Connecting Local Farms with Schools to Improve Student Nutrition

Orange County Department of Health (OCDOH) was one of four New York counties awarded a highly competitive federal grant as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Healthy Communities Strategic Alliance for Health. The goal of the grant is to create healthier communities through the implementation of sustainable, evidence-based community health promotion and chronic disease prevention strategies that support policy, systems, and environmental changes. One of the grant-funded initiatives focused on improving nutrition through the introduction of a Farm to School program in a school district where 71% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Farm to School programs connect schools with local farms with the objectives of improving student nutrition, providing health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local farmers. Studies have shown that changes to the school food environment and strategies that lead to improved dietary behaviors are influential in reversing childhood obesity. OCDOH together with the school district and a community coalition facilitated the implementation of this initiative to increase student participation in purchasing healthier school meals. Salad bars were installed in three buildings and local produce was incorporated into existing recipes district wide. Salad sales increased dramatically and faculty incorporated lesson plans that taught students about their geographic community, portion sizes and nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables. The success led to the adoption of a new written policy and systems change to ensure sustainability. In addition, an implementation guide was created to illustrate how other communities can replicate specific programmatic activities.