Farm to School Program

The Willamette Farm and Food Coalition is actively educating Lane County kids about where their food comes from and working to incorporate locally grown produce into the meals served in our schools.

Program Goals Local Food in School Lunches Educational Activities Supporters News Get Involved Contribute Resource Links

GOALS OF THE FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAM To improve student nutrition by serving fresh, locally grown produce in school cafeterias. To increase children’s interest in and knowledge of where their food comes from. To influence children’s dietary habits by exposing them to a wide variety of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. To create new markets for local farms and food processors. To educate teachers, parents, food service staff, farmers, distributors and other community members about the benefits of farm to school efforts.

LOCAL FOOD IN SCHOOL LUNCHES
We are working to bring locally grown products to our school cafeterias. Each month an Oregon grown fruit or vegetable is highlighted in the cafeteria and in the classroom and served weekly in all Bethel, Eugene 4J and Springfield District cafeterias as part of a Harvest of the Month program. With our support, the Bethel School District purchases large quantities of locally grown produce. The Eugene 4J School District is purchasing from Lane County farms for the first time this year. Springfield Public Schools is also purchasing from local farms including the FOOD for Lane County Youth Farm, which is located within the school district. We are actively involved in the Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Network working to make policy and infrastructure changes at the statewide level.

Information for Farmers: There is an opportunity to get the food that you grow into the mouths of school children in Lane County! It’s not easy or hugely profitable, but it can be a new market for your crops and help connect kids with the source of their food. Here is document to help you get started, if you are interested. Click here.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

The Willamette Farm and Food Coalition’s Farm to School Program recently received a Victory Against Hunger Award by the Congressional Hunger Center, Victory Wholesale Group, and National Farm to School Network, celebrating outstanding efforts in fighting hunger through promoting or creating innovative farm to school programs. Our program coordinator, Megan Kemple, recently received the Community Educator of the Year award from the Oregon Association of Conservation Districts.

Each fall and spring we bring an integrated educational program to students in the Bethel, Eugene 4J, Springfield and Crow Applegate Lorane Districts. The program includes:

• an introductory lesson about where our food comes from
• farm field trips
• a harvest meal
• school garden sessions
• nutrition lessons
• tasting tables

Farm Field Trips
Students visit local farms and have the opportunity to taste fresh produce in the field, help with a farm task, and harvest produce to bring back to school.

Harvest Day
Students prepare a snack or meal together with food they harvested on their farm field trip.

Garden Sessions
Students help to plant, tend and harvest vegetables. These activities are implemented in collaboration with The School Garden Project of Lane County.

Garden-based Nutrition Education
Lessons focus on the nutritional value of fresh fruits and vegetables. These activities are implemented in collaboration with staff from Oregon State University’s Nutrition Education program.

Tasting Tables
During lunch time in the cafeteria students visit our special Tasting Table offering fresh locally grown vegetables from the farm they visited.

FARM TO SCHOOL SUPPORTERS

Farm to School is made possible by the generous support of the Bankoff Blanchet Family Foundation, Communities and Schools Together, Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, Eugene Water and Electric Board, Bill Heally Foundation, Oregon Community Foundation Gray Family Fund, Northwest Health Foundation, Spirit Mountain Community Fund, Trust Management Services and Wal-Mart State Giving Fund.

Additional support for Farm to School comes from our business partners: Café Mam, Capella Market, Glory Bee Foods, Hummingbird Wholesale, Pacific Continental Bank, and Springfield Creamery.

FARM TO SCHOOL NEWS

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GET INVOLVED!

If you are interested in learning more about the Farm to School Program or getting involved as a volunteer - please contact Megan Kemple, Farm to School Program Coordinator at 541-341-1216.

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!

Become a donating member of the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition.  Make your check payable to: WFFC, and write Farm to School on the memo line

Mail to:

WFFC
P.O. Box 41672
Eugene, Or 97404

WFFC is a 501c(3) organization and we will send you a receipt for tax purposes.

FARM TO SCHOOL RESOURCE LINKS:

National Farm to School Program
Community Food Security Coalition
Center for Ecoliteracy
School Garden Project of Lane County