Farm to School Toolkit

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Farm to School Toolkit

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Introduction

Farm to School programs are a great way to connect children to their food, instill lasting healthy eating habits in children, and support local farms. This guide outlines various ways for schools to build successful and impactful Farm to School programs.

Farm to School programs are a great way to increase meal participation rates and improve the health and wellbeing of children. Using the information provided, schools can purchase small or large quantities of nutritious, local foods and create opportunities for students to engage in experiential nutrition education while developing healthy eating behaviors.

Resources for Schools

There are many resources available to schools to start or grow a farm to school

program. USDA hosted a series of twelve webinars each addressing various aspects of finding, buying, and serving local foods. Each webinar is packed with information and outlines great examples of school districts

across the county that are buying local foods in accordance with regulations. The webinars can be accessed here:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/videos-and-webinars

Utah State Office of Education is a helpful resource especially on topics such as rules and regulations for procurement, menu planning, etc. For questions about Farm to School, please contact:

Jordan Bryant, MS, RD, SNS

Child Nutrition Specialist

Utah State Office of Education 250 East 500 South

PO Box 144200

Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4200 Phone: (801) 538-7562

Finding Local Foods

1. Utah State University Extension

Website: http://extension.usu.edu/locations Started in 1914, Utah State University Cooperative Extension provides research-based, unbiased information to communities

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through their county offices which are an integral part of a land-grant institution. With a focus on teaching, research, and public service, Extension programs include 4-H, agribusiness, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education, gardening and yard care, personal finance, and animal health. Contact an Extension agent to get additional information about local farmers in your area (see Appendix A).

USU Extension also published a Live Well Utah booklet which has great information on produce storage tips, preserving fresh produce, Utah’s vegetable harvest schedule, etc. Website:

https://extension.usu.edu/fscreate/files/uploads/Live_Well_Utah_Summer_2014.pdf

2. Utah’s Own

Website: http://www.utahsown.org/ The Utah’s Own program was

established by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food to create a strong consumer culture that actively seeks out and buys local food

products. Utah’s Own encourages individuals to build relationships with farmers and companies who grow or make food products. When a

consumer purchases a Utah’s Own product, they can trust the brand to deliver a quality taste and flavor. Utah’s Own website lists local farms and ranches along with their contact number and short description.

3. Farm to School Program – Salt Lake County

Salt Lake County’s Farm to School program reached out to farmers in 2015 to inquire about their interest in servicing school needs. The following is a list of farmers that expressed an interest in selling their produce to schools:

Name of Farm Contact Phone Email

Riley Orchards Jordan Riley 801-592-4709 jordandri@gmail.com Tagge's Famous

Fruit

Thayne Tagge

801-755-8034 tagge@xmission.com

3 Squares Jack Wilbur 801-243-2801 jack@socialmarketingconsultants.com Bell Organics David Bell 801-809-5433 bells@bellorganic.com

Cornaby's Farm David Cornaby

801-472-8365 dcornaby@msn.com

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Food Safety

Safeguarding food so it is handled, prepared, and stored correctly to prevent foodborne illness is of the utmost importance to schools. One of the easiest ways to successfully clear the food safety hurdle is by sourcing local foods from distributors. Distributors are well versed in verifying food safety with farmers and with traceability of produce. Working within the existing network to source local food is the easiest way to begin implementing farm to school in school cafeterias.

When working directly with a local farmer, verifying food safety becomes an integral part of purchasing local food. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) is not mandated by the federal government to sell to schools; however, it is the food service staff’s responsibility to verify food safety with a farmer of any size. School districts should gather information about their county’s food safety requirements and follow the most restrictive guidelines in order to ensure local food procurement is done correctly.

There is no specific amount of liability coverage required of farmers; however, schools should only work with farmers that have robust product liability insurance. If a farmer has sufficient liability coverage, school nutrition staff can ask a farmer for information based on GAP principles to verify food safety. A basic food safety checklist can a used as a tool when verifying food safety directly with a farmer (see Appendix B).

The National Food Service Management Institute has additional education and training resources available online for School Nutrition Programs including a detailed produce safety guide.

Website: http://www.nfsmi.org/ResourceOverview.aspx?ID=437

Geographical Preference Price Points

Local food procurement is a complex subject. Each school may have a different set of requirements and thresholds that may be more or less restrictive than the federal guidelines. Schools must follow the more restrictive requirements in their procurement process. USDA published an informative guide detailing each step and process in

Schmidt Family Farm

Ryan Schmidt

801-450-1531 farmboy79.rs@gmail.com New Roots Farm Aaron Lee (801) 328-1091 Aaron.Lee@rescue.org Real Food Rising Hannah

Oblock

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procurement. This guide has an abundance of answers and great examples to help food nutrition directors with writing specifications:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/F2S_Procuring_Local_Foods_Child_Nutrition _Prog_Guide.pdf

A school district participating in the Child Nutrition Program is allowed by the USDA to apply an optional geographic preference in the

procurement of unprocessed locally grown or locally raised agricultural products. Each school must follow procurement guidelines to allow for maximum free and open

competition; however, points can be awarded for unprocessed locally grown and locally raised

agricultural products. School Food

Authorities (SFA) must define local in their solicitations (i.e. Invitations for Bids or

Requests for Proposals) since the USDA does not have a standard definition for local.

SFA can give preference to locally grown products through specifications or price calculation. Some examples are as follows:

 Harvested in the last 48 hours  Grown at a farm less than 10 acres

 Travelled equal to or less than a day’s drive to delivery location

USDA states that the application of a price preference “must leave an appropriate number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the procurement, to compete for the contract.” SFA’s must make a reasonable judgment on realistic geographic

preference price points.

The following programs may apply a geographic preference in their solicitations: the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program, the Special Milk Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program, and the Department of Defense Fresh

Program.

USDA’s official procurement geographic preference memorandum can be found here: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/SP03-2013os.pdf

USDA’s geographic preference fact sheet:

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Farmers Markets

Farmers markets are a great place to meet local farmers and learn about produce that is in season. There are multiple farmers markets on

throughout the week in Salt Lake County in the summer months. Salt Lake City also has a winter farmers market that runs every other

Saturday.

A list of farmers markets in Salt Lake County:

http://slco.org/urbanfarming/html/Farmers_Markets_2010.html A list of farmers markets in Utah: http://www.utahsown.org/

Seasonality

Sourcing produce locally when it is in season is an excellent way to

incorporate fresh healthy fruits and vegetables in school meals and boost meal participation rates. A school can start small and include only one local produce item in the

school lunch. The taste of a fresh, vine ripened peach differs dramatically

from one that has been shipped for many miles. Taste tests have shown that students were more inclined to eat produce that was fresh often refusing to eat more than a bite of their favorite fruit if it did not taste ripe, no matter how appetizing it looked.

Sourcing produce locally can sometimes pose a challenge since produce sourced from smaller farms is not always uniform. Many farmers pick fresh, ripe produce the day before delivery to ensure the best taste. These moments can turn into an education opportunity to teach students about local agriculture and plant life cycles. One district received an order of asymmetrical carrots and turned them into spooky carrots to get students excited about eating them around Halloween.

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Resources for Producers

In 2012, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act put into place new standards that

significantly increased the amounts of fruits and vegetables in school meals. These changes increased the demand for fresh produce thus increasing the market share for local producers. GAP certified producers or producers that had food safety protocols in place were able to meet the new demand. New tools and resources are being

developed to help farmers that don’t have food safety certification or protocols in place or go through a traditional distribution system.

The first step for producers interested in selling to schools is to familiarize themselves with the procurement process. The State of Education – Child Nutrition Program has created a step-by-step guide for farmers to help them meet school requirements. Website: http://slco.org/urbanfarming/pdfandWord/utahStepByStepGuideF.pdf

Educational Resources for Schools

Successful farm to school programs have an element of nutrition education to expand on the impact of local produce in the lunchroom. Nutrition education can take place is the classroom, cafeteria, and school gardens. The following are resources to help teachers and school staff create or expand on their efforts:

Team Nutrition

Team Nutrition is an initiative of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to support the Child Nutrition Programs through training and technical assistance for foodservice, nutrition education for children and their caregivers, and school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity.

Website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/team-nutrition Free stuff: http://tn.ntis.gov/

Sustainable You! Guide

Utah State University Extension has created a fun guide that can be used at summer camps but the activities translate well for use in a garden or classroom.

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Farm Field Day Events

Farm Field Day (FFD) is an educational event that is generally held at a school. The event can also be held at an alternate venue such as a local farm; however, this requires additional resources for travel and

coordination especially in the case of a large group of students.

The goal of the event is to get students excited about eating fruits and vegetables and help them build a connection to their food and local

agriculture.

FFD can be hosted as a school wide event or a smaller version can be implemented in a classroom. The

format for the event can be tailored to your individual school. To accomplish the goal of this event, it is important to engage students on many levels and to

help them build a connection to their food; some ideas include experiential nutrition activities, taste tests, and through interaction with local farmers.

Local Food and Agriculture

To host the event as a school wide celebration, it is important to work with your school’s nutrition staff. Inquire with the nutrition staff to identify what produce is currently sourced locally. If possible, include as many of these items in the school lunch on FFD. Many school districts have additional budgets for special events that can be used to purchase local produce for taste tests. Invite the vendor/local farmer to come share their

experience and knowledge of local farming with students.

Timing is Key

 It is best to hold the event at your school when local produce is abundantly available for taste tests.

 Avoid hosting the event during widely popular occasions such as State Fair or Earth Day. This may seem like a good idea, however, it is difficult to get commitments from contributors for preexisting key event days.

 Some schools chose to hold the event in the gym or cafeteria and only allow students a few minutes before/after their lunch period to attend. If the event is small (one farmer, one taste test and nutrition activity) a short time will suffice. If there are multiple contributors and multiple activities, set aside a whole class period to allow students to fully engage in each activity. This may require coordination with teachers but it will be worth it in the end.

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complement experiential learning; however, activities must be chosen depending on the amount of time students are able to spend at the event. It is useful to keep nutrition activities brief yet engaging at the event and in depth activities take place in the

classrooms and/or school gardens. Inform teachers about the goals for the event and share with them information about the fruits and vegetables that students will enjoy on that day. Ag in the Classroom can provide a variety of resources and lists of numerous

nutrition education tools on their website. The message to choose healthy foods will be a lot more powerful if delivered to the students in a diversity of settings and in numerous ways.

Taste Tests

Taste tests are a huge part of a student’s experience at FFD. Along with fruits, provide sliced veggies such as carrots, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes for students to try. Hosting the event before lunchtime will induce students to try more fruits and vegetables. Having local farmers for students to talk with will also help persuade students to try new things.

Decorations

Decorate the event area to help set the tone for a celebration of local agriculture. Salt Lake County has decorations that can be checked out for your event. Please contact the Farm to School program manager for additional details. Please allow at least 2 weeks of time for coordination.

Engaging Parents and PTA

If holding the event on a school wide basis, invite the PTA and parents to volunteer or attend. It is a great opportunity for the greater community to increase and build

understanding collectively around healthy eating. The engagement of parents also promotes healthy eating behaviors at home.

Contributors to the event

1. Real Food Rising

Website: http://www.uah.org/realfoodrising/ Contact: (801) 328-2561

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10 Website: http://ste2m.usu.edu/

Contact: vernon.parent@usu.edu 3. Future Farmers of America Website: http://www.utffa.org/ Contact: (801) 538-7856

4. Ag in the Classroom

Website: http://utah.agclassroom.org/ Contact: 435.797.0765

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Appendix A

List of phone numbers for Utah State University extension offices in each county.

Locations

Beaver County 435-438-6450 Box Elder County 435-695-2542 Cache County 435-752-6263 Carbon County 435-636-3233 Davis County 801-451-3412 Duchesne County 435-738-1140 Emery County 435-336-3219 Garfield County 435-676-1113 Grand County 435-259-7558 Iron County 435-586-8132 Juab County 435-623-3450 Kane County 435-644-4901

Millard County (Delta) 435-864-1480 Millard County (Fillmore) 435-743-5412 Morgan County 801-829-3472

Ogden Botanical Gardens 801-399-8080

Piute County 435-577-2901 Rich County 435-793-2435 Salt Lake County 385-468-4820 San Juan County 435-587-3239 ext. 9 Sanpete County 435-283-3472

Sevier County 435-893-0470 Summit County 435-336-3217 Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter 435-649-1767

Thanksgiving Point 801-768-7443 Tooele County 435-277-2400 Uintah County 435-781-5452

USU Botanical Center 801-593-8969 Utah County 801-851-8460

Wasatch County 435-657-3235 Washington County 435-634-5706 Wayne County 435-836-1312 Weber County 801-399-8201

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12 Appendix B

This checklist is based on the food safety checklist created by the Center for Nutrition in Omaha, NE. The original version is available in their Farm to School Toolkit

(http://toolkit.centerfornutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/safety-checklist.pdf). This checklist is one of many tools that can be used to gather information about a producers food safety protocols.

Checklist for Retail Purchasing of Local Produce

(Send list to farmer in advance of visit and further discussion. Plan minimum of 2 site visits per season)

Name of Producer/Farm__________________________________________________ City________________________ State________________ Zip Code______________ Telephone___________________Email_____________________________________ Total acres farmed_____________ Availability of promotional materials YES NO Products to be purchased_________________________________________________ Is an insurance liability required YES (Dollar amount___________) NO

Is the facility licensed and inspected to process products YES NO Are there acceptable substitutes available if an order cannot be filled YES NO Production Practices

1) Are wells protected from contamination?

2) If irrigation is used, what is its source? Well Stream Pond Municipal Other 3) Is there documentation of water testing?

4) What types of manures are used? Raw manure Composted Aged No manure is used 5) Is raw manure incorporated at least 2 weeks prior to planting and/or 120 days prior to

harvest?

6) Is the manure application schedule documented?

7) Is land use history for 3 years available to determine risk of product contamination (e.g., runoff from upstream, flooding, chemical spills, or excessive agricultural crop application)? 8) Is the field exposed to runoff from animal confinement or grazing areas?

9) Are farm animals restricted from growing areas? Are growing areas checked for wild animals? Are you doing what you reasonably can to restrict growing areas?

10)Are portable toilets used in a way that prevents field contamination from waste water?

Product Handling

1) Are storage and packaging facilities kept clean? 2) Is there risk of contamination with manure?

3) Is harvesting equipment/machinery that comes into contact with the products in good working order and kept as clean as possible?

4) Is dirt, mud, or other debris removed from product before packing (Does customer want product washed before shipping)?

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5) Are product and non-product containers available and clearly marked?

6) Are food grade packaging materials clean and stored in areas protected from pets, livestock, wild animals, and other contaminants?

Transportation

1) Is product loaded and stored to minimize physical damage and risk of contamination? 2) Is transport vehicle well maintained and clean before hauling produce?

3) Are there designated areas in transport vehicle for food products and non-food items? 4) Are products covered during transport?

5) Are products kept cool during transit?

Facilities

1) Are packing areas kept enclosed or is product packed in the field? 2) Are food grade packaging materials used?

3) Is potable water/well tested at least once per year and results kept on file?

4) Is product protected as it travels from field to packing facility? 5) Is a product packing area in use with space for culling and storage?

6) Do workers have access to toilets and hand washing stations with proper supplies? (If pickers work in smaller fields at different locations, restrooms may be within ¼ mile).

7) Are toilets and hand washing stations clean and regularly serviced?

8) Is a pest control program in place at packing facility?

Worker Health and Hygiene

1) Is a worker food safety training program in place?

2) Are workers trained about hygiene practices and sanitation with signs posted to reinforce

messages? (Recommended employees are trained at beginning of each picking season.) 3) Are workers and visitors following good hygiene and sanitation practices?

4) Are smoking and eating confined to designated areas separate from product handling?

5) Are workers instructed not to work if they exhibit signs of infection (e.g., fever, diarrhea,

etc.)?

6) Do workers practice good hygiene by: a. wearing clean clothing and shoes

b. changing aprons and gloves as needed? c. keeping hair covered or restrained?

d. washing hands as required?

e. limiting bare hand contact with fresh products? f. covering open wounds with clean bandages?

I confirm that the information provided above is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Farm to School Toolkit