Frac09

Farm to Preschool CACFP Wellness and Nutrition Institute March 1, 2009 Debra Eschmeyer Center for Food & Justice Urban & Environmental Policy Institute Occidental College

Program Development and Evaluation
Action Research
Policy Development
Community Organizing and Empowerment
Academic/NGO Hybrid
Multiple Centers and Programs

Center for Food & Justice: Programs and Initiatives
Grocery Accountability Project
Community Action (Project CAFÉ)
Farm to School
Farm to Institution: Distribution Models
School Food Environments
Affordable Housing/Edible Landscapes

Farm to School
Farm to school is a school-based program that connects schools (K-12) and local farms with the objectives of:
serving healthy meals in school cafeterias
improving student nutrition
providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities
supporting small and medium-sized local and regional farmers

Components of Farm to School Local, Farm fresh produce in schools Nutrition Education / Experiential Learning School Gardens, Composting, Recycling Farm tours / Visits by farmers

Serving Models
Farm Fresh Salad Bar offered as part of the National School Lunch Program.
Local food featured in the cafeteria – Harvest of the Month
Local food featured at a fundraiser or special event

Farm to School Impacts: Student Dietary Behavior AES-WA: Abernathy Elementary School, WA; LSB-CA: Los Angeles Unified Pilot Salad Bar Program, CA; OSB-WA: Olympia Unified School District, WA
Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables (+.99 to 1.3 servings/day)
Demonstrated willingness to try new foods and healthier options

National Farm to School: Program Expansion
1997 – 3 School Districts
2002 - 400 School Districts
2009 – 2000 School Districts
National Farm to School Network – 8 Regional Lead Organizations
Bi-Annual Farm to Cafeteria Conferences
Blogs, YouTube videos, and “Real Food is” contests – communications and networking programs

www.farmtoschool.org 40 states, more than 2000 school districts, and more than 8,000 schools Note: Alaska, Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Idaho now have F2S programs

National Farm to School Network Networking Training and Technical Assistance Policy Information Services Media and Marketing

Farm to Institution: Beyond K-12
Farm to Preschool
Farm to Hospital
Farm to City Hall
Farm to Prison
Farm to Museum
Farm to Restaurant
Farm to…

Farm to Pre-School
By 18 months, French fries are the most common vegetable kids eat.
Pilot Programs—will choose two preschool sites
Parent Outreach
“ Doc Talks”
Harvest of the Month Snacks

Demographics of pilot sites
South Los Angeles
Avg. income per household of $17,644
El Monte
83% of students qualify for free or reduced price meals
Yucca Valley
40% of students qualify for free or reduced price meals

Hands-on Nutrition Education

Farm tours and other experiential learning opportunities

New Institutional Market for Local Farmers

Farm to Institution : Distribution Models
Farmers’ Market Hub
Local School Food Line
Farmers’ Collaborative
WIC Fresh Food Retail Program
Farm Direct

Food Justice: An Action-Research Framework
Research Action Policy Research
Importance of food access
Community Engagement to change food environments
Farm to Institution Connections
School Food as a Key Arena for Change
Food Justice and Environmental Justice: Expanding agendas and broadening the constituencies for change

www.farmtoschool.org Debra Eschmeyer [email_address] 419-753-3412

Frac09

by Farm to Cafeteria Conference

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