262565 Changing the School Food Environment: Farm to School, Gardens/Greenhouses, and Vending/ A la carte

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 2:50 PM - 3:10 PM

Kristie Rauter , Community Health, Wood County Health Department, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Introduction: Children across Wood County are being exposed to new healthier foods thanks to the work being done to change their school food environment. All six school districts are transforming the avenues that children are exposed to food through including the lunch line and competitive food options. Methods: Six school districts wellness committees and the Obesity Prevention Team are working on school wellness. With a county-wide model Farm to School is integrating locally grown, minimally processed, fruits and vegetables into the lunch line through a Harvest of the Month production. Gardens/greenhouses are being grown to teach students where food comes from; produce is then introduced into the lunch line. Vending and a la carte lines have been revamped and provide students a visual cue to select healthful items, “Using the Light to Eat Right”- a Go, Slow, Whoa model. Evaluation tools were used in each of these food environment components.

Results/Expected Outcomes: • Wellness policies: All six school districts in Wood County are updating wellness policies to include language about each of the components above. • Farm to School evaluation results include data re: Heights and weights—(BMI), knowledge and attitudes surveys, and Block Kids Food Frequency Questionnaire. • Vending / A la carte: Improved options through this venue with pre and post evaluation. • Gardens/greenhouse: Integration into curriculum, pounds of produce grown and served in lunch line.

Discussion: Changing school food environments provides children the foundation to have academic success by making available healthful foods and encouraging healthy eating.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe polices that support changes to the school food environment. 2. Discuss how to increase knowledge and improve attitudes in children regarding farm to school. 3. Identify strategies to improve vending and a la carte options available to students and staff.

Keywords: Obesity, Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Kristie Rauter is the Community Health Improvement Planner for the Wood County Health Department. She facilitates Wood County’s Community Health Plan-Healthy People Wood County, which currently consists of three health priorities. Most recently Kristie has been overseeing the Communities Putting Prevention to Work Grant (CPPW), working to increase levels of physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease obesity rates through policy, systems, and environmental changes.
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.