Maryland Media Coverage

Farm to School Program by Katie Eldred. ABC 6 NEWS. Published 09/13/2011.
Dover-Eyota in Minnesota schools are serving up lunches that grow in their back yard. It is all a part of their effort in the Farm to School program. As of 2010 over 123 school districts in Minnesota have implemented some sort of farm to school program. Read the entire article.

PART 1: Thinking Outside the (Lunch) Box by Chef Zachary Pope & Lea Hurt. Crofton Patch. Published 08/26/2011.
School lunches have been the brunt of jokes for as long as kids have been lining up with plastic trays. Maryland has made great strides in promoting healthy eating with the Farm to School program which helps bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunch rooms. Read the entire article.

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan Brings USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' College Tour . USDA. Published 04/07/2011.
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today provided highlights of how Maryland can tap into USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative, which promotes local and regional food systems by stimulating community economic development and ensuring equitable access to affordable fresh and local food. Merrigan discussed the initiative and food systems policy with students, faculty and community leaders at the University of Maryland. One example of how farmers can get involved is to participate in local farm to school programs that enable schools to feature healthy, locally-sourced products in their cafeterias. Read the entire article.

Farm to School - Hartford County, Maryland by Edwin Remsberg. You Tube video clip. Published 09/15/2010.
Read the entire article.

Kids urged to eat right, keep active by Tina Reed. The Capital. Published 09/03/2010.
Local, state and federal officials squeezed into a small classroom at Southern Middle School with a handful of students Thursday afternoon to talk nutrition, taste test cheese and show off milk mustaches. The students were in Chrissie Hines' family and consumer sciences class, which is meant to teach health and wellness to middle school students. Read the entire article.

Contest for youths to highlight local food by Carrie Ann Knauer. Carroll Country Times. Published 08/15/2010.
Maryland youths have a chance to win an Apple iPod Touch by creating a video on what local food means to them. The Maryland Department of Agriculture contest, which ends Sept. 8, was created as a way to get youths involved in supporting the Maryland's Best program, a marketing initiative that highlights farms and local products throughout the state. Students are encouraged to make a video between 30 seconds and 3 minutes long that reflects how eating locally affects Maryland farmers, the community and themselves. Read the entire article.

Chefs help craft healthier school lunches with local food by Nanci Hellmich. USA Today. Published 08/11/2010.
On his first day on the job as director of food and nutrition for Baltimore City Schools, chef Tony Geraci brought in 40,000 pounds of tree-ripened, Maryland-grown peaches for students. On that day two years ago, he sat in the cafeteria with several second-graders who were eating fresh peaches for the first time in their lives. Read the entire article.

Mary Cheh on Fighting Obesity with “Healthy Schools” by N/A. TheSlowCook.com. Published 02/01/2010.
D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) has introduced landmark “Healthy Schools” legislation that integrates nutrition standards, locally produced foods, school gardening, broader access to subsidized meals and increased physical exercise to address obesity and other children’s health issues in the nation’s capitol. I recently submitted 34 written questions to Cheh about her bill, resulting in this interview by e-mail. The questions were submitted before I reported a six-part account of the food being served in D.C. schools. Read the entire article.

Nation's oldest by Ike Wilson. The Frederick News. Published 11/02/2009.
Having spent a lifetime in the industry, Buddy Hance's agriculture credentials are impressive. The Maryland Department of Agriculture secretary still farms today after putting in a hard day's work in Annapolis. Read the entire article.

Specialty crops grants include Garrett County. Cumberland Times-News. Published 10/25/2009.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced winners of $450,560 in grants that will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in Maryland. "We are pleased to announce awardees of the Maryland Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The 2008 Farm Bill provided significant grant funding dedicated to specialty crops to become available," said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. Read the entire article.

Obama's Next School Message: Eat Your Veggies by Marcus Weaver-Hightower. Education Week News. Published 10/20/2009.
President Barack Obama is fond of saying that parents have a responsibility to their children's education to turn off the TV and video games, an idea reiterated in his back-to-school speech to U.S. schoolchildren. That speech featured advice to take personal responsibility for one's own education, set goals, do homework, behave, and never give up, despite personal or institutional barriers. Read the entire article.

School lunches: fresh, nutritious, and affordable by Scott Blackburn. Bethany Beach Wave. Published 10/15/2009.
This week is National School Lunch Week. Schools across the country celebrate this week to highlight the importance and benefits of school lunches. The National School Lunch Program has come a long way since its inception in 1946, when Congress felt it was necessary to have a food program in schools that promoted a good, hot meal for students. Read the entire article.

Homegrown is Preferable for School Lunches by Buddy Hance and Nancy S. Grasmick. Delmarva Now!. Published 10/05/2009.
Imagine the impact on families and communities if even one local item is included in school lunches for each of 950,000 Maryland public school students. Farmers would have additional income, thereby strengthening the local economy and keeping farm land open and productive. Our children would receive the nutritional benefits of fresh, local products, as well as knowledge of why this matters. And the financial, environmental and nutritional costs of transporting food would decrease. Read the entire article.

LETTER: Locally Grown Food for Our Students by Buddy Hance and Nancy Grasmick. Southern Maryland Headline News. Published 09/28/2009.
We would like to extend our congratulations to school food and nutrition services directors throughout Maryland. Thanks to their overwhelming support and enthusiasm, all of our 24 public school systems participated in the 2nd annual Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week (Sept. 14-18). This exciting week is part of the Farm to School Program which is designed to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches and to help educate students about the source of their food, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet. Read the entire article.

Thinking Outside The School Lunchbox by Jenna Johnson. The Washington Post. Published 09/24/2009.
Slowly, the buy-local phenomenon, which has made farmers markets and harvest subscriptions all the rage, is hitting school lunch programs. Maryland dubbed last week Homegrown School Lunch Week and encouraged cafeteria staffs to use local produce. Virginia plans to organize a similar statewide event in November. Read the entire article.

Local, vegetarian food comes to city schools by Laura Vozzella. The Baltimore Sun. Published 09/24/2009.
On Mondays throughout the year, cafeteria menus will be all vegetarian - a first for city schools and, it's believed, any large school system nationwide. But city school lunches are moving in that direction, and attracting national attention, including a visit last week by assistant White House chef Sam Kass and U.S. Department of Education officials to Hampstead Hill, a public charter school near Patterson Park. Read the entire article.

Students get a taste of farm life by Laura Buck. Southern Maryland Newspapers Online. Published 09/23/2009.
Three Calvert County schools last week for "Maryland Home Grown Lunch Week," held at Appeal and Plum Point elementary schools and The Tidewater School in Huntingtown. Read the entire article.

School Food and Healthy Choices by Nancy Taylor Robson. The Chestertown Spy. Published 09/23/2009.
Margaret Ellen Kalmanowicz has got her hands full. She's the director of both transportation and food service for Kent County schools. Transportation is sorted now, but food service is ongoing. In an effort to improve the school food, Kalmanowicz got a fresh fruit and vegetable grant for two schools, Rock Hall and Garnet. Similar to a farm-to-school program, which more directly connects local growers to school breakfast and lunch programs, it tries to reintroduce real food to kids who were not only raised on Cheetos and chicken nuggets, but have come to expect those things in school, too. Read the entire article.

Farm-to-School in Harford County Public Schools. HartfordNeighbors.net. Published 09/19/2009.
Crunch! Crackle! Snap! Slurp! Those are just a few of the sounds made by students eating locally grown produce in all Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) cafeterias. In an effort to promote locally grown fruits and vegetables in HCPS, the Second Annual Farm-to-School Week was held September 14 - 18, 2009. Read the entire article.

Adrienne's Slideshow by Adrienne Burroughs. Kodak Gallery. Published 09/18/2009.
Local apples appear in the school cafeteria in this photo from the Maryland State Department of Education. Read the entire article.

julie's Slideshow by Julie Oberg. Kodak Gallery. Published 09/18/2009.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture took pictures of students learning about local foods. Read the entire article.

Local produce served in school lunches by Janet Heim. The Herald-Mail. Published 09/18/2009.
Corn on the cob, watermelon and other locally produced food items were on the menu this week in Washington County Public Schools and at schools across the state during the second annual Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week. Read the entire article.

Local lunches: County schools buy food for week from area farmers by Penny Riordan. Carroll County Times. Published 09/17/2009.
Across Carroll County this week, school cafeteria managers were serving fresh, area fruits and vegetables from local farms as a part of Homegrown School Lunch Week. Read the entire article.

Harford Schools Celebrate 2nd Annual "Farm To School Week" by Dagger News Services. The Dagger. Published 09/16/2009.
Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) Superintendent Robert M. Tomback, accompanied by County Executive David R. Craig, will recognize "Farm to School Week" on Wednesday, September 16th, at Fountain Green Elementary School. Read the entire article.

Harford Schools Celebrate 2nd Annual "Farm To School Week" by Dagger News Services. The Dagger. Published 09/16/2009.
Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) Superintendent Robert M. Tomback, accompanied by County Executive David R. Craig, will recognize "Farm to School Week" on Wednesday, September 16th, at Fountain Green Elementary School. Read the entire article.

School lunch menus to feature local foods this week by Jane Bellmyer. Cecil Whig. Published 09/16/2009.
Apples from Elkton, peaches grown in Colora, Asian pears from Cecilton and burgers from Conowingo will be on lunch menus this week as the county public schools celebrate Homegrown School Lunch Week. Read the entire article.

Dignitaries and local produce on the menu at Hanover school by Marc Shapiro. The Maryland Gazette. Published 09/16/2009.
The second annual Maryland Homegrown School Lunch week, designated by Gov. Martin O'Malley, is part of the Farm to School Program established last year. "We're taking this time to let you know where your food is coming from," Hance told a group of students. "When you go home, tell your parents you want to buy local products." Read the entire article.

USDA Officials Help Kick-off Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week with Educational Activities and Lo by Maryland Department of Agriculture. . Published 09/15/2009.
To draw attention to the connection between healthy food and the local farms that grow it, Governor Martin O'Malley officially designated September 14-18, 2009 as Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week. "Many students today do not know where their food comes from and many residents aren't aware how important a part of Maryland's environment, economy and quality of life that farms are," said Governor O'Malley. Read the entire article.

Md. School Lunches Include Homegrown Food by Suzanne Collins. WJZ 13. Published 09/15/2009.
There were local veggies on the pizza bagels at Hebron Harman school Tuesday and a display of melons and other fresh fruits. This kicks off a program to put local produce on the school lunch menu. Read the entire article.

Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Program Starts Today. TheBaynet.com. Published 09/15/2009.
St. Mary's County Public Schools will celebrate Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, Sept. 14 through 18, by including locally-grown products in school lunches. Select schools will also showcase this event with outside display stations set up and manned by local farmers, while lessons on healthy eating and farming will be delivered in classrooms. Read the entire article.

Homegrown School Lunch Week. Lunch Nugget. Published 09/15/2009.
This week in some of the Maryland Public Schools, it is Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week. This means the fruits and vegetables at Nugget's school are locally grown and offered to the children. Read the entire article.

Maryland Schools Serve Up Local Produce by Charya Lon. Your4State.com. Published 09/14/2009.
Schools across the state kick off Homegrown School Lunch Week on Monday. The Maryland Department of Agriculture organizes the week, which encourages school cafeterias to use locally grown food in their lunches. Read the entire article.

Homegrown Food in School Lunches by The Associated Press. abc2. Published 09/14/2009.
This is the second straight year the Maryland Department of Agriculture has organized Homegrown School Lunch Week. Cafeterias in all 24 school districts will serve fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese and meats from Maryland. Read the entire article.

Maryland Schools Serve Locally Grown Food for Lunch. News Channel 8. Published 09/14/2009.
Maryland students have a good reason to eat the cafeteria food at school this week. Sources say schools will be serving up locally grown food all week. Read the entire article.

Md. school lunches to include homegrown food by Associated Press. Washington Examiner. Published 09/13/2009.
This is the second straight year the Maryland Department of Agriculture has organized Homegrown School Lunch Week. Cafeterias in all 24 school districts will serve fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese and meats from Maryland. Read the entire article.

Md. school lunches to include homegrown food by The Associated Press. The Baltimore Sun. Published 09/13/2009.
This is the second straight year the Maryland Department of Agriculture has organized Homegrown School Lunch Week. Cafeterias in all 24 school districts will serve fruits, vegetables, bread, cheese and meats from Maryland. Some schools will continue to use locally grown food throughout the school year. Read the entire article.

Homegrown School Lunch Week Promotes Locally-Grown Products. Southern Maryland Online. Published 09/10/2009.
St. Mary's County Public Schools will celebrate Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, September 14-18, by including locally-grown products in school lunches. Select schools will also showcase this event with outside display stations set up and manned by local farmers, while lessons on healthy eating and farming will be delivered in classrooms. Read the entire article.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Get Ready Kids - Fresh, Local Lunches Are Coming to Your School Cafeteria! by Maryland Department of Agriculture. . Published 09/09/2009.
School lunches are getting a makeover this fall with more interesting and more nutritious foods. School children in hundreds of public schools across Maryland will get a taste of fresh, Maryland-grown and produced food in their lunches during the second annual Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, September 14-18. Read the entire article.

September 2009 Flash News by Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation. . Published 09/04/2009.
In Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation featured Homegrown School Lunch Week in their September newsletter. Read the entire article.

September is the month of the apple by Meredith Cohn. The Baltimore Sun. Published 08/27/2009.
On the buy local theme, all Maryland school systems are also offering locally-grown products in school lunches from Sept. 14-18, during Homegrown School Lunch Week. Read the entire article.

Back to School Lunches: Fresh, Local Food for Maryland Students by Maryland Department of Agriculture. . Published 08/26/2009.
For the second year, many Maryland schools will offer locally-grown products in school lunches from Sept. 14-18, which is Homegrown School Lunch Week. Read the entire article.

Harford Schools Awarded District of Excellence Distinction By School Nutrition Association. The Dagger. Published 08/21/2009.
Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) was awarded the District of Excellence in School Nutrition distinction by the School Nutrition Association for exceeding national best practice standards for school nutrition programs. Nearly five million healthy meals are served during the school year at HCPS, and more than half a million dollars is allocated to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, HCPS participates in the Farm to School program, which provides students with food selections that include locally grown agricultural products. Read the entire article.

Nutrition director honored by national physicians group by Marcus Moore. Gazette. Published 08/19/2009.
Parents of elementary school students are told of the school system's vegetarian options through a monthly menu, and all county schools participated in "Farm to School Week," where fresh fruits and vegetables were on the menu. Read the entire article.

Maryland boosting efforts for its own farm-to-school bid by Sean Clougherty. Americanfarm.com. Published 08/04/2009.
Although there is a lot of enthusiasm in the "farm to school" effort in Maryland, advocates were told slow and steady wins the race in making significant and lasting change. Doug Davis, food service director for the Burlington, Vt., school district talked about his successes and challenges in developing a program to get more whole and locally grown food onto student's lunch trays in the keynote speech at Maryland's first farm-to-school workshop last week. Read the entire article.

Local food for local schools by Jonathan Pitts. Baltimore Sun. Published 08/02/2009.
The Jane Lawton Farm to School Conference in Crownsville, a joint production of the state's agriculture and education departments, was a success once again this year. Last year, the Maryland General Assembly charged the divisions with promoting fresh and local school food by passing Senate Bill 158, a measure that created the Jane Lawton Farm to School Program. Gov. Martin O'Malley signed it into law in May 2008. "Farm to school is a complex mission with many working parts," Stew Eidel, a Maryland State Department of Education official, told nearly 200 farmers, educators, food-service directors and parents at an Anne Arundel County workshop last week. "But it has one simple goal: to produce healthy kids." Read the entire article.

Schools look for ways to buy locally grown food by E.B. FURGURSON III. Hometown Annapolis. Published 07/30/2009.
Schools across Maryland are taking the first steps to include more locally grown food in their cafeterias, but it will be a long, bumpy road to get there, participants in a conference in Crownsville learned yesterday. "Maryland Farm to School: A Ripe Opportunity" was how one presenter put it. This article goes on to feature case studies highlighted at the conference. Read the entire article.

State to Hold Workshop On Farm to School Program. The Washington Post. Published 07/23/2009.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture will conduct a workshop from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in Crownsville about how to increase children's consumption of healthful, local foods and help students understand the role of agriculture in the state's economy and the environment. Read the entire article.

Maryland to Host First-Ever Farm-to-School Workshop on July 29 by Maryland Department of Agriculture. . Published 07/09/2009.
Maryland farmers, food service staff, parents, teachers, and interested citizens are invited to attend to plan how to increase children's consumption of healthy, local food and help students understand how healthy eating and agriculture's benefits to the economy and the environment. Read the entire article.

Schools fight uphill battle on healthy food by Eric Hartley. Hometown Annapolis. Published 06/11/2009.
About 30,000 kids eat a school lunch every day at Central Elementary School in Edgewater, so there's clearly an opportunity to make a difference in how some of them eat, perhaps even for the rest of their lives. Read the entire article.

Our Bay: This Week's Take: Grounding the connection to what kids eat by Cindy Ross. The Capital. Published 05/23/2009.
It is disturbing to realize how ignorant some children are about the food they eat. The Farm to School program, a promising nationwide program with participants in our region. Read the entire article.

Food for thought by Cindy Ross. The Baltimore Sun. Published 04/10/2009.
I once read a startling account in Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, about a youngster who was intrigued with his neighbor's harvest. As he dug in the garden, the neighbor asked, "Which vegetable, other than a carrot, would be considered a root vegetable?" The kid answered, "Spaghetti?" As startling as this answer is, I know of another child who thought that milk was cow's urine. It is disturbing to realize how ignorant some children are about their food. The Farm to School program, a promising nationwide program with participants in our region, wants to change that. Read the entire article.

New School Chef Touts Farm Fresh Menu by Melody Simmons. WYPR. Published 02/23/2009.
hen city schools open next week, there will be a fresh peach waiting for each of Baltimore's 82-thousand students. The fruit will be trucked in from a rural farm in Carroll County. It will usher in a new culinary era in the public schools that will highlight a move to fresh, local specialties, including crab soup. Read the entire article.

Frederick hosts Future Harvest-CASA conference by Caryl Velisek. American Farm. Published 01/27/2009.
The 10th annual Conference of Future Harvest-CASA (Chesapeake Alliance For Sustainable Agriculture), was held Jan. 16-17 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center on what turned out to be two of the coldest days of the season so far. Also included in the two-day event were sessions on farm to school food production and producing food for hospitals, sustainable fruit, flower and vegetable production, finishing lambs on grass. grass-based pasture management and profitable grain and hay production. Read the entire article.

Farm income seen holding steady by Ted Shelsby. The Baltimore Sun. Published 12/07/2008.
The 2009 conference of Future Harvest-CASA, considered one of the more comprehensive annual sustainable agriculture discussions in the Mid-Atlantic region, will be held Jan. 16 -17. Read the entire article.

Plow on. The Frederick News Post. Published 11/30/2008.
We have a part to play, too -- by nurturing an agri-centric economy. This entails doing things like continuing to buy locally and supporting the ongoing development of initiatives like Maryland's new Farm to School program. Signed into law in May, the program helps procure local Maryland produce for school menus and promotes the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week to support Maryland agriculture through school meal and classroom programs and interaction between students and local farmers. Read the entire article.

Seeds of change by Jill Rosen. The Baltimore Sun. Published 11/24/2008.
Organic farm will give city school students a chance to get their hands dirty while learning about nutrition. Read the entire article.

Striving for nutrition, appeal and affordability by Scott Blackburn. Delmarva Now. Published 10/16/2008.
Nutrition, appeal and affordability continue to be primary focuses for school food and nutrition service programs in our state. This year, the focus on providing students with fresh fruits and vegetables has expanded with the Farm to School initiative. Not only does this program encourage our children to enjoy the benefits (taste and nutrition) of fresh produce, it also enables school systems to partner with local farmers, supporting this vital industry. Read the entire article.

Local School Lunches Make a Million Local Eaters by Roger Richardson and Nancy S. Grasmick. BayWeekly.com. Published 10/16/2008.
Statewide, the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Program has been an overwhelming success and shows great promise for the future. Almost every county in Maryland is participating, as are more than 30 different Maryland farms. It is a true example of a successful federal, state, local and private collaboration that is working. Read the entire article.

Promoting Agriculture: Students flourish during Homegrown School Lunch Week by Laurie Savage. Frederick News Post. Published 10/13/2008.
The Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week celebration kicked off recently at Takoma Park Middle School with the crunch of Montgomery County-grown apples. "Food doesn't grow in the supermarket, it grows in Maryland on farms," said Sen. Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County. Raskin was a lead sponsor, along with Del. Sheila Hixson, of Farm-to-School Program legislation. Read the entire article.

Local produce on school menu is a winning offer by Roger Richardson and Nancy S. Grasmick. Delmarva Now. Published 10/13/2008.
We thank The Daily Times for its coverage of the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School initiative and the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Program during the week of Sept. 22-26. This exciting new program, signed into law by Gov. Martin O'Malley this year, is designed to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches and to help educate students about the source of their food, how it is produced and the benefits of a healthy diet. Read the entire article.

Farm-to-School initiative shows great promise by Roger Richardson. Cumberland Times-News. Published 10/12/2008.
Thank you for your coverage of the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School initiative and the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Program (Sept. 22-26). This exciting new program, signed into law by Gov. (Martin) O'Malley this year, is designed to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches and to help educate students about the source of their food, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet. Read the entire article.

School Menus Offer Locally Grown Food by Lori Aratani. Washington Post. Published 10/02/2008.
State and local officials are hoping a new initiative will help schoolchildren across Maryland appreciate local farmers and the crops they grow. Last week, the state sponsored Homegrown School Lunch Week, an effort to teach children that the watermelon chunks and cucumber slices they see on their lunch trays come from nearby fields -- not the supermarket. Farmers and officials appeared at Maryland schools, where they set up displays of Maryland-grown produce. Read the entire article.

Making the connection from farm to plate by Jesse Yeatman. Southern Maryland Newspapers. Published 10/01/2008.
A new program aims to educate students on where their food comes from and make school lunch healthier in the process. "It's a very important connection for them to make - from the farm to the plate," said Susan McQuilkin, marketing executive for the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission. She said many children do not know where the food they eat comes from or how food grows. Read the entire article.

A look at new laws taking effect in Md. by Associated Press. The Baltimore Sun. Published 09/30/2008.
FARM TO SCHOOL: Promotes the sale of farm products grown in Maryland to Maryland schools. Read the entire article.

Students enjoy Homegrown School Lunch Week by Stephanie Jordan. American Farm. Published 09/30/2008.
Schools across the state participated last week in Maryland's first Homegrown School Lunch Week. Talbot County was just one of many counties that eagerly participated in the event. "We're looking for more farmers to participate in this program," said Shannon Dill, Talbot County Extension agent. "We're hoping we can have more fresh fruits and vegetables for the children next year." Read the entire article.

Learning About State's Growth Industry by Jenna Johnson and Lori Aratani. The Washington Post. Published 09/28/2008.
Teams of farmers and other agriculture workers visited several St. Mary's County schools last week to talk to students about where their food comes from and to attempt to correct some stereotypes. The events were part of Homegrown School Lunch Week, a new initiative to help schoolchildren across the state appreciate local farmers and what they grow. Read the entire article.

Eat your fruits and vegetables by Elisabeth Hulette. Hometown Annapolis. Published 09/27/2008.
During their annual visit to Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center last week, Tydus and his classmates from Millersville Elementary School tried red and green bell peppers, spaghetti squash with garlic sauce and summer-squash-infused macaroni and cheese, as part of a weeklong push throughout the state to introduce students to fresh, local food. Read the entire article.

Back to food's roots by Karen Goldberg. The Washington Times. Published 09/26/2008.
In this age of soaring childhood obesity rates and eating bad food on the run, there is often a disconnect between food origins and the food on our plates. That's why Maryland created the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program. The initiative, named for the late state delegate, encourages using Maryland-grown products in public schools. The program also will help educate children about the origins of their food and how to incorporate healthy eating into their diets. Read the entire article.

Program connects schools with farmers by Margarita Raycheva. Gazette. Published 09/25/2008.
During the Homegrown School Lunch Week, schools highlight locally grown products and use them to teach students about healthy eating as well as the dynamics of local food production in their area. The initiative will expand in future. The Maryland State Department of Education is developing guidelines for teachers, so they can include nutrition and agriculture education in their classroom curriculum, said Stewart Eidel, who oversees school and community nutrition programs at the Maryland State Department of Education. Read the entire article.

Tasty lessons learned by Sonia Dasgupta. Cecil Whig. Published 09/25/2008.
School lunch got a fresh spin this week as schools hosted Home Grown School Lunch Week. Read the entire article.

Lunch program connects farmers to schools by Jeremy Arias. The Gazette. Published 09/24/2008.
Students, county and state representatives joined area farmers Tuesday at Takoma Park Middle School to kick off the statewide Homegrown School Lunch Week, part of the Jane Lawton Farm to School program. The aim of the program, named after former state Del. Jane E. Lawton (D-Dist. 18) of Chevy Chase, is to connect the often overlooked Maryland farmers and agricultural community to state school cafeterias as a market. County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) took the podium briefly to praise the benefits to both farmers and students. Read the entire article.

Farm to School Days - It Takes a Lot of Food to Feed 17,000 Students a Day by Pete Hurrey. The Bay Net. Published 09/24/2008.
Beginning on Monday, Sept. 22, St. Mary's County Public Schools embarked on a revolutionary nutrition program called Farm to School, in St. Mary's County. The program seeks to introduce locally grown farm products to children in St. Mary's County Schools. This first of its kind program will have children introduced to the concept of local produce and, as part of their normal school curriculum learn about farming and nutrition. Read the entire article.

Fresh idea: Schools pair with Baugher's to provide local produce to students by Karen Kemp. Carroll County Times. Published 09/23/2008.
Carroll County students will be helping to support local agriculture when they eat the fresh gala apples that come with their school lunches this week. The school system is partnering with Baugher's Orchard in Westminster to offer the newly picked fruits to 38 schools for the first Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, which started Monday. It is part of the Jane Lawton Farm to School Program created during this year's session of the Maryland General Assembly in an effort to bring more locally grown products into schools. Read the entire article.

Maryland Students Get a Taste of Locally Grown Produce by Megan A. Conlan. Capital News Service. Published 09/23/2008.
The cafeteria tables in Takoma Park Middle School were lined with both adults and students enjoying locally grown produce during Tuesday's kick-off event for Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week. Read the entire article.

Statewide Homegrown School Lunch Week Kicks-off with Educational Activities, Local Produce at Takoma. Maryland Department of Agriculture. Published 09/23/2008.
To draw attention to the connection between healthy food and the local farms that grow it, Governor Martin O'Malley officially designated September 22-26, 2008 as Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week. Read the entire article.

Washington Co. schools to serve local produce by Erin Cunningham. Herald-Mail. Published 09/18/2008.
Lunch provided at public schools could include an apple from as far away as Washington or fruit canned in Florida. However, next week, Washington County Public Schools will offer meals that include fresh fruit and vegetables grown, for the most part, within 45 miles. Washington County Homegrown School Lunch Week is derived from a Maryland Senate bill passed earlier this year that established the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program in the Department of Agriculture. Read the entire article.

Maryland Researchers Find Kids Will Eat Fruits and Vegetables at School. Media Newswire. Published 09/17/2008.
How can you get children to eat more fruits and vegetables at school? University of Maryland researchers have released preliminary findings that show there are actually a number of ways to accomplish that. It's the first time Maryland school-based interventions have been shown to help kids eat a healthier diet. Read the entire article.

Maryland Schools Feature Local Food with New Farm to School Program by Maryland Department of Agriculture. . Published 09/11/2008.
Students in many Maryland counties will find fresh, local apples, watermelon, coleslaw and more offered in their school cafeterias as part of the new Homegrown School Lunch Week, Sept. 22-26. Read the entire article.

Homegrown school lunches to appear across Maryland by Stephanie Jordan. American Farm. Published 08/26/2008.
The Maryland Farm to School program is picking up steam across the state, with 17 counties signed up to participate in Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, which will be held Sept. 22 to Sept. 26. Read the entire article.

School lunch program to start. The Herald-Mail. Published 08/12/2008.
The Jane Lawton Farm to School Initiative was established during the 2008 session of the General Assembly to bring more Maryland grown products to school lunches and to help educate students about the source of their food, how it is produced and the benefits of a healthy diet. Read the entire article.

What we're doing for Maryland farmers by Roger Richardson. The Herald-Mail. Published 05/27/2008.
These laws include the Chesapeake 2010 Trust Fund, which will provide about $12 million for cover crops and on-farm best management practices to help the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, and the farm-to-school bill which may offer additional markets to our producers while bringing locally-grown products to school children. Read the entire article.

Schools struggle to dine locally by Kristen Wyatt. The Washington Times. Published 04/23/2008.
A bill awaiting the governor's signature aims to change that. It's part of a national Farm to School movement that is headed to Maryland to encourage more local produce on cafeteria trays. The twin missions of boosting local farmers while trimming fuel costs for shipping food long distances received unanimous approval from Maryland legislators. Read the entire article.

Home-grown school meals by Editorial Board. The Baltimore Sun. Published 04/22/2008.
With justified concern about childhood obesity and the economic plight of some of Maryland's 12,000 farms, it's a shame that more local produce hasn't gotten to local schools. But a new program for the next school year rightly aims to help by adding more Maryland farm products to school meals. Read the entire article.

Farm-to-School movement comes to Md. by Kristen Wyatt. The York Dispatch. Published 04/22/2008.
Maryland's bill would put educators in touch with state Department of Agriculture marketing officials to figure out how to put products like Hochmuth's berries in schools. Officials in other states have said schools and farms alike are enthusiastic about the idea of local food in cafeterias -- they just need a go-between. Read the entire article.

Maryland joins effort to put local food in school cafeterias by Kristen Wyatt. Associated Press. Published 04/21/2008.
The strawberries just turning red on one Eastern Shore field here could end up on plates almost anywhere - except on cafeteria trays just down the road. A bill awaiting the governor's signature aims to change that. It's part of a national Farm-To-School movement that's headed to Maryland to encourage more local produce on cafeteria trays. Read the entire article.

Maryland's Governor Cites Ag Accomplishments. American Agriculturalist. Published 04/21/2008.
HB 696 and SB 158 establish the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program in the Department of Agriculture to promote state agriculture and farm products to children through school meal and classroom programs. Read the entire article.

Farmers can't sell to state's schools by Associated Press. The Baltimore Sun. Published 04/21/2008.
The strawberries just turning red on an Eastern Shore field here could end up on plates almost anywhere - just not on cafeteria trays at a middle school down the road. Read the entire article.

Md. delegates hear Farm-to-School program testimony by Stephanie Jordan. American Farm. Published 03/04/2008.
Last week Maryland delegates heard testimony in support of House Bill 696, which would establish the Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program. The purpose of the bill is to promote and facilitate the sale of Maryland farm products to state schools and facilities. Read the entire article.

Homegrown Foods Debut In Md. Schools by Scott Broom. WUSA 9. Published 00/01/0000.
Maryland public school kids got their first taste of locally grown produce in lunchrooms around the state today. Schools in at least 17 of the states 23 counties are participating in Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week, according to the state's Department of Agriculture. Together with the state's Department of Education, the agencies have created the Maryland Farm to School program. Read the entire article.