204894 Growing Healthy Collaborative: Using Farm-to-School Programs to Help Create Sustainable Community Food Systems

Monday, November 9, 2009

Stephanie Shapiro Berkson, MPH , Institute for Community Health, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA
Virginia Chomitz, PhD , Institute for Community Health, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA
Laura Burnham , Institute for Community Health, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA
Sandra Williams, MPH , Institute for Community Health, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA
Dawn B. Olcott, MS , School Health Program, Cambridge Public Health Department, Cambridge, MA
Claire Kozower, MS , The Institute for Community Health, Cambridge, MA
Jane Hirschi , City Sprouts, Cambridge, MA
Jennifer Lawrence , Groundwork Somerville, Somerville, MA
Hannah Freedberg , Federation of Massachusetts Farmers' Markets, Waltham, MA
Mary Joan McLarney , Somerville Public Schools, Somerville, MA
Jack Mingle , Food Service Department, Cambridge Public School District, Cambridge, MA
Background: Farm-to-school programs have gained recognition as a means to help create sustainable community food systems. The Growing Healthy Collaborative (GHC), an initiative in Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on changing school food service department (FSD) and city infrastructure to enable and increase the purchase of local foods and incorporated school gardens to increase students' awareness and appreciation of local food.

Methods: To assess FSD and city-wide infrastructure change and its impact on opening new markets for local farmers, increasing FSD local produce expenditure, and increasing the amount of local produce served in school cafeterias, we documented, pre/post intervention, expenditure on local food, contracts awarded to local farmers, school lunch menu changes to incorporate local produce, and city and school policy changes. We administered in-class, anonymous surveys to 4th-8th graders to assess improvement in student attitudes toward local food.

Results: From 2005-2008, five new policies facilitated annual FSD contracts in both school systems with one local farmer. From 2004, pre-intervention, to 2008, Cambridge FSD increased local produce expenditure from $42.40 (0.04% of total produce purchased) to $951.30 (4% of total produce purchased). From 2005-2008, Somerville FSD increased expenditure from $6,071.90 (4% of total produce purchased) to $25,000 (18% of total produce purchased). By 2008, in both school systems, 12 lunch menu changes were made to incorporate local produce, and student attitudes regarding local fruits and vegetables improved.

Discussion: The GHC Farm-to-School programs facilitated significant steps towards creating sustainable community food systems and positive changes in student attitudes regarding local food.

Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate how school systems integrate fresh, local produce into their meal plan. Discuss the challenges faced when creating a farm-to-school program and methods for overcoming them. Describe the benefits a farm-to-school program can have on students, staff, famers, and the community as a whole.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been evaluating nutrition and physical activity programs for the past 3 years. I am also about to complete my PhD in Public Health with a concentration in nutrition and its effects on subsequent chronic disease. I have presented at various conferences, including APHA.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: School-Based Research and Initiatives
See more of: Food and Nutrition