Farm to School

Farm to School is a program through which schools buy and feature locally produced, farm-fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, eggs, honey, meat, and beans on their menus. Schools also incorporate nutrition-based curriculum and provide students with experiential learning opportunities such as farm visits, gardening, and recycling programs. As a result of Farm to School, students have access to fresh, local foods, and farmers have access to new markets through school sales. Farmers are also able to participate in programs designed to educate kids about local food and agriculture.

Farm to School provides a model for positively influencing children’s eating habits through school cafeteria improvements, hands-on nutrition education, and community involvement and support. The last decade has witnessed a tremendous spike in nutrition- and health-related diseases in the country, especially those affecting children. In response, there have been numerous initiatives undertaken to combat the growing rates of childhood obesity targeted at changes at the school, community and individual levels. Farm to School is one such initiative, and it also has the added benefits of supporting small farmers, local agriculture, and local economies.

The National Farm to School Program in the United States is run by the Center for Food and Justice, a division of the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute ( [http://departments.oxy.edu/uepi/ http://departments.oxy.edu/uepi/] ) at Occidental College.

See also

*Environmental groups and resources serving K–12 schools
*Local food

External links

* [http://www.farmtoschool.org Farm to School]
* [http://departments.oxy.edu/uepi/ Urban & Environmental Policy Institute]