This week's Farm to School Month blogs are sponsored by the Orfalea Foundation School Food Initiative, which has empowered campus food service operations to serve fresh, healthy school meals; installed school gardens; launched food literacy programs; and assisted school districts in their aspirations to become centers of health and wellness. The Orfalea Foundation applauds the efforts of National Farm to School Network and is proud to be a sponsor of Farm to School Month.
Photo credit: Pioneer Elementary, Ashwaubenon, Wis.; photo submitted by Live54218
For the past 30 days, millions of schools, farmers and communities around the country have been celebrating the movement that’s connecting kids to fresh, healthy food and supporting local economies. From Maine to Alaska and everywhere in between, people are recognizing the power of farm to school to benefit people, planet and profit. That’s what National Farm to School Month is all about!
At the National Farm to School Network, we’ve been leading Farm to School Month celebrations by sharing great stories of farm to school innovations, successes and impacts – like how schools are incorporating local, sustainably caught seafood into lunches and voices of youth who are leading the next generation in food activism.
We also hosted a Big Day of Action to urge Congress to finish the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization (CNR) and strengthen farm to school across the country. More than 400 people posted messages on social media about the positive impact farm to school has in their communities, and many made calls to their legislators to urge support for more farm to school in CNR. Thank you to everyone who joined in! See highlights here.
Kids in #farmtoschool are more willing to try new, healthy foods + do better in school #moreF2SinCNR pic.twitter.com/T9EwjNXmYL
— DC Greens (@dc_greens) October 22, 2015
Regionally, students celebrated Farm to School Month with events like the Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch, which had more than 500,000 student participants across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio chomping into local apples. In the Midwest, thousands of students enjoyed fresh, healthy food with a “Midwest Menu” on October 22, featuring local chicken, vegetables, apples, and a whole grain side that showcased local autumn bounty.
In fact, there have been Farm to School Month celebrations in every state this month. Governors in Arkansas, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Utah made proclamations declaring October Farm to School Month in their states. Vermont encouraged kids to try new foods with “Taste Test Mania,” Georgia got kids to dig their hands in the soil with “Rooting for Carrots,” and Washington students sampled local food for Taste Washington Day. We could keep going!
Photo credit: Odom Elementary School, Moultri, Ga.
Dozens of you sent in your farm to school stories, as well. We heard that 8th graders in Maine participated in a Jr. Chef Challenge, students in Alabama harvested sweet potatoes, and chefs visited schools in New Jersey. Thanks to all who shared their farm to school stories and joined our network this month! And, a special congratulations to our sweepstakes winners - Jayne W., Jennifer K., Carol T.S. and Ally M.!
Farm to school happens year-round, and there are 336 days to continue growing and strengthening the movement before Farm to School Month 2016. Join our network to stay up-to-date on the latest stories, new resources, policy actions, and learning opportunities – like the upcoming 8th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, June 2-4, 2016 in Madison, Wis. Let's keep the momentum going!
Thank you to each of our Farm to School Month sponsors – Orfalea Foundation, Organic Valley, Aetna Foundation, Chartwells, Mamma Chia and Stand2Learn – and the 160+ outreach partner organizations that have helped make Farm to School Month 2015 a success.