Farm to School in the Cafeteria resources Webinar: Starting Farm to School for Educators and … More about Farm to School in the Cafeteria about Farm to School in the Cafeteria
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October is National Farm to School Month and you can help us celebrate by participating in the annual Great Apple Crunch. Anyone who wants to show support for local farmers and food can participate. That’s right, it’s free and everyone is welcome! K-12 schools, early care and education sites, hospitals, colleges and universities, farms, state and local agencies, non-profit organizations, local businesses, groups, and even households can register to Crunch at Noon on Thursday, October 10! Get details and register… [link to article] about The Great Apple Crunch
Farm to School in the Cafeteria resources Webinar: Starting Farm to School for Educators and … More about Farm to School in the Cafeteria about Farm to School in the Cafeteria
There are numerous curricula available for all grade levels, whether you want to add one activity during National Farm … More about Farm to School in the Classroom about Farm to School in the Classroom
In the 2009-10 school year, Ohio schools spent over $52 million dollars on fruit and vegetables for school lunches. … More about Farmers & Producers about Connect with Schools and Students
Ohio State Medical Students Create School Garden Outreach Program Across degree program at Ohio State, students want to … More Ohio Success Stories about Ohio Success Stories
Students gain access to healthy, local foods as well as education opportunities such as school gardens, cooking lessons and farm field trips. Farm to school empowers children and their families to make informed food choices while strengthening the local economy and contributing to vibrant communities.
Farm to school implementation differs by location but always includes one or more of the following:
Farm to school provides all kids access to nutritious, high quality, local food so they are ready to learn and grow. Farm to school activities enhance classroom education through hands-on learning related to food, health, agriculture and nutrition.
Farm to school can serve as a significant financial opportunity for farmers, fishers, ranchers, food processors and food manufacturers by opening the doors to an institutional market worth billions of dollars.
Farm to school benefits everyone from students, teachers and administrators to parents and farmers, providing opportunities to build family and community engagement. Buying from local producers and processors creates new jobs and strengthens the local economy.
Ohio schools have been working with farmers, collaborating with community leaders and connecting students with local food and nutrition education for decades. Formally, the Ohio Farm to School effort began with steering committee members guiding development of a national program.
In 2005, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation provided a planning grant for development of the National Farm to School Network, and the 2nd National Farm to Cafeteria Conference was held at Kenyon College in Gambier, OH with over 350 attendees. By 2011, a national network was established with Farm to School representation in all 50 states.
There was so much interest in the Farm to School program in Ohio that more than 300 food producers, school food service personnel, educators and community leaders attended the Ohio Farm to School Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. State leadership was initially provided through the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and transitioned to the Ohio State University (OSU) Extension in September 2011. The national and state program continues to develop through the guidance of local, state, regional and national collaboration.
Sign up for Ohio’s F2S Monthly Newsletter for stories from schools and students on Farm to School initiatives across the state, events, and learning opportunities. Simply email OhioProud@agri.ohio.gov and let us know you want added to the mailing list! Explore previous issues of the newsletter here.
For more information on the regional networks, visit the Ohio Farm to School website and Facebook page.