California Media Coverage

Farm to School program plants seeds of healthy eating in kids by Lisa Rathke. Los Angeles Times. Published 02/08/2010.
The third and fourth graders at Sharon Elementary know where the veggies in their soup come from because they've visited the farms. They know the nutritional value of the carrots, onions and cabbage because they've studied them in class, and they know how they're grown because they've nurtured them in raised beds out back. Read the entire article.

Farm to School program changes kids' views on food by Lisa Rathke . Examiner. Published 02/08/2010.
The 105-student school is part of the National Farm to School Network, aimed at getting healthier meals into school cafeterias, teaching kids about agriculture and nutrition and supporting local farmers. "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.

Farr bill would increase fruits, vegetables in schools by Team X. Fruits Age. Published 12/18/2009.
Congressman Sam Farr (D-Carmel) on Wednesday introduced legislation aimed at increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in school breakfasts and lunches, according to a press release from his office. The bill includes several strategies that will improve health and limit obesity among America's schoolchildren, the press release contends. Read the entire article.

Farr bill would increase fruits, vegetables in schools by Charles Abbott. Hollister Free Lance. Published 12/16/2009.
Congressman Sam Farr (D-Carmel) on Wednesday introduced legislation aimed at increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in school breakfasts and lunches, according to a press release from his office. The bill includes several strategies that will improve health and limit obesity among America's schoolchildren, the press release contends. Read the entire article.

Farr bill would increase fruits, vegetables in schools by The Free Lance Staff. HollisterFreeLance.com. Published 12/16/2009.
Congressman Sam Farr (D-Carmel) on Wednesday introduced legislation aimed at increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in school breakfasts and lunches, according to a press release from his office. The bill includes several strategies that will improve health and limit obesity among America's schoolchildren, the press release contends. Read the entire article.

Farm to Table calendar captures the beauty of Humboldt County. Redwood Times. Published 11/19/2009.
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers’ (CAFF) Farm to Table calendar is an annual fundraiser that helps keep important programs running for farmers and supports outreach to the community. Farm to Table illustrates a story of place. Local photographer and long time employee of Food for People, Chris Wisner, has captured the remarkable bounty of Humboldt County farms, emphasizing the color, textures, and spirit of the food and the farms from which it comes. The humble beauty of produce such as chard, cabbage, tomatoes and leeks are a tribute to the Humboldt farmers who work tirelessly to provide our sustenance. Read the entire article.

Farr bill aims to get students to eat their veggies by Kurtis Alexander. Santa Cruz Sentinel. Published 10/26/2009.
Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, is renewing his push for salad bars in schools through legislation that would require more fruits and vegetables on campus menus. The Children's Fruit and Vegetable Act of 2009, which Farr expects to introduce in coming weeks, directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to spend more of its school food budget on produce and provide additional money for cafeteria upgrades like salad bars. Read the entire article.

Farm to School Initiative offers Field Guide for parents to bring food curriculum to schools by Suki Wessling. Santa Cruz Parenting Examiner. Published 09/22/2009.
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers, a California non-profit that promotes the interests, rights, and health of small farms, has released a Farm to School Field Guide with information for parents and community members about integrating farms with school curriculum. Read the entire article.

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Program Begins. California Farmer. Published 09/16/2009.
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan says Americans are more interested in food and agriculture than at any other time since most families left the farm. To stir that interest and develop a national conversation, USDA has introduced a program called "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food". Merrigan says "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" seeks to focus that conversation on supporting local and regional food systems to strengthen American agriculture by promoting sustainable agricultural practices and spurring economic opportunity in rural communities. Read the entire article.

Farming our Schools by Jesse Kurtz-Nicholl. The Dakota Day. Published 09/13/2009.
As a Government and Economics teacher in a deeply urban school in California, I come face to face with disturbing daily realities. Recently, a 16 year old Latina student came up to me in astonishment and asked, "Are you telling me that a lemon is a fruit?" Equally astonished are the students that walk out to the school garden and marvel at the sweet peas they can pick fresh off the vine. "I never knew that came out of a flower," I've heard them gasp. They recoil at the sight of dirt touching a piece of produce, yet they don't blink at paying $2 for bottled water that is less regulated than the water coming out of their tap. I don't blame my students for a system that produces 3,800 calories per day per person (we only need half that amount) and then uses the most sophisticated marketing tools on the planet to get our youth to consume them. As a teacher, I have learned that you must accept your students "where they are" because getting angry about how they got there is wasted energy. Read the entire article.

A national movement of foodies, farmers, parents and educators is pushing for better school food by Dana Hull. Mercury News. Published 09/03/2009.
Serving healthy meals at school is tougher than ever - most campuses don't even have kitchens anymore. And the federal government's low reimbursement rate - just $2.68 for each poor child who qualifies for free lunch - makes it tough to buy high-quality produce. As school budgets get squeezed, many districts are going with the vendors offering the best bargain, not the best food. Read the entire article.

School lunch options by April McCaffery. Examiner. Published 09/01/2009.
Do your kids buy lunch or participate in the meal assistance program, or do you pack them a lunch? Either way, here are some things to chew on as your kids prepare to go back to school. Read the entire article.

Schools must lead healthy foods effort by Ann Cooper, Beth Collins. San Francisco Chronicle. Published 08/30/2009.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that of the children born in the year 2000, 1 out of 3 Caucasians and 2 out of 3 African Americans and Hispanics will contract diabetes in their lifetimes. As a result, that generation will be the first in our country's history to die at a younger age than their parents. Read the entire article.

Taste of Place Garden Soiree Advance Tickets. Redwood Times. Published 08/26/2009.
This elegant fundraising event runs from 3 to 6 p.m. and features delicious hors d'oeuvres prepared by Celebrations Catering, regional wine and beer and a silent auction. Visitors can tour the gorgeous Redwood Roots Farm during the height of the growing season. Music will be provided by farmers market favorite Blue Lotus Jazz. Tickets are $20 each and include one free drink. Children under five are free. Tickets can be purchased at the North Coast Co-op, Wildberries, Eureka Natural Foods, Rookery Books, the Farmers' Market and through the CAFF office at (707) 444-3255. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door for $30. Advance ticket purchases are recommended because the event does sell out. Read the entire article.

Oak Park district meals to have different look, taste by Lisa McKinnon. Ventura County Star. Published 08/20/2009.
Urged by concerns about childhood obesity and the promise of additional funds for school nutrition programs from the Obama administration, many educators say the stage is set for change. During a recent School Nutrition Association conference, for example, members flocked to seminars on organic foods, the farm-to-school movement and creating whole grain dishes with kid-appeal. Read the entire article.

Local food movement continues to grow in Lake County by Terre Logsdon. Lake County News. Published 08/17/2009.
Even youth in Lake County get to participate in the local food movement. Both Kelseyville Unified School District and the Konocti Unified School District purchase some of their fresh produce locally, have school gardens, and participate in the farm-to-school program of the HLN. Read the entire article.

Let's Talk Honestly About Improving School Food by Dana Woldow. Beyond Chron. Published 08/12/2009.
The official party line is that "it costs no more" for schools to do farm to school because purchasing locally grown produce is cheaper than buying food shipped in from all around the country. Read the entire article.

Ristorante Italiano features local organic produce by JoAnn Saccato. Lake County News. Published 08/06/2009.
Leonardis' produce is available through various outlets including Zino's Ristorante, Nature's Bounty in Lakeport, Lake County Community Co-op's CSA boxes, Ukiah Co-op, Finley Farmers' Market and direct from the farm sales. Farmer Jim Leonardis of Leonardis Organics also participates in the Farm to School program with Kelseyville and Konocti Unified districts providing a direct link for students to their food. Read the entire article.

Planting the seeds: Eureka parents propose the city's first garden school by Donna Tam. The Times-Standard. Published 08/04/2009.
Michelle Wyler, manager of Farm-to-School Humboldt, said the program Riggs and Smart are trying to start seems to be the first of its kind in the county. She said while there are many schools that integrate some curriculum with a school garden into their lesson plans, none have had an entirely garden-based program. Read the entire article.

A lesson in 'farm to fork' by Eleanor Greene. The Valley Sun. Published 07/30/2009.
Summer school students learned the importance of locally grown foods last week at Paradise Canyon Elementary. Moira Beery and Emily Dwyer from the Farm to School program visited Marcia Van's "Cooking Around the World" class to discuss the agriculture, farming and farmer's markets. Read the entire article.

PROJECT LEAN: Maximize nutrition by using local food by Joyce Houston. The Times-Standard. Published 07/22/2009.
The Community Alliance with Family Farms is best known in Humboldt County for its Farm to School program. This year the alliance has launched a "Buy Fresh Buy Local" campaign. Read the entire article.

Local foods galore by José Quezada. Times-Standard. Published 07/01/2009.
Humboldt Community Alliance with Family Farmers was formed in October 2006 by uniting the Friends of Humboldt County Farmers Markets with the Farm to School program. Read the entire article.

UCSC grad, thinking baby food should be local and green, wins $12,000 in startup cash by Jondi Gumz. Santa Cruz Sentinel. Published 06/10/2009.
Not only did Olin have experience as a chef in New York, she knew about "farm to school" programs. Read the entire article.

School garden beginning to take shape at Hennessy by Aimee Retzler. The Union. Published 06/08/2009.
Hennessy Elementary School in Grass Valley is taking a first step in helping students learn where their food comes from. Volunteers from Hennessy, in partnership with the University of California Cooperative Extension and Live Healthy Nevada County, recently built more than 20 raised beds where planting started before school let out. Read the entire article.

Insider guide to Fort Bragg: 20-plus delicious reasons to go there now by Wanda Hennig. SF Culinary Travel Examiner. Published 05/23/2009.
Their biggest win to date has seen them turn several acres of school district property, previously strewn with trash and junk and adjoining Fort Bragg High School, into a thriving model garden sprouting abundant seasonal produce. They've trained about 1,000 students on the hows and whys of growing and eating fresh and local produce. Their farm-to-school program has the kids eating healthy in the school cafeteria. Read the entire article.

A fresh classroom approach by Melissa Flores. The Pinnacle. Published 05/22/2009.
Farm to school programs were the topic of discussion at a May 18 workshop presented by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers that was attended by school officials, food service directors, parents and teachers. Read the entire article.

Farm to School Program at Mountain Bounty Farm by Carlyle Miller. Yuba Net. Published 05/15/2009.
At Mountain Bounty Farm, the long rows of broccoli and tomatoes are loving the warm weather. But vegetables aren't the only thing sprouting up at Mountain Bounty. This spring, students at Grizzly Hill School will also be doing a lot of growing at Nevada County's oldest Community Supported Agriculture farm or "CSA." Read the entire article.

Organic Wednesdays start at valley schools. Press Banner. Published 04/30/2009.
Carrots, cucumbers, lettuce and a host of other fresh organic vegetables from the Shumei Farm in Bonny Doon will be part of elementary school lunches on Wednesdays for the remainder of the school year in San Lorenzo Valley. Read the entire article.

Locally Grown Benefit Concert 2009 by Tyler Suchman. The Ojai Post. Published 03/26/2009.
As in years past, proceeds benefit Food for Thought's farm-to-school program, which educates children about healthy food choices, where their food comes from, and the importance of good environmental stewardship. Food For Thought's programs are in six of the seven schools of the Ojai Unified School District. Read the entire article.

Halton Region to host Food Forum by Anna Larson. Halton News. Published 03/25/2009.
The Halton Region Health Department will host a Food Forum on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Country Heritage Park to begin a community discussion around food issues and community food security in Halton Region. Read the entire article.

Best of Monterey County '09. Monterey County Weekly. Published 03/19/2009.
When the Otter Bay Café opened on campus in the mid-1990s, it was similar to most institutional dining halls - the veggies were overcooked and, despite our unsurpassable local agricultural credentials, there was not a single local piece of produce on the menu. But today, thanks in large part to the Café's association with the Monterey County Farm to School Partnership, the Sodexo-run Otter Bay Café has a lunchtime organic salad bar buffet featuring a wide-range of local veggies from Earthbound Farm, all for $5.25. Read the entire article.

Eagle Rock's 'Action Research Institute by Jeremy Rosenberg. KCET Local. Published 03/19/2009.
One of UEPI's many Centers & Projects is the Center for Food & Justice. Some of those projects include: Farm to School, Farm to Hospital, and the Healthy School Food Coalition -- each as straightforwardly named as Eagle Rock itself. Read the entire article.

Yolo County women honored at annual luncheon by Crystal Lee. Daily Democrat. Published 03/06/2009.
Six Yolo County women were honored Thursday for "Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet," the theme of the 22nd Annual Women's History Month Luncheon. Read the entire article.

Let by Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chapter. New Times. Published 12/18/2008.
According to Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet, "A study of 57 countries with about 13 million farmers has shown 50 to 100 percent increases in yields where farmers are using local resources and organic sustainable methods." Sounds good to us. Let's put the policies in place that will give us that kind of food security. Read the entire article.

Memorial held for woman who promoted agriculture. Ventura County Star. Published 11/26/2008.
Sheri Rudd Klittich was involved in the Farm to School program, which connects local growers with the school lunch program, and the Ag Futures Alliance, where she worked to advance sustainable agriculture in the county. Read the entire article.

Good people doing great things. Daily Democrat. Published 11/16/2008.
Yolo Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization, hosted the Yolo County Philanthropy Day Awards last week at the Heidrick Ag History Center. Ten Yolo County Nonprofits participated. Thirty-seven awards were given. Read the entire article.

School Garden Teach Kids by Kathryn Nichols. School Garden Weekly. Published 11/13/2008.
New school gardens are blooming in California's Monterey County with almost every year. Teachers and administrators are finding that the garden can be woven into just about every aspect of the curriculum, even history, cultural studies, foreign languages, and English. Read the entire article.

Ojai film series focuses on food, agriculture and environmental issues by Lisa McKinnon. Ventura County Star. Published 11/06/2008.
Organized by Food for Thought Ojai, a nonprofit group devoted to implementing farm-to-school salad bars and other health-related programs, the series includes documentaries and short films that focus on food, agriculture and the environment. Read the entire article.

Who has what it takes? by Harmony Groves. The Lumber Jack. Published 10/29/2008.
Susan Ornelas is a long-time community leader and a firm advocate for sustainable agriculture and local food. I am very impressed by her work establishing our local Farm-to-School program to improve the health of local children and the viability of local farms. Read the entire article.

Learn how to get fresh fruits and vegetables in local schools. Register-Pajaronian. Published 10/18/2008.
The event, for both adults and kids, will provide information on how to get more fresh local produce on school menus and teach kids about local agriculture. While adults are attending workshops, the children can have fun with farm and food activities. Read the entire article.

Farm To School. KION 46. Published 10/13/2008.
A non-profit program called Farm To School is promoting healthy eating habits in school. The program partners with local farms, parents and school cafeterias to make eating fruits and vegatable the norm in a child's diet. Read the entire article.

Farm To School. Fox 35. Published 10/13/2008.
Farm To School has supported over 70 school garden programs and taught better eating habits to nearly 8,000 students. The Farm To School program is working on developing a workbook for interested parents to present to their Parent Teacher Association, to get the program to their school. Read the entire article.

Kimberly replaces playground by Miranda C.R. White. Redlands Daily Facts. Published 10/09/2008.
For the opening ceremony, Bob Knight of Farm to School, a program that provides local produce to schools, donated freshly picked apples. Knight also donated oranges from his Old Grove Orange farm for the volunteers on the build day to thank the Redlands Unified School District for buying local oranges and apples for their schools. Read the entire article.

Farm to School Day is Oct. 18 in Watsonville. The Californian. Published 10/06/2008.
Learn how to get more fresh local produce on school menus and teach children about local agriculture at Farm to School Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, at Crystal Bay Farm, 70 Zils Road, Watsonville. Read the entire article.

Class Notes. The Monterey County Herald. Published 10/05/2008.
The Monterey County Partnership for Farm to School will host an information table about how connecting schools with local produce and start school gardens. The table will be at the Pacific Grove Certified Farmers Market, 5 to 6 p.m., Oct. 13 on Lighthouse Avenue between Forest Avenue and 17th Street in Pacific Grove. Read the entire article.

A new field of thought by Todd Guild. Register-Pajaronian. Published 09/06/2008.
Officially, the project is called the Community Alliance with Family Farmers' Farm to School program. Program coordinator Jenny Hansen, acknowledging that the name is a bit dry, let the students pick their own name. They chose "True Farm Invasion," and the name stuck. Read the entire article.

Fundraiser fêtes fresh fare by Sharon Letts. The Times-Standard. Published 09/03/2008.
The event is part of the monthlong celebration of "Local Food Month," declared as such by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 26. The fundraiser will benefit the Community Alliance of Family Farmers' "Farm to School" program, which features farmers visiting local classrooms and talking about the foods they grow, bringing samples from their gardens. Read the entire article.

Garden soiree at Redwood Roots Farm. The Eureka Reporter. Published 08/30/2008.
The event will kick off Local Food Month and raise funds for CAFF's Farm-to-School Program. Farm-to-School hosts educational farm and farmers market tours for schoolchildren in our community, exposing them to the places and faces that feed them, as well as teaching the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Read the entire article.

AUSD prepares for new school year by Nancy Forrest. Atascadero News. Published 08/27/2008.
State officials have commended AUSD for its quality food program, as well as its ongoing involvement in fresh produce and Farm to School programs. Read the entire article.

Taste of Place Garden Soiree kicks off Local Food Month. Redwood Times. Published 08/20/2008.
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers announces Humboldt County's 2nd annual Local Food Month, a celebration of local farms, local food, and local abundance. Read the entire article.

Organic grower uses orchard as laboratory by Elizabeth Larson. Capital Press. Published 08/15/2008.
Lars Crail of Kelseyville, Calif., isn't afraid to experiment with what he grows or how he farms in order to keep his farm both sustainable and profitable. Read the entire article.

Agriculture and education: a winning combination by Kelly Cormier. California Farm Bureau Federation. Published 08/06/2008.
Successful farmers from Southern California stressed the important link between agriculture and education during this year's National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference that took place in late June. Read the entire article.

Village Feast under the trees by Gloria Glyer. Sacramento Bee. Published 07/31/2008.
The Davis Farm to School Connection will benefit from a slow food dinner, with proceeds providing for school gardens, farm visits for second-graders, school recycling programs, and seasonal produce in school lunch programs. Read the entire article.

Village Feast by Don Guthrie. Davis Real Estate Guide. Published 07/17/2008.
The Village Feast benefits the Davis Farm to School Connection, which supports programs within the Davis schools such as school gardens, second-grade farm visits, recycling programs and local produce in the school lunch program. Read the entire article.

Farm-to-school: It's what's for lunch by James Raia. News Review. Published 06/27/2008.
Gail Feenstra can't get the embarrassingly small sum of 75 cents out of her mind. This is the amount spent on food per meal, per day for every child in federally funded school lunch programs. Read the entire article.

Tomatoes Join the List of School Inedible Edibles by Suzanne Guldimann. Malibu Sufside News. Published 06/12/2008.
According to local farm advocates, the current salmonella outbreak, and other recent food scares that have led the U.S. Academy of Sciences this week to announce that vegetables and fruits are the "leading vehicles" of food-borne illness in the United States, highlights the need for locally grown produce, and local accountability, instead of reliance on imported produce that may not meet local criteria for health and safety. Read the entire article.

Field trip leaves schoolchildren ripe with knowledge by Gwen Schoen. The Sacramento Bee. Published 06/04/2008.
They have seen produce in grocery stores, but never sold like this, out in the open by people who actually grow the food. It gives them a whole new perspective. Read the entire article.

WHS students get their hands dirty in internship program by Eric Anderson. Register-Pajaronian. Published 05/28/2008.
The Watsonville High Agricultural Academy internship program helps students learn basic agriculture skills and about jobs in the field, while getting an idea of what it's like to run a farm. Read the entire article.

Economics, ecology meet in lunchroom by Aaron French. Contra Costa Times. Published 05/20/2008.
Today's children, largely due to poor diet, are the first generation in U.S. history predicted to have shorter life spans than their parents. And while Americans spend less than 10 percent of their household budget on food, we spend more than 17 percent of our national budget on healthcare. Effecting change requires a two-pronged approach: 1) Change the food that is served, and 2) Educate children about where their food comes from. Read the entire article.

Costs hard to swallow by Ryan McCarthy. Appeal Democrat. Published 05/06/2008.
Food prices, increasing more than 4 percent in the Unites States last year, have hit schools here. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the food cost climb is the largest since 1990 and that a similar increase is expected this year. Read the entire article.

Teaming local food with area students by Natalie Ragus. The Lompoc Record. Published 04/30/2008.
Small farmers and school districts along the Central Coast may soon team up in a partnership designed to help bring local produce directly from the family farm into school cafeterias. While logistics such as pricing and distribution have traditionally made "Farm to School" programs difficult to get off the ground, an innovative cooperative of local farmers and ranchers may help mitigate some of these issues. Read the entire article.

'Farm to School Conference promotes buying school food localy by Melissa Mecija. KSBY 6 Action News. Published 04/24/2008.
Agriculture leaders promote a program that aims to improve nutrition in schools, and help the local economy. Organizers held the first "Farm to School Conference" in San Luis Obispo Thursday afternoon. The program encourages healthy eating for students by encouraging schools to buy from local farmers and ranchers. Read the entire article.

Better meals for students by Cathe Olson. Lee Central Coast Newspapers. Published 04/18/2008.
Some schools in the United States are implementing Farm-to-School Programs to improve the quality of school meals and the effectiveness of nutrition education. These programs not only offer healthy, local foods to students, they provide hands-on educational experiences to connect children with the source of their food. Local farmers benefit from direct sales of their products, which helps the community as well. Read the entire article.

Local produce is good for kids and economy by Kim Pasciuto. San Luis Obispo County. Published 04/15/2008.
Children get almost two-thirds of their daily nutrition during school. By teaching better eating habits and providing fresh, local, healthy food at school, Farm to School programs lead to healthier lives for children. Read the entire article.

Provide safe, healthy meal options by Mark Vallianatos and Moira Beery. Pasadena Star News. Published 03/01/2008.
In support of farm to school: With increased funding and a renewed commitment to providing truly healthy meal options, we would face fewer nightmare scenarios of untraceable tainted ingredients, and school food would no longer be a "downer," but an exciting component of a healthy school environment. Read the entire article.

Meat is a mystery to schools by Victoria Kim and Janet Wilson. Los Angeles Times. Published 02/22/2008.
Officials at Chino and other school districts around the country have little clue where the food supplied through the National School Lunch Program comes from. After this week's largest-ever recall of beef -- nearly 50 million pounds of which went to schools nationwide -- officials are nervous about the quality of the U.S. Department of Agriculture food that they have no choice but to trust. Read the entire article.

Somes schools, students make a hash of anti-junk food law by Stacy Finz. San Francisco Chronicle. Published 09/28/2007.
"It seems that while kids were preparing to go back to school this fall, food manufacturers were busy re-creating their products - shrinking portions, eliminating trans fats and baking instead of frying - to make them meet the requirements of the Food Nutrition Standards Bill by July 1." Read the entire article.

Beach Café promotes healthy eating at high school by Sarah Bates. Fallbrooks Bonsall Village News. Published 09/20/2007.
Featured as one of the leaders in healthy meal plans, Fallbrook High School strives to better itself by implementing programs which are both tasty and healthy. These changes have been the result in rising concern from parents on a national scale which led to the establishment of Senate Bill 965, which set restrictions for fat and sugar content in cafeteria food. Read the entire article.

Eat the earth by Loren Haar. VC Reporter. Published 08/16/2007.
Remember school lunches? Those tater tots and ochre-colored hamburgers, the canned green beans and- what was it?- Chef's Surprise? Things are different now in Ventura County. Farm-to-school programs are bringing fresh food and nutrition education to the citizens who need it most: our children.

Utilizing locally grown produce and other products from area farms, county schools are feeding children nutritiously while teaching them about the advantages of growing and eating healthy foods. And our local farmers are benefiting. Read the entire article.

Program connects farmers to HSU by Cerena Johnson. The Eureka Reporter. Published 06/01/2007.
This month, Humboldt County’s chapter of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers will launch a pilot program for local farmers to provide food to Humboldt State University.
Read the entire article.

Bringing the Farm Home by Sharon Letts. The Eureka Reporter. Published 01/23/2007.
According to a poll conducted by California Food Policy Advocates, in Humboldt County, 42 percent of youths over the age of 5 and 46 percent of adults are overweight. The study goes on to state that unhealthy eating and inactivity have far surpassed tobacco as the leading contributors to premature death — with cardiovascular disease and complications with diabetes the biggest players.
An organization that has been at the forefront of educating people about the nutritional value of fresh fruits and vegetables — as well as the importance of family farmers’ role in providing that nutrition — is the Community Alliance with Family Farmers. Read the entire article.

Obesity war by Stacy Finz. San Francisco Chronical. Published 08/28/2006.
There's a cartoon circulating among nutritionists these days: two really overweight parents -- one sprawled on the couch in front of the television with a soda resting on his belly, the other dishing up ice cream in the kitchen -- and their chubby daughter sitting on the floor, amid chip bags, pizza boxes and cookie wrappers. The caption reads: "Ahh ... it's nice to be home ... the only food they serve at school these days is good for you." Read the entire article.

Fertile Minds by Shirin Parsavand. PE.com. Published 06/26/2006.
To many students, working in a school garden feels more like play. Even pulling weeds is a break from the classroom. Their teachers, though, know they are learning all the while, about how plants grow and how to work together. Read the entire article.

Pine Hill shows off salad bar by Sara Watson Arthurs. The Times-Standard. Published 05/13/2006.
The new cafeteria addition is the latest in the county wide Farm to School movement, which aims to promote connections between schools and local farmers for both nutritional and economic benefits. Students will also be taking field trips to area farms to see these connections. Read the entire article.

Real food for real hunger by Traci Hukill. Whole Life Times. Published 05/01/2006.
One afternoon in 1995, Oakland teacher David Roach was talking with one of his high school students when he had a life-changing realization. 'She was feeding her child some candy,' recalls Roach, a slightly built 40-year-old with waist-long dreadlocks. 'I said, 'Hey, why are you feeding your baby candy?? She said, "Mr. Roach, where can I go to get him an apple or an orange"? That's when it hit me. We gotta create food for this community. Read the entire article.

Gobbling Greens by Jacquie Paul. The Press-Enterprise. Published 03/20/2006.
On pizza day at Jefferson Elementary School, most youngsters were more interested in lettuce, broccoli and strawberries. A long line formed outside the school's cafeteria as students waited to heap trays with fresh goods from the new Farmer's Market Salad Bar Lunch Program. Read the entire article.

Offering a Fresh Alternative by Richard Dymond. Bradenton Herald. Published 02/25/2006.
For the past year, students at Jefferson Elementary School in Riverside, Calif., have had a choice at lunchtime. Along with the usual hot entree option the Jefferson Unified School District offers for about $2, for the same price children can choose a salad bar option featuring fresh fruit and vegetables from local growers and salad dressing in single-serving pouches. Read the entire article.

Offering a Fresh Alternative by Richard Dymond. Bradenton Herald. Published 02/25/2006.
For the past year, students at Jefferson Elementary School in Riverside, Calif., have had a choice at lunchtime. Along with the usual hot entree option the Jefferson Unified School District offers for about $2, for the same price children can choose a salad bar option featuring fresh fruit and vegetables from local growers and salad dressing in single-serving pouches. Read the entire article.

Farm Fresh Idea by Dennis Pollock. Fresno Bee. Published 10/14/2005.
Bridges between Valley farmers and school food-service programs aren't built in a day. But if a meeting this week in Fresno is any indication, some of the building blocks are starting to move into place — thanks to some on-the-spot connections between school districts looking for fresh, healthy produce and farmers out to sell it. Read the entire article.

Fate of ag bills decided by Ali Bay. Capital Press. Published 10/14/2005.
More than 950 bills slid across Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk this year, tackling everything from country-of-origin labeling and air quality to organic aquaculture and farm to school programs. Read the entire article.

Go All-Organic! by Jeanne Howard. Monterey County Weekly. Published 10/06/2005.
Demand for organic foods has been steadily expanding from what was an esoteric stratum into a demographically mixed consumer group—yet still only a handful of chefs in Monterey County restaurants are committed to using organic ingredients. In a leap beyond the leading edge, The Otter Bay (formerly Otter Bay Café) at CSU Monterey Bay has opened the fall semester by offering a menu featuring 100-percent organic fresh fruit and vegetables, and around 95 percent organic produce in prepared meals. Read the entire article.

With a little work, there's hope for preventing diabetes by Liz Koch. Santa Cruz Sentinel. Published 09/26/2005.
For many of us, diabetes can be crossed off our list of possible diseases if only we are willing to take action. Prevention is the key. Easier said than done, prevention includes personal lifestyle changes and even more difficult cultural and social changes. Read the entire article.

Schools Cutting Back on Junk Food: Soda Pop, Candy Gone by Jose L. Sanchez Jr. The Press Democrat. Published 08/26/2005.
Ongoing changes in food service at Petaluma city schools and a new computer system that will eliminate the stigma associated with subsidized meals should result in better nutrition, school officials said. Read the entire article.

Farm-to-School bill in the works by Judith Gerber. . Published 07/22/2005.
As farm-to-school programs spread throughout California, a proposed bill to create a California Farm to School Nutrition Improvement Program is working its way through the state legislature. Read the entire article.

Farm Collectives Cultivate Ties to School Lunch Plans by Fred Alvarez. LA Times. Published 07/10/2005.
The Rodriguez brothers were ready to call it quits. After a quarter century of farming, the Oxnard strawberry growers couldn't manage to turn a buck anymore between soaring costs and sinking prices. Then they went back to school. Read the entire article.

Fresh food goes to urban classes by Judith Gerber. Capital Press. Published 06/10/2005.
The highly urbanized city of Compton might seem an unlikely place to find farm-fresh produce, but that’s just what elementary students in the Compton Unified School District find on a daily basis as the district now operates farm-to-school salad bars at all of its 24 elementary schools. Read the entire article.

Farm-to-School Programs Promote Healthy Lifesyle by Anupama Joshi and Moira Beery. Poppy Seeds. Published 06/05/2005.
Picture a school food service staff strolling through a farmers' market, chatting with farmers and ordering the freshest of produce for the school cafeteria. A few years back, this was unheard of but not any more! Read the entire article.

Redman House to open stand by Roger Sideman. The Register Pajaronian. Published 05/12/2005.
After a rainy winter, strawberries, sweet peas and carrots, those heralds of spring, are hot sellers. Organic farmer Stephen Pedersen is eager for this weekend's opening the Redman House Farmstand beside the historic home on Lee Road. Read the entire article.

Food-community ties put on the front burner by Sara Watson Arthurs. The Times-Standard. Published 04/20/2005.
Eat local. That was the basic goal in a series of sessions Tuesday where farmers met with produce-buying groups and businesses to see how to get area residents eating more locally grown food. Read the entire article.

No Kidding. School Food that Tastes Good by Diane Conners. Great Lakes Bulletin News Service. Published 04/16/2005.
"In 1997, when Rodney Taylor directed food service for the public schools in Santa Monica and Malibu, Calif., he juggled menu planning, orders, deliveries, and supervised the cooks who made lunch for 15,000 students. Mr. Taylor believed his finely tuned operation was doing a swell job until the day a parent urged him to replace the pre-packaged fruits and vegetables at the salad bars with produce from local farms. Read the entire article.

Forums seek ways to put health foods in schools by Jeff Tobin. Santa Cruz Sentinel. Published 04/06/2005.
A growing number of parents, teachers and health specialists are looking toward fresh, locally grown foods to convert children from sugar cane to sugar snap peas. Read the entire article.

Let'em eat salad by Josh Miner. San Francisco Chronicle. Published 03/23/2005.
Here are a few statistics from the California Department of Health Services that every parent should find alarming: 7 in 10 kids consume two or more servings of junk food a day, while only 3 in 10 eat the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Two in 3 fail to get enough exercise, and 1 in 3 are overweight or obese. Read the entire article.

Chef To Plant Health Garden To Feed Fremont's Students by Amy Bentley-Smith. Fremont Gazette. Published 03/10/2005.
Is it possible for an elementary-aged child to want a stalk of celery instead of a candy bar, to be excited about making a broccoli casserole as if it were Rice Crispy treats? Read the entire article.

Students Seek Food That by Cara Mia DiMassa. Los Angeles Times. Published 03/09/2005.
The corner of Alvarado Street and Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles is a fast-food lover's paradise. A Winchell's doughnut shop shares the mini-mall there with a liquor store that also sells an array of chips and sodas, a frozen yogurt store and a Mexican takeout restaurant called El Burrito. Read the entire article.

Healthy eating puts money in pockets of Fresno-area growers by Robert Rodriguez. Fresno Bee. Published 02/06/2005.
The federal government's new guidelines urging Americans to drink more milk and eat more fruits and vegetables are drawing cheers from many central San Joaquin Valley farmers. Read the entire article.

Advocates push for homegrown school lunches. The Sacramento Bee. Published 01/18/2005.
Getting up close and personal with a homegrown tomato could help combat the high incidence of childhood diabetes and obesity nationwide. Read the entire article.

"Advocates push for school grown lunches" by Walter Yost Bee. The Sacramento Bee. Published 01/18/2005.
" Getting up close and personal with a homegrown tomato could help combat the high incidence of childhood diabetes and ..." Read the entire article.

UC researchers find farm-to-school programs shift students by Lynn Halprin. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources News. Published 01/14/2005.
If given a choice of fresh fruits and vegetables, children will eat them, according to a University of California study. Read the entire article.

Coffee House venturing to locally grown produce by Angela Pang. The California Aggie. Published 11/30/2004.
For fans of organic food or those interested in trying something different and healthier, the ASUCD Coffee House recently began featuring locally grown produce as salad bar selections. Read the entire article.

Community Alliance With Family Farmers produces guide to fresh foods from Central Coast farms by Register-Pajaronian staff. Register-Pajaronian. Published 11/16/2004.
The first edition of the Local Food Guide, produced by the Community Alliance With Family Farmers, is rolling off the presses. This free, 32-page resource is a guide to local food and farming in Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties. Copies will be available as of Saturday at farmers' markets, natural food stores and public libraries throughout the three counties featured in the guide. Read the entire article.

Alliance introduces guide to locally grown food by Gwen Mickelson. Santa Cruz Sentinel. Published 11/12/2004.
Locally grown food tastes better, according to Liv Nevin of Community Alliance With Family Farmers. The alliance is about to release its first edition of the Local Food Guide, designed to make finding Central Coast-grown food easier for consumers. Read the entire article.

If You Build It, Children Will Come to the Salad Bar by Mary MacVean. Los Angeles Times. Published 11/04/2004.
In the cafeteria at Caldwell Elementary School in Compton one day recently, not a single child was in line for the standard lunch of corn dogs and canned fruit. A few feet away, though, a dozen children stood waiting for the salad bar, where the line has gotten so long that an aide sometimes plays "Simon Says" to amuse the children while they wait. Read the entire article.

Editorial: Nutritious school lunches a boon for Windsor by B.W.D.. Windsor Times. Published 10/13/2004.
To many of us who recall the offerings of the school cafeteria, nutritious school lunches would appear to be an anomaly. Stewed prunes and sloppy joe's hardly fit today's standards of a healthy diet. Read the entire article.

Windsor students buying into healthy food by Nathan Wright. Windsor Times. Published 10/13/2004.
Sarah Lemmon knows exactly why she eats salad every day at school. "It's good vitamin C," said the Windsor Creek Elementary School third grader. "It will make me strong, and healthy, and smart." Read the entire article.

BUSD Wins Food Award For Improving Child Health by J. Douglas Allen-Taylor. Berkeley Daily Planet. Published 10/12/2004.
Berkeley Unified School District has received a Golden Carrot—a top national award for food service—from the Washington, D.C.-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Read the entire article.

Davis school program supports life-long healthy eating habits in children by Heather Graham, Gail Feenstra, Ann M. Evans, and Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr. California Agriculture. Published 10/01/2004.
The school environment can positively affect students in areas beyond traditional academic achievement. An innovative program in Davis, the Farm to School Connection, sought to promote the development of life-long healthy eating habits in children and to create a school environment that made connections among the school garden, cafeteria and classroom, and linked them to local agriculture. Read the entire article.

Farm-to-School teaches kids to eat right by Joy Agcongay. Santa Cruz Sentinel. Published 06/15/2004.
Erik Zarco returned to the front of the line to get another bite of chard. "It's good. One more, please," he said. The recent High Ground Organics farm visit is part of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers? 2-year-old Farm-to-School program. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Stamp Nutrition Education program via the California Nutrition Network, the program works with fourth- and fifth-graders to choose fresh fruits and vegetables to fight childhood obesity while also working with state and local agencies to develop markets and distribution for small, organic farmers.Farm-to-School is part of a larger local effort called Ready Set Grow! "We focus on fourth- and fifth-graders because that's the age they start making conscious, autonomous decisions about what they eat," said Heidi Lidtke, Ready Set Grow! program coordinator. Read the entire article.

The Best Food For Our Children. The Mountain Times. Published 05/13/2004.
The Farm-To-School program operated by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Service (NCDA&CS) is good news for schoolchildren and good news for agriculture. This beneficial state program is helping to provide students with the best quality fruits and vegetables produced by Tar Heel farmers. For example, the Food Distribution and Marketing divisions of NCDA&CS are currently coordinating deliveries of fresh North Carolina strawberries to children in 116 school systems. Read the entire article.

Strawberries' Spring on the menu for Ashe County Schools. Mountain Times. Published 05/06/2004.
North Carolina school children will soon begin enjoying the fresh, sweet taste of locally grown strawberries at lunch as part of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services? Farm-to-School Program. Forty-one of the state's 116 school systems including Ashe County Schools have placed orders for strawberries, with the fruit being delivered over a three-week period beginning April 26. It is the largest order of strawberries since the program began in 1998. For the 2002-2003 school year, a total of $334,839 worth of produce was purchased from local farmers through the Farm to School Program. Commodities offered included watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, apples, pumpkins, cabbage, broccoli and sweet potatoes. Read the entire article.

Parents learn how to create healthy school environment by Jennifer Morey. The Times-Standard. Published 03/14/2004.
About 40 parents interested in learning about or improving school meals attended the second annual Farm to School Conference put on by Food for People at the Humboldt County Library on Saturday. The focus of the conference was on empowering and assisting parents who want to help create a healthy school environment. The Farm to School movement, a nationwide grassroots movement, seeks to bring healthier meals into schools, including more fresh produce bought from local farmers or grown... Read the entire article.

Teaching Kids about Real Food by Umut Newbury. MotherEarthNews.com. Published 01/01/2004.
School lunch is a serious matter for Alice Waters, a California chef, restaurateur and a longtime organic food advocate. In her newest school initiative, Waters has convinced the Berkeley Unified School District to include food as part of its academic curriculum for all students — kindergarten through 12th grade. Across the country, other advocates of fresh, locally grown and organic foods are following Waters’ lead and are working to improve their school lunches, too. Read the entire article.

Educators talk about improving school lunches by Sara Watson Arthurs. Times-Standard. Published 05/11/2003.
Remember the sickly green "mystery meat" of the school cafeteria -- how it had the texture of a well-used dish sponge? Around 70 people met at the Humboldt County Office of Education on Friday to try to come up with creative alternatives. School food service directors, administrators, teachers, school board members and parents attended the Farm to School Conference, organized by Food for People. Read the entire article.

Farmers, educators to talk lunch by Sara Watson Arthurs. Times-Standard. Published 05/05/2003.
EUREKA -- Farmers, educators and parents will meet this week to discuss the possibility of including food from local farms in school lunches. Food for People is hosting the "Farm to School" conference, part of a national movement to make school meals more nutritious and let farmers market directly to schools in their communities. Educating students on nutrition and agriculture is another goal of the program. Read the entire article.

Learning about agriculture. Los Banos Enterprise. Published 01/24/2003.
The kids are plant and soil savvy because they are members of the school's Garden Club, which is one facet in a coalition between the nationwide Farm to School program and the Valleywide Community Alliance With Family Farmers (CAFF). Read the entire article.

The Farm to School Program by The Los Angeles Unified School District Nutrition Network. . Published 00/01/2003.
Farm to school program video: connecting farms and farmers to the classroom Read the entire article.

Lincoln schools to offer local greens for lunch. The Sacramento Bee. Published 06/26/2002.
With its own rodeo grounds and plenty of nearby farms and ranches, Lincoln might seem like meat-and-potatoes territory. But the folks who plan school lunches say the area's rural roots make it ideal for offering kids a lighter menu option - a salad bar stocked with locally grown fruits and vegetables. Read the entire article.

Watsonville by Matthew Sommer. City on a Hill Press. Published 00/01/0000.
UC Santa Cruz students will be building a garden at Watsonville’s Renaissance Continuation High School this quarter and teaching the students about sustainable farming techniques. Read the entire article.