Farm-to-school programs and making the change

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One of the current trends in school foodservice is the idea of farm-to-school programs, where schools purchase produce directly from local farmers to serve and use with their meals. The farm to school programs are typically well received; children will have the opportunity to eat fresh, local produce while schools support their neighborhood economies. Unfortunately, farm to school programs may not be practical. The article below, titled “School kitchens take fresh approach for healthier foods: But fledgling farm-to-school programs pose challenges for districts, especially during start-up” discusses some of the barriers schools face when they are working with such programs.

The state of Wisconsin has over 100 schools participating in the program. Larger districts like Green Bay may have difficulties receiving enough vegetables, while smaller districts lack the equipment to prepare the produce. A farm-to-school coordinator also made the point that foodservice workers might not have the training required to process all of the produce that a school would receive, especially when they are used to preparing produce that has been shipped to the school pre-sliced or chopped.

The article mentions a Green Bay food services specialist’s advice to make gradual changes into a farm-to-school program. This reminded me of our recent guest lecturer, Mandy Monaco, MS, RD, and her statement about the importance of getting everyone on board when making a change in school foodservice. If everyone who is involved in making a change has a good understanding of the implementation process, there is greater potential for the outcome to be successful.  

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"School kitchens take fresh approach for healthier foods: But fledgling farm-to-school programs pose challenges for districts, especially during start-up." USA Today. N.p., 5 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/05/school-kitchens-take-fresh-approach-for-healthier-foods/2929867/

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