins of the National Farm to School Program date back to a collaborative project led by the Center for Food & Justice. The four-year project funded by USDA Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS 2000-2004) jumpstarted the development of farm to school projects in several states. The lessons, models and evaluation results from this project have been shared nationwide and are providing solutions to issues emerging in other states.

National Farm to School Network

In order to sustain and build on the momentum created through the National Farm to School Program, over 30 organizations across the nation have been collaborating to explore the opportunities for a collaborative national farm to school structure that strengthens and expands activities in states with existing programs and assist others that do not yet have programs. The National Farm to School Network planning process is supported by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Read more about this project. Contact Anupama Joshi for more information and join our network here.

Thank You

This website came together with the help of many people who shared with us their information, photos, time, and resources. Thank you to all those people who contributed their energy to this project.