It's win-win: From farm to school

A movement is afoot to improve the economic stability of Iowa's small farmers while improving the long-term health of school children. It's a win-win initiative called "farm to school."

"It makes sense for children, makes sense for farmers, yet has enormous challenges," said Robert Karp, of Practical Farmers of Iowa. He took part in "Local Food Connections from Farm to School," a November conference sponsored in part by Iowa State University Extension. Participants spent the day looking at both the benefits and the challenges of providing local farm-grown foods to Iowa schools.

The concept of connecting school lunch programs to local farmers is supported nationally by the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. In Iowa, the concept has been pursued through collaboration supported by an Extension 21 Value-Added Agriculture grant. The effort included a pilot project in the Nevada school district in central Iowa. Food service director Diana Weber purchased fruits and vegetables grown on area farms for use in school lunches.

Participants Jan Libbey, Mary Bradford and Mary Klauke compare notes during the "Local Food Connections from Farm to School" conference.

Gary Guthrie, of Growing Harmony Farms of Nevada, provided a portion of the produce used, and in doing so, helped not only to provide wholesome produce for the children at his alma mater and son's school, but also to educate children on how produce is grown. In addition, he increased his market, adding value to his product.

Susan Klein, an ISU Extension nutrition and health specialist, knows that kids are more likely to eat produce if they have a connection to it, if they know where it comes from. She also recognizes that for food service directors, purchasing local foods involves logistical issues that must be considered. "It is not as easy as ordering from a regular vendor," Klein said.

According to a bulletin prepared by the Connecting Schools and Farms in Central Iowa Project, issues that schools must consider include cost effectiveness, the limits of availability based on growing seasons and reliability of volume, safety and purchasing regulations.

Catherine Strohbehn, of ISU's Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management, said schools are a unique market due to federal requirements for school participation and breakfast and lunch programs. The regulations cover licensing and inspections of product and facility, and are different for schools than for independent restaurants, for example.

In discussing purchasing regulations at both the state and federal levels, USDA's Darlene Sanchez said, "These regulations, including purchasing guidelines, are in place to assure taxpayers that their money is used fairly."

In the Nevada School district, Weber purchased food for 1,200 lunches per day and incurred a 34 percent higher cost with local purchases. Her purchasing decisions were directed by timing and amounts accessible, but also by issues of labor availability. In addition, a member of Weber's staff was available at the salad bar line to educate students about where their food came from. According to Weber, student response was positive.

ISU's Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture also has been involved in this initiative. Rich Pirog, program coordinator, pointed out that the advantages for both producers and consumers apply to a broader arena than just schools. Local farmers can add value to their products by developing and increasing connections with businesses, hospitals, nursing homes and restaurants.  

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• Last update: Dec. 28, 2000