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In this Section
Farm to School Promising Practices 
Category - Food Education | 1 through 20 - Category - Food Education | 21 through 41
- Category - Food Education | 42 through 53
- Category - Local Procurement
- Category - School Gardens | 1 through 20
- Category - School Gardens | 21 through 41
- Category - School Gardens | 42 through 50
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Farm to School Promising Practices | Local Procurement
FTS Promising Practices - Local Procurement
- Colonial School District Joins Chefs Move to Schools: Colonial School District
Description
In May 2010 the Colonial School District broke ground for their school garden. Support was provided by students, community members, school board members, and district staff. The garden consists of tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, poblano peppers, various herbs, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, and more. The produce has been used in school cafeteria menus.
Colonial School District is participating in the Chefs Move to Schools initiative (http://www.letsmove.gov/chefs-step-1.php). A local chef, using produce from the school garden, has created new menu items for the students to sample. The most popular items are recreated by the food service staff. A favorite is a spicy Asian turkey burger which is made with lettuce and scallions from the school garden. Additionally, a cooking show is being shot in the school with the chef and will air on the district’s local cable channel. This series will feature nutritious, easy to prepare recipes which are family friendly. The idea is to not only serve nutritious meals in school but to encourage and make it easy for families to offer nutritious food at home as well.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Lori McCoy
Contact Person’s Title: Food Service Director
Email: lmccoy@colonialsd.org
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (610) 834-7535Category
- Farm to School
Objectives
- Student health will improve because of increased consumption of nutritious locally grown school foods.
Advice
- Show your enthusiasm for the project, collaborate with other departments to help make your vision a reality, and incessantly promote the program.
- By promoting the program you will be able to enlist the aid of community volunteers who will be happy to assist with planting and maintenance of the garden.
- Consider the Chefs Move to Schools initiative and reach out to local chefs. Don’t expect them to come to you.
Evidence of Success
- Positive feedback about the fresh fruits and vegetables
- Keen interest in the cooking show
- Upper Moreland School District Saves Money, Supports Local Farmers, With Locally Sourced Produce
Description
Working with The Food Trust of Philadelphia, Upper Moreland School District explored the possibility of sourcing fresh produce from local farmers which, while perfect in terms of nutritional content, taste, and texture, were cosmetically flawed. The Food Trust served as a liaison to approach local farmers to see if they would be willing to sell the district their “seconds” or items which were either cosmetically imperfect or of a slightly different size than that which is required by grocery stores.
Presently, apples have been purchased and served to students who have readily accepted them. In the future the district would like to source, among other items, sweet potatoes, root vegetables, broccoli, and zucchini.
Currently the students are enjoying fresh, locally grown apples which cost the district $12 a case, compared to the $18-25 a case from their previous supplier.
After developing a relationship with local farmers the school district receives a weekly price list of available seconds from which they can order. The schools promote the farmers and this has created enthusiasm from the students and their parents, which should result not only in greater participation, but in greater sales for the local farmers. This has led to great working relationships with local farmers and in the creation of an annual Farm to School Day. One of the local apple farmers attended this event and gave a presentation to first graders. The students learned how apples grew, about different varieties of apples, and how they eventually wind up on the student's trays in the cafeteria.Contact Information
Contact Person: Melissa Froehlich
Contact Person’s Title: Food Service Director
Email: mfroehlich@umtsd.org
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (215) 830-1522Category
- Farm to School
Objectives
- Students will receive fresh, locally grown apples as part of the school nutrition program.
- The district will save money by purchasing cosmetically imperfect apples from local farmers.
- Farmers will sell produce which would otherwise go unsold.
Advice
- Be careful to understand the details required by your supplying farmer. Minimum case sizes and shipping costs must be factored into your equation.
- Be sure to follow proper procedures for procurement and to be compliant with all state requirements.
- Because seconds, by nature, vary, be sure to use them as an adjunct to your program and have a back up in mind.
- Be sure to promote the farms with whom you are working. Advertise them on your menus, in notes that go home to parents, and on your school's website.
Evidence of Success
- Students have accepted the locally sourced seconds.
- The district is saving money.
- The district created an annual Farm to School Day which was attended by one of the farmers.
- McConnellsburg High School Implements Hydroponic Lettuce Garden Central Fulton School District
Description
Students in McConnellsburg High School's agriculture production class constructed a hydroponic lettuce growing system. This system involves growing produce in nutrient-rich water without the use of soil.
The students did research on hydroponics and learned what was required to fertilize lettuce, defeat pests, and manage the system. They were responsible for all aspects of constructing the growing system and reading and following all the instructions to ensure the system was constructed properly and functioned correctly.
Lettuce was started as seedlings in rock wool growing cubes and when the seedlings reached an adequate sized they were transferred into the hydroponic system.
As the lettuce matures it will be harvested and used in the cafeteria. The hope is that enough lettuce will be harvested to meet the salad needs of the school.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Ann Meyer
Contact Person’s Title: Agriculture Education Instructor
Email: eameyer@cfsd.ifno
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (717) 485-3195Category
- Farm to School
Objectives
- Students will construct a hydroponic lettuce growing system in the school greenhouse
- Students will maintain the lettuce growing system to produce lettuce for the school cafeteria
Advice
- Allow a little extra in your budget for unexpected expenses. We discovered that we needed instruments to test our growing solution.
- Involve students in the planning process in order to generate buy-in. Create committees for the different phases of the projects.
Evidence of Success
- The students were involved from the beginning of the project. They successfully constructed the growing system, which is fully functional and in the process of growing lettuce.
- North Montco Technical Career Center Uses Garden Produce for School Meals and More
Description
North Montco Technical Career Center expanded its garden activities by having carpentry, horticulture, and culinary arts students work together to expand the school garden, implement taste testing, and develop new menu items that are sourced from the school garden.
The carpentry students researched and built above ground planter boxes while the horticulture students planted, cultivated, and maintained the beds. Culinary arts students trimmed, harvested, and incorporated the vegetables and herbs and used them for taste tests and to prepare food for school meals from menus they also designed. Academic concepts specific to the school curriculum were integrated into the project.
Once harvested the items were used for a series of five taste tests involving 15 students and eight members of the school staff. Items included spaghetti, roast chicken, pizza, meat loaf, and turkey dinner. The results proved that everyone could easily discern the superiority of garden-provided produce versus commercially-procured (and sometimes dried or processed) items.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Robert Lacivita
Contact Person’s Title: Administrative Director
Email: rlacitvit@nmtcc.org
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (215) 368-1177Category
- Farm to School
Objectives
- Students will taste-test fresh garden produce against commercially purchased items.
- Students will incorporate garden items into school meals.
- Students and staff will work together to increase school garden planting.
Advice
- Incorporate facets of the school curriculum into the project.
- Having students from various disciplines work together will foster a team atmosphere which may allow students to discover a new level of autonomy and capability.
Evidence of Success
- The school garden was expanded with new raised bed planters.
- Produce from the school garden is being incorporated into the school meal program.
- Great Valley School District Offers Elementary Students Garden Fresh Taste Tests
Description
Great Valley School District uses local produce, often from their own school garden, to prepare items for their Farmers Market Taste Testing Program at their elementary schools. The samples are fresh, homemade, and free. Items sampled include mushroom soup, roasted broccoli and carrots, and sweet potato mash. The items are served free to students during lunch service with accompanying lessons on the nutritional benefits of the item being sampled. Feedback is encouraged from both students and staff.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Kelsey Gartner
Contact Person’s Title: Nutrition/Garden Coordinator
Email: kgartner@gvsd.org
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (610) 322-8037Category
- Farm to School
Objectives
- To induce positive changes in student perception toward trying new foods
- To determine which recipes are well received and introduce them onto our regular cycle menu
- To significantly reduce fruit and vegetable waste
- To have teachers serve as role models by trying new foods in front of students
Advice
- Be aware of the food allergies of your students and plan accordingly.
- Keep recipes simple and avoid items which contain common allergens in order to reduce concerns of parents, students, and staff.
- If an item is not a hit try it again at a later date, possibly in a different form. Sometimes it takes several taste test experiences for students to decide they actually liked an item.
Evidence of Success
- After the kids taste the sample they are asked if they would buy the item if it were offered in the cafeteria. The mushroom soup received great feedback. Asking for verbal feedback will enable a school to see if it will be welcomed on the menu. Students are candid while giving feedback.
- Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School : Students Experience Locally Produced Food
Description
Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School students studying Culinary and Health careers teamed with the school food service staff and a local farmer to promote fresh farm products. The farmer, from Taylor Farm, is located seven miles from the school. Members of the farm came to the school to discuss the processes involved in farming. Items made from the farm's produce were sampled including strawberry rhubarb pie, smoothies, quiche, roasted acorn squash, and butternut squash macaroni and cheese. The farmer also provided locally grown fruits, vegetables, beef, and dairy products which the entire school population was able to sample during several event days. These days were promoted by Health career students via colorful posters which educated students about the benefits of eating fresh, local food items as well as the nutritional content and health benefits of particular items.
Meanwhile, the Culinary Arts students researched and developed recipes which highlighted the locally-sourced items and prepared them for taste testing on event days. On event days the Health career students provided additional on-site educational materials which targeted specific food items. In total, approximately 80 students were involved, along with staff from the culinary program, lunch program, and health staff.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Lisa Blank
Contact Person’s Title: Business Administrator
Email: blankl@bavts.org
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (610) 866-8013Category
- Farm to School
Objectives
- Students will experience local farm products in new and exciting recipes.
- Students will learn about the nutritional benefits of local farm products.
Advice
- By serving a specific food item in a variety of different ways, in smaller portions, you increase the likelihood of its acceptance.
Evidence of Success
- Several items which were taste tested have been incorporated and have gained acceptance on the regular school lunch menu.
- Seasonal, Locally Grown Produce Introduced to Antietam School District
Description
Antietam School District worked with their produce supplier to bring in seasonal, locally grown fruits and vegetables which students may not have tried at home.
Three taste testing events were held at each of the schools which enabled students to try the new items in their raw (uncooked or processed) state. During the following months these same items were incorporated into the school lunch menu, which allowed them to try the items cooked. Teachers and cafeteria staff distributed information about the food items the students were trying and encouraged them to take home the fact sheets, activity books, and recipes to share with their families. In addition, the produce vendor made a television presentation which was shown to the high school students.
Featured items included Empire apples, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, Asian pears, and corn and black bean salsa. All of these were incorporated into the school lunch menu.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Cynthia Jaromnak
Contact Person’s Title: Food Service Director
Email: cjaromnak@antietamsd.org
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (610) 779-0377Category
- Farm to School
Objectives
Students will experience seasonal, locally grown produce in the following ways:
- Students will be given nutrition education on seasonal, locally grown produce.
- Students will taste test seasonal, locally grown produce.
- Students will have seasonal, locally grown produce incorporated into their school lunch menu.
Advice
- Offer new items to all students more than once. It takes time for the students to learn to like new things.
- Generate buy in with the staff. Student acceptance is much more likely to occur when staff acceptance is already in place and cafeteria workers promote the new items.
- Plan everything out in advance. Things will go much more smoothly.
- Be sure to get feedback from everyone involved.
Evidence of Success
- Great feedback was received from students and parents.
- New food items have been incorporated into the cafeteria menu.
- When a new item was absent from the school menu for a length of time students would ask for it.
- Chef Training on Learning to Cook Locally Grown Produce - Owen J. Roberts School District
Description
The Owen J. Roberts School District has been involved with Farm to School for some time. In addition to having school gardens, taste tests, and nutrition lessons, the school foodservice director has made it a goal to purchase and use local, in season produce when possible.
To support this goal chef Bill Scepansky was hired to train 42 food service workers about how to prepare meals utilizing healthy local ingredients such as root vegetables and beans. These meals must not only be healthy and compliant with new food service regulations but they must also be delicious and accepted by students.
Chef Scepansky taught knife skills, how to handle and prepare fresh, local items, how to season items without using salt, and tips on preparing meals which stay fresh during their holding time. The staff learned how to make a basic minestrone soup which could also be transformed into other soups (e.g. Tuscan Vegetable) depending upon what is local and available.
The high school student body president was involved in a taste testing/advertising event that promoted the new items on the school lunch menu.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Joanne Rechtin
Contact Person’s Title: School and Community Engagement Consultant
Email: jrechtin@ojrsd.com
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (610) 469-5967Category
- Farm to School
Objectives
- The school food service staff will utilize fresh, locally procured items on the school food menu.
- School food service staff members will learn how best to prepare locally grown produce.
Advice
- Ongoing training is a must. The staff should receive continuing education on how best to prepare meals.
- Promote new items with taste tests and advertising
Evidence of Success
- Sales reflect that students will purchase foods when they know more about them and have had a chance to try them. It was a surprise to learn that high school students would purchase tasted food at an even higher rate than elementary school students. This was particularly true for a Baked Zucchini Parmesan dish. In the past food was promoted more in elementary schools than in the high school but data has shown that older students should not be given up upon. In addition, there was extensive positive feedback from the staff. Workers felt empowered to create healthy, tasty meals, and expressed a desire to continue to do so.
- Exeter Township School District Holds Tasting Events to Promote New Food Items
Description
Exeter Township School District contracted with Chef Bill Scepansky to provide recipes and cooking techniques to four elementary school head cooks. After their training the cooks helped coordinate tasting events in each school. These events introduced students to new items which are locally grown and served in season. Parents helped in the events, which helped to reinforce the lesson to the students’ entire families. Every student, including those who normally bring their own lunch, was invited to participate. The first tasting event featured corn and black bean salsa, which is now a regular part of the school lunch menu. Other items included roasted butternut squash, Napa cabbage slaw, stir-fried bok choy, and Tuscan white beans with rosemary and Parmesan.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Gloria Clay
Contact Person’s Title: Food Service Director
Email: glclay@exeter.k12.pa.us
Contact Person’s Phone Number: 610-779-0700Category
- Farm to School
Objectives
- The cafeteria staff will be inspired to prepare new, healthy, locally grown and seasonal food items.
- Students will be served the new items and learn about them.
- The school lunch menu will incorporate new items which the students response to favorably.
Advice
- Be sure to offer the new food items to all students. Doing so increases participation.
- Involve parents in the project.
- Take pictures of the new items and display them in the cafeteria as well as the school newsletter.
- Remember to inform the school board of your activities.
Evidence of Success
- Some of the items have been incorporated into the lunch menu.
- Some students who previously brought their lunches now purchase a school meal.
Recipes
- Bald Eagle Area Junior/Senior High School
Description
We work through local growers to acquire produce that is higher quality and less expensive than can be obtained commercially. When ordering apples, we order ten cases at a time and ask for a variety of eating apples of the orchard’s choice. Along with the standard Red Delicious (which we ask to be a limited percentage of the total), we get many varieties including Honeycrisp, Winesap, Gala, Macintosh, etc. The case price this year was $18 for the entire year, for all varieties, compared to a commercial price that fluctuated between $20 and $36/case.
To get our apples, we worked with the grower to make it easy for both of us and to not put an undue burden on the farmers. One of our elementary schools is located about four miles over a mountain from the orchard. The orchard delivers the apples to that school and from there they are picked up by the district’s delivery/mail van and brought to the high school for distribution to the other schools as needed.
Potatoes are available from a local potato farmer who cleans and bags them for sale to grocery stores. We contacted the farm and found that they would be happy to deliver 50 pound bags of potatoes to us as needed. Instead of instant mashed potatoes, we make the real thing in all schools. We also use them for oven–fries and parsley potatoes. With all of the prepared foods now in use, the labor was already available to take the extra time to make something good from something local. We pay $15/bag. Current commercial price is $18.30/bag.
We have also registered as a “PA Preferred” school district and use signage from that program to identify local items on our service lines.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Mark Ott
Contact Person’s Title: Food Service Director
Email: mott@beasd.org
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (814) 355–8068Category
- Nutrition Services
Objectives
- To utilize locally grown foods in all district schools whenever possible.
Advice
It is good to realize that farmers are busy, much as we are in school foodservice. It is important to be flexible. Questions to consider:
- Find out the extent of their supply. Can it get you through the year? What will you do when they run out?
- What packaging do they use? (We hesitate to buy produce that is not packed the way we would get it from a commercial supplier, though we are not averse to doing so if the product is clean and packed consistently.)
- How will it get to your schools?
- Does the supplier have a minimum purchase required for delivery, and if so, can you accommodate the amount required for a delivery?
- How much lead time do you need to give the farmer for a desired delivery date? (They cannot always deliver the next day, but often our deliveries do arrive the next day.)
- Is the product cleaned, or will extensive cleaning on site be necessary?
- What happens if you get a poor quality product or spoilage? What is the return policy? Be fair: is it the farmer’s fault or yours? Are you ordering too much and storing too long, or did it arrive with spoilage?
- What is the price and how long will that price remain in effect?
- Are you going to require a contract, insurance, etc.? (We do not. The farmers are reputable and already sell their products commercially both on and off the farms.)
To make our orders worth the farmers’ time and delivery cost, we plan our menus to include the product at all schools during the same week. When we order potatoes, we get 12 bags (600 pounds) per order. This is better for the farmers than asking them to deliver two bags a week. For the volume of our order, we are recognized as a large and local customer, and as the length of the relationship grows, so does the trust and respect.
Evidence of Success
With 1,946 students in the district, our apple usage prior to going local was about one or two cases/ week. Locally, we get crisper apples with a wide variety of taste profiles. Our usage jumped from five or six cases a week to triple that and remains steady all year. The quality speaks for itself.
As for potatoes, I know few, if any, people who prefer instant to real. Although we wash the potatoes again before use, we do not peel them. It took about two meals with the new real mashed potatoes before they took off. Many students were wary of skin–on or “dirty” mashed potatoes. I explained to anyone who asked about it that much of the fiber, minerals, and vitamins are in the skin, and I would not deprive them of that benefit.
About a week after we decided to use local real potatoes we received an e–mail that all the instant mashed potatoes we wanted would be available free through commodity channels for the remainder of the school year. We decided to stick to the locals anyway, and we have not looked back.
We use about 200-250 pounds of potatoes in the junior/senior high school each time they are on the menu. That works out to about 800 servings to 975 students which is a testament to the success of the product. They are on the menu between one and three times a month. It is a lot of work to cut them into chunks, but several cooks get together and make fairly quick work of it. We also managed to get a large food processor through a grant. This enabled us to get a large–dice potato very quickly, and we now use that for the mashed potatoes. The parsley and oven–fried are still cut by hand for a larger chunk size. Real potatoes are good, and our students know it, and they show it through their consumption levels. - The Farm to School Project, Nutritional Development Services, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Description
Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese was contacted by a representative from Red Tomato, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit brokerage operation that helps family farmers find markets. Red Tomato wanted to find out if there were opportunities for farmers to sell their produce to the Archdiocese’s many school food service programs. Patrick Temple-West, founding director of the Nutritional Development Services (NDS), and former board member of the Food Trust, led the initiative for the Farm to School project of the Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese, and Joan Reitz, the Purchasing Manager at NDS, agreed to try this new approach. Although she admits to being skeptical at first, Joan has been pleasantly surprised by the outcome of the partnership and plans to continue to purchase local items as long as her standards for quality and price are met.
In 2004, as part of this Farm to School project, NDS began to purchase seasonal fruits – primarily apples, but also pears, peaches, and nectarines – from Beekman Orchards, a large local grower. Presently, NDS purchases seasonal fruits from another local supplier, Bear Mountain Orchards, in Aspers, PA. The farmer, John Lott, delivers the fruit directly to the warehouse just like any other supplier. NDS accounts for seasonal availability by simply listing “fresh fruit” on the printed menus. Generally, peaches and nectarines are offered in the late summer, and apples are served in the fall. To promote nutrition education, NDS periodically hands out information sheets to students about the foods they eat. Nutrition information sheets have been made for varieties of apples and peaches. It is hoped that after students learn the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, they will share this information with their families, so they are encouraged to take the info sheets home.
The cost of the produce was originally an issue; however, Bear Mountain Orchards has been able to provide fruit at a competitive market rate without outside funding for the program. Additionally, the partnership with Bear Mountain Orchards has fit into the conventional purchasing and provision system and has not required additional labor or purchase of kitchen infrastructure. With no extra funding required and support from NDS, this program is sustainable.
The Archdiocese serves about 18,000 meals per day, including breakfast and lunch, at 150 Catholic and charter schools in the Philadelphia area. During the summer, these numbers grow to 36,000 meals as NDS also administers many summer meal programs at schools, churches, and community centers.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Anne Ayella
Contact Person’s Title: Assistant Director, Community Relations
Email: aayella@ndsarch.org
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (267) 262-8901Category
- Nutrition Services
Objectives
- Local fruits will be incorporated into meals provided by the Archdiocese.
- Nutrition education will be promoted in schools.
- Students will share nutrition information with their families.
Advice
- Farmers must consistently supply fruit that complies with USDA standards of uniformity and size. It is important to be clear about this from the start of a Farm to School Program. One of the advantages of working with Bear Mountain Orchards is that Lott has been accommodating in this regard, and fruit sizes are uniform.
- Schools should work with a supplier whose produce packaging will make the transitions from farm to warehouse to kitchen to plate as simple as possible.
- Students are not always familiar with all of the fruits served, but their participation will increase with taste testing. Students are often surprised at how much they enjoy new fruits.
- It is important to select fruit that has a long enough shelf storage life such as apples, pears, etc.
Evidence of Success
- Consistent, positive feedback from lunch managers, principals, and teachers stating that students are more willing to try new fruits.
- Teachers have noticed a decline in students bringing sweets to school for birthdays or other special occasions; many now bring fruit cups to share.
- Afterschool cooking clubs have begun to try more nutritious recipes.
- Serving Locally-Grown and Organic Lunches: The Kimberton Waldorf School
Description
(Please note: the Kimberton Waldorf School is not an NSLP sponsor.)
The foodservice program at the Kimberton Waldorf School serves only locally-grown and organic lunches for the children and adults in the school’s community. The majority of the fresh vegetables and fruits served are from the school’s own garden. Students manage compost and then harvest and wash produce from their garden. The school is also constantly seeking out other fresh, local foods. Menu components including biodynamic yogurt, cream, milk, and organic whole-wheat bread and pizza dough are acquired from local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and local farms.
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade eat in their classrooms, and those in grades 6 through 12 are served lunch in a family-style environment. The tables are dressed with beautiful handmade tablecloths adorned with seasonal flowers. The menu includes traditional favorites as well as many ethnic dishes from around the world. Many items are vegetarian or vegan.
The Kimberton Waldorf School produces extra food each day, which is distributed to those in need (e.g. pregnant women, the unemployed, etc.). In addition, the school leases land to a local CSA, and 45 students from the public school district learn gardening skills by working in the garden and growing their own crops.
Contact Information
Contact Person: Karen Flores
Email: foodforthought@kimberton.org
Contact Person’s Phone Number: (610) 933-3635 Ext.129Category
- Farm to School
Objectives
- To provide the highest quality, nutritionally dense school lunches possible in a relaxing environment
- To serve as many locally-grown and organic items possible
- To have a positive effect on the local community
Advice
- If you are considering donating or selling food, check with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture or your local Health Department about requirements relating to these practices.
- Serve foods that are palatable to children.
- Names are important. Give the dish a name that kids will accept/enjoy.
- Incorporate taste-testing and nutrition education, including in the cafeteria.
- Make changes gradually. For example, start with an item that kids already love, such as pizza, and improve upon it incrementally. (Kimberton uses whole wheat dough made from scratch by the CSA with which they extensively collaborate. Sauce is also made from scratch and incorporates a variety of vegetables. Toppings always include vegetables.)
Evidence of Success
- Currently, 80% of the menu ingredients used at the Kimberton Waldorf School are locally-grown.
- The school collaborates with four local CSAs, and local growers plan their crops with the needs of the school in mind.
- The school foodservice program is self-sustaining, and participation is nearly 70%.
