Farm to School is a program connecting K-12 schools with local farms to enhance student nutrition through fresh produce, nutrition education, and experiential learning. The initiative addresses childhood obesity, supports local farmers' economies, and promotes environmental sustainability by reducing food transport distances. Implementation requires collaboration among various stakeholders to create a sustainable model that benefits students, farmers, and communities.

1. Farm to School : the ABC’s and 123’s of How to Get Started National Farm to School Network

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

3. Outline How you do Farm to School Why we need Farm to School What is Farm to School Who can implement Farm to School

4. What is 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

5. Connecting local farmers to schools buy and feature farm fresh foods incorporate nutrition-based curriculum provide students experiential learning opportunities through farm visits, gardening, and recycling programs access to new markets

6. Benefits of Farm to School The minimum USDA requirement for Vegetables and Fruits in a school meal for Grades K-6 is 2 or more servings of vegetables and/or fruits, equal to 3/4 cup per child per day, plus an additional 1/2 cup over the course of a week. 1.2 cup/child/day 162% of USDA requirements 3/4 th cup/child/day 100% of USDA requirements Winters School District Salad Bar Lunch (2004) Davis School District Salad Bar Lunch (2004)

7. www.FarmToSchool.org

8. www.FarmToSchool.org

9. Why we need Farm to School

10. Why we need farm to school For our Children By some estimates 25 to 30% of American children have excess body weight, and there has been a 2.3- to 3.3-fold increase in childhood obesity over the last 25 years. Our children will be the first generation to have a life expectancy shorter than their parents. % of school-age children 6-11 years that are overweight late 1970’s = 6.5% 2000 = 15.3% 2007 = 25% 1 in 3 children born in 2000 will be diabetic in their lifetime (CDC).

11. Why we need farm to school For our Farmers 330 farm operators leave their land every week. USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) predicted that 98 percent of total farm operator income will come from off farm sources and at last count only 7 percent of all farm families reported 100 percent "on-farm" income. The farmer’s share of every dollar spent on food has dropped to 19 cents from 41 cents in 1950. Buying direct from local farmers generates 44% more revenue for the local economy than purchasing food at supermarkets. In direct marketing initiatives, farmers take home 80-90% of each dollar the consumer spends. In the 1930s, there were close to seven million farms in the United States. Today, just over two million farms remain— less than 1 percent of the country's population.

12. Why we need farm to school For our Environment Crop Varieties lost between 1903-1983 Tomatoes: 80.6 percent Lettuce: 92.8 percent Corn: 90.8 percent Apples: 86.2 percent In the U.S., the typical food item now travels from 1,500 to 2,400 miles from farm to plate, i.e. A head of CA lettuce shipped to Washington DC requires 36x more fuel energy to transport than the food energy it provides.

13. Why we need farm to school Dollars and Sense Price of feeding one child school lunch during their tenure in k-12 = $6,000 Price of treating one adult for illness related to poor nutrition over the course of their life= $175,000 Farm to School = Priceless

14. How you do Farm to School

15. Implementing Farm to School Local Product used in: salad bars hot entrees / other meal items snack in classroom taste tests fundraisers Educational Activities: chef/farmer in class, cooking demos greenhouses, waste management, recycling, and composting farm tours harvest of the month CSA in the classroom School gardens

16. Let’s get started Start small—taste testing, farm tour, apples Organize various stakeholders/hold a meeting Research area farmers Contact food service director and school administration Identify funding sources Market the program Volunteer

17. Headlines Help Study: Kids Will Eat Healthy School Meals Upstate farmers to supply school veggies

18. Who can implement Farm to School YOU students farmers chefs non-profit food groups administrators farmer organizations board members principals community members school food service staff PTA teachers parents YOU YOU YOU

19. Relationships Q. What’s the key to sustainability? This whole thing is about relationships. Local farmers have two distinct advantages:  Procedure - We can get fresh, high quality and safe product to the institutions in 24 hours after harvest including all the post handling procedures.  Relationship- The buyer and the grower have a real, face-to-face knowledge of one another. We must distinguish our product and ourselves and be unique. “ We are cultivating more than just food here; this is about community, this is about relationships.”

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

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