Florida Media Coverage

From farm to plate: Local tours show chefs food supply by JEFF HOUCK. The Tampa Tribune . Published 09/20/2011.
It's one thing to be a chef who espouses the virtues of buying and cooking locally grown food that has been cultivated using the best possible farming practices. It's another to see firsthand where those ingredients come from. Closing the gap between chefs and farmers was the idea John Matthews had when he organized a tour this month for staff from restaurants his Suncoast Food Alliance supplies in Tampa, Bradenton and Sarasota. Read the entire article.

FARM-TO-SCHOOL LUNCHES by Rona Gindin. Edible Orlando. Published 08/25/2011.
Determined foodservice teams are doing what they can, and starting in 2012, their efforts will be aided by a new statewide initiative called Healthy Schools for Healthy Lives that was designed, in part, to ultimately marry local farm products and school lunch lines. The myriad child-nutrition efforts of Michelle Obama on a national level, along with those of several national organizations such as Farm to School, will assist. Read the entire article.

Reduced, free lunch numbers way up in Collier, Lee schools by Heather Carney. Naples News. Published 08/20/2011.
Collier schools will participate in a new farm-to-school program. The district will work with local farmers in Immokalee to provide the schools with the freshest seasonal produce instead of shipping it into Collier from out of state. Read the entire article.

FL Selected to Participate in Farm to School Pilot Program. Southeast Ag-Net. Published 07/14/2011.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service and Food and Nutrition Service will conduct a pilot for acquiring fresh fruits and vegetables to build on farm-to-school programs in Florida and Michigan. The pilot will use commercial distribution models already in place and allow schools to obtain locally grown produce. Read the entire article.

Putnam makes pitch to take over school lunches by Eloísa Ruano González. Orlando Sentinel. Published 03/15/2011.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam met with state education leaders Tuesday for the first time since he announced he wanted to take over the school-lunch programs. Putnam, who has met with some opposition, argued the state grows a lot of fruits and vegetables and that his office could work with local farmers to put more fresh produce on students' lunch trays Read the entire article.

Polk's School Food Lines Have More Healthy Choices by Mycah Pleasant. The Ledger. Published 09/01/2010.
For Polk County students, things might be getting better while, at the same time, getting healthier. By making choices available - such as different kinds of fruit and salads and new twists on old favorites, the district is making strides in improving the quality of school lunches. Read the entire article.

Upgrades made to food services at schools by Morgan Carlson. Jackson County Floridian. Published 08/15/2010.
Food service for the Jackson County School District Schools will soon be seeing some new, healthier food items served,Jack Noonan, food service director for the district, said in a presentation at a school board workshop Thursday. Jackson County also participates in the New North Florida Cooperative Farm to School Program, in which county farms grow produce that is served in schools. Only a handful of counties in Florida participate in this program. Read the entire article.

'Spirit of Slow Food' awards presented at Farm City Banquet by Special to the Record. StAugustine.com. Published 12/06/2009.
Slow Food First Coast recently presented the 2009 John Barnes "Spirit of Slow Food" Awards at the annual Farm City Banquet, held in partnership with the St. Johns County Extension Service. The award recognizes individuals or businesses in the community that best represent the ideals of good, clean and fair food that Slow Food seeks to promote. It is named in honor of John Barnes, former owner of Johnny's Kitchen restaurant in Hastings, whose unfailing support of local agriculture, community development, and Slow Food principles have made a significant positive impact on the region. Read the entire article.

Many benefits to regional food system by BRAD BURBAUGH. jacksonville.com. Published 11/20/2009.
As National Farm City Week and the Thanksgiving holiday approach, we can be proud of our vast agricultural industry. As a nation, our farmers produce high quality, nutritious, safe and affordable food. Florida has a rich agricultural history that has transformed in recent years due to many internal and external factors. You might be surprised to find that the price of most agricultural products has increased only slightly during the last 30 years, while the cost of seed, fertilizer, farm equipment and labor has increased dramatically. Read the entire article.

Annual ethnic guide sets diverse table by Heather McPherson. Orlando Sentinel. Published 10/21/2009.
Finally! There's enough chill in the air to not feel guilty about stew and chili on the menu. Today, my blog is filled with recipes worthy of your soup pot. While you heat up the stove, I'll serve up the daily dish: Eat global, buy local. Today you'll find our annual ethnic grocery guide inside the section. We keep this list online year-round, so I want to hear about any places we've overlooked. Simply shoot me an e-mail, quick note or call and we'll update it immediately at OrlandoSentinel.com/ethnicgroceryguide. The Central Florida larder has a wealth of diversity for all to enjoy. There's a world of flavor for you to discover. Use our annual listings to begin your culinary explorations! Read the entire article.

School Notes and Updates: Florida. The Ledger. Published 10/03/2009.
A comprehensive look at events and happenings at select schools across Florida. Read the entire article.

Leon County Schools Offering Vegetarian Meals by Sylvester Jackson. The FAMUAN Online. Published 09/21/2009.
In Leon County, all elementary and middle schools are offering at least one vegetarian meal a day. Meals will include cheese quesadillas, cheese and bean burritos or cheese pizza. Vegetables and salads will continue to be served. Farm to school, which is a national program linking farmers with schools, also provides the schools with fresh collard greens."The superintended has always been striving for healthy meals in the schools," says Tim Tankersley, director of Nutrition Services in Leon County. Due to high school students eating off campus, elementary and middle school students have more choices of meals at lunch. Read the entire article.

Leon County Schools offering lunch alternatives for students by Iricka Berlinger. Tallahassee.com. Published 09/20/2009.
As of Sept. 8, all elementary and middle schools in Leon County offer at least one vegetarian main dish daily. Meals include cheese quesadillas, cheese and bean burritos or cheese pizza. Vegetables and salads are also continuing to be served daily. Read the entire article.

Farm to School Program Helps Local Farmers by Tara Herrschaft. WCTV. Published 09/10/2009.
School children eagerly scoop food onto their plate, happy that lunchtime has finally come. "We have choices, so we can have that or that," said Cade Weldon, a 5th grader at Sealey Elementary School. But where do these choices come from? Farm to School has been working with Leon County Schools for 8 years, partnering local farmers with the district. "So our job is to go out there and try to make sense out of what a farmer wants for a bushel and what a food director wants for a per serving fee. And most of the time it works real well," said Glyen Holmes, who is the Executive Director for New North Florida Cooperative Association, Inc. Read the entire article.

Co-op aims to go to school by Deborah Buckhalter. Jackson County Floridan. Published 09/01/2009.
Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Monticello, made another stop in Jackson County following a town hall meeting here Aug. 19. He went to the New North Florida Co-operative to see how the non-profit organization works. Established in 1995 by Jackson County resident Glyen Holmes, it aims to connect small-scale farmers to each other, and to buyers who don't need huge amounts of produce. Read the entire article.

Sarasota school district partners with local farms by Kate Spinner. Herald Tribune. Published 07/21/2009.
When tomatoes are ripe in Ruskin and blueberries abundant in Myakka City, students will find them in their school lunches this year. The district plans to spend as much as $400,000 at Southwest Florida farms this year through a program called farm-to-school. Read the entire article.

Food activists weigh in with a wish list for Obama. News-Press. Published 02/14/2009.
As the White House welcomes our first foodie president and a first lady who has publicly talked about buying organic produce and clearing high fructose corn syrup out of her cabinets, the Chicago culinary community is filled with hope. Read the entire article.

Web site aims to help Florida growers, schools by Ashley Bentley. The Packer. Published 02/10/2009.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services launched a Web site Feb. 2 meant to help connect school administrators with the state's growers. Called the Farm to School program, the program's goal is to get more Florida-grown produce into Florida schools by facilitating communication between the parties. Read the entire article.

Local Greens Go to Local Schools by Heather Biance. WCTV. Published 02/06/2009.
They say you are what you eat and in order to make sure students in Florida are getting a healthier start while at school, there's a new initiative that's linking local farmers with school districts. Organizers say the "Farm to School program is a win-win for everyone. Read the entire article.

Darts & Laurels by The Alligator Editorial Board. The Independent Florida Alligator. Published 02/06/2009.
As students in cafeterias statewide continue to devour sugar laden sweets, one man has emerged with a plan to clean up their diets. Under the "Farm to School" program, school districts will have the opportunity to incorporate locally grown produce onto their current lunch menus. For helping farmers and downsizing waistlines, the Department of Darts & Laurels proudly extends a say goodbye to cookies and chips LAUREL to Florida agricultural commissioner Charles Bronson. Read the entire article.

School cafeterias to buy local. The Gainesville Sun. Published 02/05/2009.
Florida's agriculture commissioner has stepped in as a matchmaker. Charles Bronson has come up with a plan to hook up school district food service programs with farmers and ranchers in their areas. Read the entire article.

Farm to School Program. Santa Rosa's Press Gazette. Published 02/04/2009.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson today unveiled a new program to increase the amount of locally grown produce available to Florida schools. The "Farm to School" program is designed to help Florida school district food service officials locate local farmers who want to sell fresh produce directly to schools. Read the entire article.

State sees schools as farm customers by Ed Duggan. South Florida Business Journal. Published 02/04/2009.
The state has unveiled a new Farm to School program, which not only will increase the amount of locally grown produce available to Florida schools, but also is intended to keep more of the food dollars spent within the state. Read the entire article.

Florida "Farm to School" Program. Foster Folly News. Published 02/03/2009.
Every year, Florida schools spend millions of dollars for fresh produce. The Farm to School program is intended to open the door for more of those dollars to stay within Florida. Read the entire article.

New Push for Local Produce in School Cafeterias. First Coast News. Published 02/02/2009.
There's a new statewide effort to get home-grown foods into school cafeterias. Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson introduced the "Farm to School" program Monday morning. It's set up to allow local school districts to do business with local farmers who want to sell fresh produce directly to schools. Read the entire article.

Santa Rosa farmers may get school contract by Carmen Paige. Pensacola News Journal. Published 02/02/2009.
Santa Rosa County farmers may find their products on school cafeteria tables. School Board members want farmers to supply fresh produce as much as possible. So, they may re-establish the Farm To School Program Read the entire article.

Putting a face on home-grown produce by Jessica Klipa. Bradenton. Published 07/09/2008.
John Matthews is a matchmaker of sorts. Through his newly established business, Suncoast Food Alliance, Matthews unites the two key players in delivering an exquisite meal to the dinner table: the chef and the local farmer. Read the entire article.

Farm To School Program Provides Nutrition For Students by Chere Simmons. Farmer and Rancher News. Published 09/15/2007.
This is a nice description of the SW Florida Farm to School Program. Read the entire article.

Locally Grown Green Beans on Schools by Jessica Klipa. Bradenton Herald. Published 02/14/2007.
Students at many of the Manatee County schools will be offered locally grown beans for lunch. Read the entire article.

Florida by USDA. USDA. Published 00/00/0000.
"Hey! Where's the man with the Collards?" One boy's question reflects how much students in Northwest Florida schools like having fresh cooked collard greens included in their school lunches. Read the entire article.