|
November 19, 2013 | Volume 2, Issue 26
USDA Announces Additional Support to Help Schools Buy Local
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced grants
for 71 projects spanning 42 states and the District of Columbia that support the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) efforts to connect school cafeterias
with local farmers and ranchers through its Farm to School Program.
“In rural and urban communities across the country, farm to school programs teach students where food comes from, while providing
healthy foods that are grown locally on farms and ranches across the nation,”
said Vilsack. “These programs also create new market opportunities for local
farmers and ranchers interested in partnering with nearby school districts –
and by helping to create an even more diverse and thriving agriculture sector, farm to school efforts hold potential to create new jobs in rural areas.”
Selected projects will serve more than 13,000
schools and 2.8 million students, nearly 45 percent of whom live in rural
communities. Projects are diverse:
-
Somerville
Public Schools in Massachusetts will
work to develop a district-wide farm to school program with community
partners that focus on creating youth jobs and promoting healthy eating
and physical education.
-
Olympia
School District in Washington state will partner
with two local farms to help students apply biology, American history, and
horticulture skills towards farm management. The farms will grow organic
produce for the school district and serve as an outdoor educational space
for students.
-
Bayfield
Regional Food Producers Cooperative in Wisconsin will
overcome the obstacles of a short growing season by helping local school
districts install and manage high tunnels to supplement school gardens. In
addition to providing nutrient-dense hardy greens and other vegetables to
the students in their lunches and snacks, the high tunnels will allow
educators to implement experiential, project‐based
learning in the spring and fall seasons.
-
Northeast
Iowa Food & Fitness Initiative and Upper Explorerland Regional
Planning Commission in Iowa will
work with local farmers and a newly established food hub to boost
production to meet the needs of local schools. They have set a goal with
four rural school districts to increase local purchases by 200 percent.
These projects highlight the critical need for a new
Food, Farm and Jobs Bill now more than ever, said Vilsack. Producers need
renewed and expanded access to Farm Bill programs to fuel the growing demand
for local food in new markets, including school meals programs, and to increase
economic opportunities for America’s farmers and ranchers.
USDA Farm to School grants help schools respond to
the growing demand for locally sourced foods and increase market opportunities
for producers and food businesses, including food processors, manufacturers,
and distributors. Grants will also be used to support agriculture and nutrition
education efforts such as school gardens, field trips to local farms, and
cooking classes. For a complete list of FY14 Farm to School grant recipients,
please see: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/FY_2014_Grant_Award_Summaries.pdf
USDA
recently released the results of the first-ever Farm to School Census, which showed
that in school year 2011-2012, school districts purchased and served over $350
million in local food, with more than half of participating schools planning to
purchase more local foods in the future. School districts that missed the
opportunity earlier in the year to respond can submit information regarding
farm to school practices through November 30, 2013.
USDA's Farm to School
Program is part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free
Kids Act, which authorized USDA to provide grants and technical assistance to help
schools gain better access to local foods. It is also a core element of the USDA's
Know
Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative, which
coordinates the department's work on local food systems.
USDA is focused on improving childhood nutrition and
empowering families to make healthier food choices by providing science-based
information and advice, while expanding the availability of healthy food.
-
America's
students now have healthier and more nutritious school meals due to
improved nutrition standards implemented as a result of the historic Healthy,
Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
-
USDA's
MyPlate symbol and the resources at ChooseMyPlate.gov
provide quick, easy reference tools for parents, teachers, healthcare
professionals and communities.
-
USDA
awarded
$5.2 million in grants to provide training and technical assistance for
child nutrition food service professionals and support stronger school
nutrition education programs.
Collectively these policies and actions are helping
to combat child hunger and obesity, while improving the health and nutrition of
the nation's children. For more information on the Farm to School program,
please visit www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool.
| 
