We’ve talked before on The Lunch Tray about efforts by school districts to source at least some of their produce from local or regional producers. The benefits of such a program are numerous: the food is fresher and less likely to be processed; children can actually meet or learn about “their” farmers and/or visit the farms where their food is grown; and more money stays in the local economy to support farms and related businesses.
So it’s great news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has today released a “Request for Applications” (RFA) for a new farm -to-school grant program. Interested schools can apply for grants ranging between $20,000 – $45,000 for schools in the planning stages of a farm-to-school program, and $65,000 – $100,000 for schools with existing programs that they want to expand. Schools can find the RFA on grants.gov and more information on the USDA Farm to School website.
Meanwhile, I thought you might be interested in an Alaskan twist on the “farm-to-school” concept. The Juneau Empire reports on an innovative “Fish to Schools” program in Sitka which brings locally-caught fish into the lunch room and is coupled with a “Stream to Plate” curriculum. Says Tracy Gagnon, Sitka Conservation Society’s Community Sustainability Organizer:
[W]e talk about how fish are caught, fishermen livelihood, we invite fishermen to the classroom and talk about how fish are processed, students visit the local processors who are donating the fish, we do an in-class processing lesson. Students, seventh-graders, actually got to gut and filet their fish and have an anatomy lesson, we talked about nutrition, the food system, we’ve talked about conservation and sustainability and we also end the program by cooking. We follow each step of the process.
Both the Sitka fish program, which relies heavily on donations, and the USDA grant program illustrate the cost impediments to sourcing locally. But that may be changing — if you didn’t read about School Food FOCUS the first time around on TLT, be sure to check out this post which discusses how that group is helping to set up “regional food hubs” to improve efficiencies and lower the costs of local procurement.
[Hat tip: Food Service Director for the Sitka story]
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Bettina Elias Siegel
Kristin says
This is awesome! Wish there were more lining up. Any plans for other schools taking advantage of the program?
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Kristin, not that I know of, but I’ll see if I can find more info.
Tracy Gagnon says
Thanks for writing about our Fish to Schools program housed at the Sitka Conservation Society. We have really enjoyed sharing with students the bounty of our local waters by feeding them locally-harvested seafood through the school lunch program. We are trying to illuminate the food system but also the stories that are connected to it (fishermen livelihoods, culture, nutrition, conservation etc.). The lunches and “stream to plate” lessons have been wildly successful in its first year and we’re starting to talk with other communities around Alaska who are interested in beginning their own programs. Feel free to contact me at 907.747.7509 for more information.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Thank you for coming by, Tracy! Your program sounds great and I hope other districts learn from it.
Mike Brassil says
Good Info, Funding is always an issue when it comes to school lunches, but a number of corporations and private foundations are putting up big money for schools and small farms to implement such programs, especially in areas with high obesity rates.
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Mike Brassil: That’s true, and I’m starting to explore whether we can find and make use of such outside funds here in my own district. But I have to admit that, while I applaud the philanthropy, I worry that this sort of patchwork funding creates a landscape of haves and have-nots. I’d so much rather that all districts received the money they need from the federal government. Thanks for your comment.
Tracy Gagnon says
In Alaska we have a really great opportunity to move away from “patchwork funding” to something sustainable. For the last two years there has been a state funded program that reimburses schools for their Alaska food purchases (fish, milk, veggies, etc.). The Sitka Conservation Society is partnering with other state organizations this legislative session to advocate for permanent state funding, which would create student access to local foods regardless of family income. It’s a win-win: local healthy meals for students that supports local, regional, and state economies. Check out our website: sitkawild.org and learn more about the state grant here: http://commerce.alaska.gov/dcra/grt/NAFS.htm
Bettina Elias Siegel says
Tracy: This sounds like a fantastic program. But what I meant by “patchwork” was looking at it from a nationwide perspective. Some states offer more school meal funding than others, and some communities have more philanthropic help than others. It seems to me that in a National School Lunch Program, it shouldn’t matter so much where a student happens to live. But thanks again for this information – I will check out the link.
Tracy Gagnon says
I can’t disagree with you Bettina. We need a complete restructuring! It would be ideal to increase price/meal reimbursements while funding districts to purchase locally. A meal in Alaska should look different from a meal in California. Thanks for your comments.