Making Farm-to-School Connections

1. Making Farm-to-School Connections

2. Farm to School Goals • Provide fresh, seasonal produce to students • Reconnect young people to the sources of their food • Encourage healthy, informed eating habits that last a lifetime • Expand agricultural markets and improve viability for small and mid-size farms • Recognize the land and water stewardship role of responsible farming

3. Farm to School • Getting locally grown foods into school lunches and snack programs • Education about food, nutrition, agriculture and the environment • Experiential learning through school gardens and hands-on food skills projects • Farm visits • Farmers and chefs in the classroom

4. The Local Farms-Healthy Kids Act:policy changes relating to schools • Farm to School Program (WSDA) • WA Grown Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grants (OSPI) • Eliminates low-cost bidding requirements in school food purchases • Encourages School Gardens to grow food for educational purposes and offer the food for consumption in school snack and meal programs.

5. WSDA Farm-to-School Program • Assist producers, distributors and brokers to market WA Grown food to schools • Assist schools in connecting with local producers • Identify and share education resources on the nutritional, environmental, and economic benefits of locally grown foods • Support efforts such as school gardens and farm visits

6. WA Grown Fruit and Vegetable Program • Increase children’s consumption of WA gown, packed and processed fresh, dried and frozen fruits and vegetables • Expand variety of WA grown fruits and vegetables children experience throughout the school year • Make a difference in children’s diets to positively impact present and future health • Expand the market for locally grown produce THOMAS JAMES HURST / THE SEATTLE TIMES PHOTO BY KEVIN P. CASEY  Carey Thornton, second from left, from Washington State University King County Extension's Food $ense program, helps students harvest green beans and other vegetables in an Auburn School District garden. Food from the garden is used in meals students prepare as part of a summer program. [From Seattle’s Child, Sept. 2008]

7. WA Grown Fruits and Vegetables Program • 25 schools around the state • 32 cents per student to spend on snacks (free to students) • Fresh, dried or frozen • Grown and packed or processed in WA • Encourages community partnerships

8. Successes from the WA Grown Fruits and Vegetable Program • Students better able to focus – “They work better the days they have their snack.” • “When my students eat the snack they have more energy at the end of the day.” • Parents say that when their child gets home they aren’t as hungry as they were before the snack program and can wait for dinner, which has reduced the temptation for unhealthful snacks. • Discipline referrals are down—1/2 of what they were last year. The school feels the program is definitely part of the drop.

9. How can we start successful farm-to-school connections? • Be prepared to think creatively and collaborate for solutions that work for everyone. • Find committed, enthusiastic partners. • Start small—salad bar items, harvest events, highlighted menu items. • Consider what is grown here and work toward seasonal menu planning. • Provide an informative, appealing and comfortable food environment. • Tie in educational resources and ideas to bring the students into the project.

10. Questions for school district staff: • How many schools? How many students? • What kind of product do you need, and in what quantities? (i.e. individual vs. central kitchens, daily cooking vs. reheating? budget, time, staff, equipment and skill for processing of raw product?) • Current distributor (and is that distributor willing/able to provide and identify WA Grown product?) • How much liability insurance do they require of food vendors?

11. Questions for farms: • What do you grow, and in what quantities? (pack sizes and overall) • What form is the food in? (washed, bagged, cut, etc.) • What is your minimum order for delivery? • How do you require payment, and is this flexible? • Would you be interested in partnering for educational purposes? • Do you have liability insurance (and for what amounts)? • Do you have any kind of food safety or other certification? (If not, would you be interested in getting a USDA GAP certification with WSDA inspection?)

12. Partnerships with Distributors and Processors • Questions for distributors • Do you offer Washington grown products? • Can you identify them on your buy lists? • Would you be interested in buying more from local farms? • Questions for processors • Do you offer products made from WA grown ingredients? • Do you offer minimally processed fruits and vegetables grown in Washington? • Can you identify which products are grown in Washington? • Are you interested in working with local farms to process their produce for schools?

13. Putting a Face on Food Production Jubilee Farm – Carnation, WA Farmer Erick Haakenson grows carrots and lettuce on his farm in the Snoqualmie River Valley. The river provides water to keep his crops growing. Farmer Erick also raises chickens, who lay eggs and provide meat for his family to eat. The chickens also help him by eating the bugs that might otherwise feast on the salad greens and other fruits and vegetables.

14. Providing Experience and Ownership School Gardens & Hands-On Food Skills Lessons ... Foster pride and understanding Encourage kids to try new foods • Resource: WSU King County Extension Curriculum– Food$ense CHANGE (aligned to the WA Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR's) and Grade Level Expectations (GLE's)) • Does a School Garden Sound Ambitious? • Team up with parent groups, teachers, community organizations • Find a local garden to visit regularly • Start with growing a few container plants or herbs

15. Going Back to the Source Farm Visits Shared experience to build on Provides fun and positive framework for discussion Easy to tailor experience for all ages Harvest season as school year begins – great way to start! • Resource: WSU King County Extension Fact Sheet - “How to Make a Local Farm a Classroom for a Day” • (and how to link to WA State EALRs)

16. Making the Connection for Kids • Resource: Center for Ecoliteracy Book • “Big Ideas: Linking Food, Culture, Health, and the Environment” • (aligned to AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy) • Work with teachers to link school gardens and food and farming education with science, math, language arts, social studies, etc. • Consider food culture - include preparation, presentation, sharing and culturally appropriate foods in programs with students

17. Resources WSU King County Extension Farm-to-School Connections Team - www.farmtoschoolwashington.org(with links to a range of curriculum materials and other resources for connecting food, nutrition, culture, farming and environment) WSU Food$ense - CHANGE Curriculum and Harvest of the Season www.king.wsu.edu/nutrition/change.htm The Center for Ecoliteracy - Rethinking School Lunch and Big Ideas: Linking Food, Culture, Health and Environment www.ecoliteracy.org/programs/rsl.html Teachers College Columbia University - Linking Food and the Environment - LiFE www.tc.columbia.edu/life National Farm-to-School Network www.farmtoschool.org

18. Contact Info: Tricia Sexton Kovacs WSDA Farm-to-School Program Tkovacs@agr.wa.gov (360) 902-2029