Make a Difference in the Cafeteria, Classroom, & Community

1. Make a Difference in the Cafeteria, Classroom, & Community Ohio Farm to School Community Presentation

2. What is Farm to School?Pre-K through College WHO is Ohio Farm to School?Pre-K through College • Farmers & other Ohio food companies connect with schools and students. • Food Service Personnel serve fresh local food in school breakfast, lunch, after school snack & summer meal programs. • Educatorsexcite students with hands-on learning opportunities, such as student gardens. • Community Leadersmake local connections. • Students • enjoyaccess to nutritious food. • improve their knowledge of where their food comes from and how food choices affect their health, environment and community.

3. Healthy Young People Eating Habits Obesity & Other Health Risks Healthy Economies Keep more local money in the local economy Increasing demand for Ohio Agriculture is good for Ohio farmers Greater school lunch participation increases revenues for schools Healthy Communities As an important element of a local food system, Farm to School programs connect people and resources to make their community better for everyone. Why Farm to School? WHY Farm to School?

4. Farm to SchoolGreat opportunities for farmers • Constant Demand - In 2010, Ohio schools served: • 181,174,029 lunches & 62,608,913 breakfasts • That’s over $70 million forfruit and vegetables! • If 25% of school food was purchased from local Ohio farmers, $17,674,263 would have gone into our local economy • This doesn’t even include snacks, taste testings, after school programs, … • Diversity in schools • In 2011, Ohio schools ranged from serving 120 lunches/year to 6,259,851 (ODE 2011 NSLP data). • Good Public Relations

5. Farm to SchoolGreat opportunities for schools • USDA FNS • Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, Section 243: Access to Local Foods: The Farm to School Program • New Meal Pattern • 2012 F2S Grants • 2013 F2S Census, ...

6. Farm to SchoolNew Meal Patterns/Nutritional Guidelines • Daily fruit servings range from 1/2 a cup to a full cup & daily vegetables from ¾ of a cup to one cup • Specifies weekly requirements for veg. subgroups (dark green, red/orange, legumes, starchy) • All grains must be whole grain rich by July, 2014 (previously no requirement) • The amount of meat or meat alternative should be the size of the palm of a child’s hand • Milk must be nonfat or 1 percent, and only nonfat milk can be flavored. • Calorie ranges rather than just minimums • Specified requirement of zero grams Trans Fats per serving (previously no limit)

7. Farm to School ExamplesCafeteria • Direct Farmer to School Connections • Sandusky City Schools • Cooperatives– Farmers working together • Lake to River Cooperative • Farmers working with a Distributor • DNO, Inc.; Kenyon College • Auctions • Ohio University • Other • Student Gardens/Farms • Granville Schools http://ofbf.org/media-and-publications/watch/1/614/

8. How Schools Buy • Informal Bids: • Contracts less than $100,000 • Schools must obtain quotes from at least 3 farmers or vendors (of their choice -- all may be local); required to select vendor with lowest cost. • Formal Bids • Contracts over $100,000 • The National School Lunch Program allows schools to apply a geographic preference • While price may earn the majority of points, other bid categories like variety, availability, freshness, and delivery schedule are also important

9. Ohio Schools Want Ohio Agriculture • Ohio Food Service Directors: Cautiously Optimistic towards Farm to School • Survey: farm-to-school study of Ohio school food service directors (206 respondents) • 37.5% currently purchase from Ohio farmers • 77.5% reported being somewhat or very interested in purchasing food directly from a farmer. • 90% are somewhat or very interested in purchasing local food through a distributor.

10. Schools want to know … • Pricing, Availability, How Fit With Their Meal Plans • Produce is clean • Truck is clean • Delivery person is clean • Truck is refrigerated, if necessary • Truck temperatures are monitored, if refrigerated truck is necessary • HACCP Plan info, if producer maintains one • Other food safety information, if available • Insurance

11. Farm to School ExamplesClassroom,… • Hands-on Education • Pre-K, Elementary, Secondary, College • Classroom (grow, taste,…) • School/Community Garden • Farm Tours & Field Trips • Careers in Food & Farming

12. How Schools Choose Educational Resources/Activities • Pre-K • K-12 • Curriculum Directors & Review Process • State Standards & Tests • Field Trips/Classroom Visits • College

13. Farm to School ExamplesCommunity • Community Garden Club & Master Gardeners • Local Food Groups • Environmental Groups (composting) • Community Kitchens (local Rec Center) • Chefs Move to Schools • Media • Funding & Fund Raising

14. Farm to School Resourceswww.farmtoschool.org • National Network Ohio Governor Signs Resolution: OCT. F2S Month

15. Farm to School Resourceshttp://farmtoschool.osu.edu

16. What’s Aheadhttp://farmtoschool.osu.edu/ Statewide Conference: March 13, 2013

17. Contact Julie M. Fox, Ph.D., fox.264@osu.edu Program Director Ohio Farm to School Program The Ohio State University South Centers 1864 Shyville Rd. Piketon, OH 45661 Tel: 740.289.2071 (ext. 225) http://farmtoschool.osu.edu Mary Griffith, griffith.483@osu.edu, Tel.: 614.292.0618 Contacts in Other States Farmtoschool.org