Joint Education Committee Farm to School September 20, 2016 Casper, WY Prepared by the Powder River Basin Resource Council
What is Farm to School? Farm to school enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and preschools.
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Procurement: Local foods are purchased, promoted and served in the cafeteria or as a snack or taste‐test Education: Students participate in education activities related to agriculture, food, health or nutrition School gardens: Students engage in hands‐on learning through gardening National Farm to School Network ‐ http://www.farmtoschool.org/about/what‐is‐farm‐to‐school
PROCUREMENT • Local foods are purchased, promoted and served in the cafeteria or as a snack or taste‐test • All Child Nutrition Programs can participate • Benefits to farmers: – Creates positive relationships with school districts, parents and community members – Farmers contracted to plant crops for schools – Opportunities to explore processing and preservation methods for institutional markets – Establishment of grower cooperatives to supply institutional markets – Increase in community awareness and interest about purchasing local foods and foods served in school cafeterias National Farm to School Network – Benefits of Farm to School Fact Sheet http://www.farmtoschool.org/Resources/BenefitsFactSheet.pdf
SCHOOL GARDENS • School gardens are living laboratories which offers a rich context for exploring all disciplines • Gardening provides different forms of student engagement: – – – –
designing, planting, and maintaining gardens harvesting, preparing, and sharing food working cooperatively in groups learning about science and nutrition
• Children who grow their own food are more likely to eat fresh fruits and vegetables • Fifth grade students who participated in school gardening activities scored significantly higher on science achievement tests University of Colorado – Benefits of Gardening for Children http://www.colorado.edu/cedar/sites/default/files/attached‐files/Gardening_factsheet_2011.pdf
Importance and Uses of Plants Plant Classification Plant Parts Plant Needs Plant Processes Plant Growth Seed Propagation Vegetative Propagation
Soil Color, Texture, & Structure Nutrients Soil Improvement Soil Conservation Water Cycle and You Water Movement Watersheds, Wetlands and Aquifers Water Conservation
Curriculum Design • • • • •
Hands‐On and Project Based Integrated across all subject areas Flexibility of use Group and Individual Activities Community serve and leadership development incorporated in all units
Why Farm to School? • Goal of the Wyoming Farm to School Program is to support healthy children, schools, farms, and communities by utilizing local agriculture • Farm to School projects benefit the entire community – Enhance students' educational experience and cultivate long‐term healthy eating habits – Combat childhood obesity – Increase horticultural literacy – Support local family farms, ranches, and producers – Open new markets and increase revenues and customer base for farmers – Develop community support and awareness about local food systems – Strengthen community relationships Wyoming Farm to School Resource Guide, Wyoming Department of Agriculture ‐ http://www.wyfarm2plate.org/images/resources/Farm_School_Resource_Guide_Final.pdf
Resource Guide National Farm to School Network http://www.farmtoschool.org/
Junior Master Gardener http://jmgkids.us/
Wyoming Farm to Plate http://www.wyfarm2plate.org/
Wyoming Department of Education https://edu.wyoming.gov/beyond‐the‐ classroom/nutrition/farm‐to‐school/ Purchasing Resource Guide for Farm to School in Wyoming Guide for Wyoming Pre‐school Gardens Guide for Wyoming School Gardens
