Farm-to-school programs and making the change

-
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.  

-SH

"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/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do you struggle with pre and post exercise nutrition?

-
Image
What should i eat before and after a workout? First things first…carbohydrates, proteins and fats are important for the body before  and after exercise. Exercising muscle preferentially uses carbohydrates from stored glycogen, but fats are also an important fuel source for energy production during exercise. Fats and carbohydrates are the two major fuel sources during exercise. Fats must be translocated and broken down from their storage form before they are used. Typically there is enough carbohydrate stored as muscle glycogen for exercise but as muscle glycogen stores decline, the skeletal muscle will then use some amino acids (basic components of all protein). More specifically, the amino acid leucine is used for energy.              It is important to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates exercise to delay fatigue and minimize gastrointestinal distress. It is also important to consume enough fluids to prev...
Read more

Child Malnutrition

-
New approach to childhood malnutrition may reduce relapses, deaths http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150211124024.htm               Moderate acute malnutrition is experienced by 35 million children worldwide. A new study led by researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has suggested that feeding children until they have met target measures of arm circumference and weight may be more important than a set 12 week feeding time. However, researchers have found that the current targets, set by the World Health Organization (WHO) may not be sufficient and raising these targets slightly could significantly reduce the risk of relapse in malnourished children; a condition that has a 37% relapse rate. The study took place in rural Malawi and was comprised of 2,349 moderately malnourished children aged 6 months to 5 years old. Children were evaluated 12 months after treatment; 1,967 rec...
Read more

Harvest of the Month

-
Image
Harvest of the Month  August – Corn Good source of  fiber Carbohydrate source for energy Antioxidants Contains vitamins and minerals ½ cup or 1 ear = 80 calories   http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=90 September – Watermelon High in vitamin A and vitamin C Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory support 1 cup cubed = 46 calories http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31 October – Apples High in fiber Vitamin C Abundant amount of antioxidants 1 medium = 95 calories  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=15 November – Squash and Pumpkin High in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B2, B3 & B6 Many minerals  High in fiber Multiple antioxidant properties  1 cup = 76 calories  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=63 Decembe...
Read more