Potential federal funding would help more districts join in
Proposed bipartisan legislation introduced to Congress in late February 2015 calls for increased funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School program. The bill could, if passed, lead to more schools expanding or adding the fresh foods program and could increase opportunities for growers to sell their harvests to schools.
That’s according to local food experts with the College of Education and Human Ecology, who say the potential increased USDA funding could help more local foods make their way into more schools across Ohio, boosting economic opportunities for Ohio farmers.
“The proposals call for increasing funding for the USDA Farm to School program from $5 million per year to $15 million per year,” said Carol Smathers, an OSU Extension field specialist and the program’s Ohio director.
“In recent years, on average about four Ohio school districts each year have gotten USDA Farm to School grants, so any increase in funding could mean more schools can provide the benefits of Farm to School.”
Farm to School (F2S) is a national program, which in Ohio is led by Ohio State University Extension and partners with numerous agencies, organizations and industry groups. Ohio’s Farm to School program has partnerships in all 88 counties. Leadership of the program transitioned from the Ohio Department of Agriculture to OSU Extension in 2011.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the colleges of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Education and Human Ecology.
Increasing access to healthy foods, building new markets for growers
Initiatives can include increasing students’ access to healthy foods, creating economic opportunities for growers, and teaching about food, health, nutrition and agriculture, Smathers said.
Some of the Ohio school districts that received USDA Farm to School grants include:
- The South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District, to increase the quality and variety of locally procured offerings, establish new procurement methods, upgrade school kitchen equipment and launch a social marketing campaign.
- Rural Action, to work with six rural school districts in southeast Ohio to integrate food preparation into a culinary arts student lab experience at Hocking College.
Akron City Schools and Stark County Educational Service Center projects also were funded.
“We meet with all of the grantees each year to ensure they are connected with OSU Extension resources at the state and county level,” Smathers said.
A statewide Farm to School conference in March brought together more than 200 farmers, producers, educators, school food service professionals, business leaders and OSU Extension experts.
Offering this conference and bringing together these grantees can help multiply Farm to School efforts statewide by informing school districts about successful programs, said Stacy Haught, Ohio Farm to School program coordinator.
“It’s a great way to connect Farm to School advocates and help school districts leverage connections across the state,” Haught said.
Many benefits
The F2S program helps students understand where their food comes from, and how their food choices affect their health, environment and community.
As part of OSU Extension’s Local Foods signature program, Ohio Farm to School reaches key audiences through essential partnerships with the Ohio Departments of Agriculture, Education and Health, as well as through Farm Bureau, the American Dairy Association and other agencies, trade groups and philanthropic organizations.
Students who attend schools that participate in Farm to School:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables at school and at home.
- Consume fewer unhealthy foods and sugary sodas. • Show an increased willingness to try new foods. • Participate in more physical activity.
- Demonstrate an increased knowledge and awareness of gardening, local foods and seasonality.
OSU Extension offers a Farm to School website, regional training, and one-on-one consultations.