Local Foods in School Nutrition Programs: Strategies and Solutions with Farm to School

With over 1,100 farm to school programs currently operating across the country, there is increasing interest in the implementation and measurement of such endeavors. In support of the growth of these types of programs, a national coalition has been formed and regional representatives assigned. This session will present two critical aspects for those interested in starting a program, expanding a program or evaluating impacts of existing efforts: a synopsis of current program models including strategies and evaluation results as well as an exploration of different educational methodologies in existing programs. Evaluation results demonstrate an increase in participating students' fruit and vegetable consumption, school meal participation rates, and student knowledge and attitudes about local and healthy foods. Resources and tools related to each of these models will also be highlighted.