Where There's School Lunch, There's Ag in the School

It’s time for your Southeast Regional Ag News. On the Ag Information Network, I’m Haylie Shipp.

Farmers have a big impact on child nutrition across the country. And here in October, it is National Farm to School Month. Diane Pratt-Heavner, director of media relations with the School Nutrition Association, says farmers have played a big part in nutritious school meals for a long time…

“These programs were directly linked by Congress and the administration to supporting America's farmers. We've got the USDA Foods Program that provides 15 to 20 percent of the food served with school lunches, and that's all American-grown foods. And thanks to Buy American requirements, the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs have been a great way to support our growers and ranchers throughout the country.”

 

And she says that the Farm to School movement has taken off during the last ten years…

“We have seen, particularly over the last decade, a huge expansion in Farm to School efforts, and schools really are working, and we've seen a lot of improvement in recent years in connecting with their local growers and ranchers. We are seeing more schools partner up with farmers in their communities not only to get more fresh local produce on school menus but to also teach kids about what's being grown or raised in their communities. We've found that those strong connections can help encourage kids to give new foods a try.”

During Farm to School Month, many schools around the country also bring farmers into their classrooms to educate kids about how their food is grown. For more information, go to farmtoschool.org.