October is National Farm to School Month this is a great opportunity to get your local community involved in your foodservice operation. The Farm to School Movement was started by a handful of schools in the late 1990’s that wanted healthier food choices and food and agriculture education. Fast forward 15 years and now 44% (40,328 schools) of all U.S. schools are participating. If you’re on the fence about Farm to School, here are some reasons your school might want to join the Farm to School Movement:
- Work with local farmers – offer at least one locally procured menu item every day for one week.
- Build a garden on school grounds – this gives your school the benefits of fresh produce for future use and a learning opportunity for the students.
- Host a local farmers market at your school – at the end of the school day or in the morning just before the first bell.
- Get parents involved – Educate parents to increase support for the movement and ask for volunteers for projects such as building a school garden.
- Work with a Celebrity Chef – Ask a local celebrity chef to come in and teach your students about the benefits of buying local and eating fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season. Ask the chef to provide an easy recipe that students can make at home with their parents. Don’t forget to contact your local news stations to see if you can get coverage of this event. An example with celebrity chef Ron Ben-Israel as he partnered with City Harvest to host a healthy dessert class at an elementary school in Brooklyn, NY public elementary school.
