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Amy L. Yaroch, Ph.D. Community Food Security Coali:on
Annual Conference November 5, 2011
,Challenges and Opportuni:es with Introducing Farm to School in Omaha
About Us
The Center is a Omaha based independent non-‐pro7it research organization providing research, evaluation and partnership in:
childhood obesity prevention, food insecurity, and local food systems
Website: www.centerfornutri:on.org Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CenterforNutri:on Follow us on Twi4er: hKp://twiKer.com/#!/gretchenswanson
What is Farm to School?
Farm to School in Douglas County, NE
Benefits Challenges Support local and regional producers (and hence the economy)
Budget constraints
Connects children to agriculture Changing exis:ng procedures (insurance, bidding process, distribu?on)
Benefits the environment Procuring sufficient volume of par:cular products
Builds community (know your farmer, know your food)
GeUng started
Increasing awareness of local foods
Timeline of activities
Receive CPPW grant
Mee:ng with key
stakeholders
12/10 03/10
Conduct needs
assessment
Technical assistance – NY City Dept Health
Technical assistance – CFSC
Develop Toolkits
Re-‐conduct needs
assessment
Bootcamp with food service directors
03/12 10/11
Where is NE at on the Farm to School Spectrum?
• Our CPPW program is the first major farm to school ini:a:ve in state • NE is an agricultural state, but not tradi:onally “into local” • Omaha is currently undergoing a paradigm shia in the local foods movement • Growth in Farmers Markets (also EBT) • NE Food Coopera:ve • Restaurants
The needs assessment in NE
Administered ques:onnaires in 2010 with: • Food service directors (N=7)
Local producers (N=49)
Distributors (N=5)
Food Service Directors
• Reasons FOOD SERVICE DIRECTORS did not purchase from local producers: • Food Safety Concerns (67%) • Difficult to purchase directly (62%) • Distribu:on issues (45%) • Timing of deliveries (43%) • Harder to handle fresh produce (36%) • Price and Budget (33%) • Other (seasonality, quality, # of invoices and ini:a:ves)
Producers
• Reasons why PRODUCERS not selling to schools: • Not being able to produce food throughout the en:re school year • Not being able to produce sufficient volume of food
• PRODUCERS mainly selling products to: • Farmers Markets • Local stores • Restaurants • CSA’s
Distributors
75% 75%
25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%
75% 75%
25% 25%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
fresh fruit fresh veg
canned fruit canned veg frozen fruit frozen veg
beef pork
poultry dairy eggs
grains prepared foods
100% 75%
0% 0% 0% 0%
25% 25% 25% 25% 25%
0% 0%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
fresh fruit fresh veg
canned fruit canned veg frozen fruit frozen veg
beef pork
poultry dairy eggs
grains prepared foods
Foods Most Commonly
Sold to Schools
Foods Most Commonly
Sourced Locally
Grassroots approach • Some states work from a top down approach such as passing policies through the board of educa:on • In Nebraska, schools more likely to start with implementa:on and think about policy later
Farm to school activities in Omaha
Success with 3 Food Service Directors • A to Z Salad Bar • Fresh Pick of the Month
• NewsleKers/menus
Procedural Change • ALL signed a memo added to opera:ng procedures
• “when economically feasible, the preference will be to purchase local foods”
Greater Awareness of Local Food and Farm to School • Food Day Omaha
Diversity of foods for F2S in NE
Local doesn’t have to mean fruits and vegetables!
Low sodium, whole-‐wheat tor:llas
Local meat such as bison and ground
hamburger
Locally produced cheese
Toolkits
• Not originally planned, developed in response to stakeholders request • Prac:cal resources and guidance to implement farm to school for key stakeholders • Food service personnel, producers, distributors
• Created with Nebraskans in mind • Goals are to increase implementa;on and dissemina;on
Toolkits for Farm to School in Nebraska
• One-‐stop resource to get started as well as for those who are further advanced • For food service professionals, producers, and distributors • toolkit.centerfornutri:on.org
What is local? (250 mile radius)
Seasonality in NE
Choose Local Poster
Technical Assistance
Allows us to bridge the gap between knowledge
and ac:on!
• NY City Department of Health • Support FSD from largest district to aKend “What’s Working in School Food” conference and the School Food Focus mee:ng
• Community Food Security Coali:on • Support two team members to par:cipate in Maine’s food service director boot camp • Support to conduct Nebraska boot camp
Boot Camp for Food Service Personnel
• Foods available year round • Demonstrate other ins:tu:on’s method
• Demonstrate viable op:ons for recipes
• Discuss hurdles and how to overcome
Show different ways to
integrate local food in menus
• Farm tours allows food service personnel to network with producers
• Exposed to the benefits of naturally raised, locally procured products
• Ability to network with peers
PuUng a face on local foods
Remaining Challenges
• Engaging the remaining food service directors • GeUng community buy-‐in for sustainability • Engage distributors further • Producers seeing value outside of current successful venues
Future Directions
Build Infrastructure
Lengthen growing season
Educate
Acknowledgements
• Mary Chapman • Chelsey Erpelding, MPH • Courtney Pinard, PhD
Questions?
Amy L Yaroch, PhD
Executive Director
Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition
505 Durham Research Plaza
Omaha, NE 68105-1313
Phone: 402-559-5500
Fax: 402-559-7302
www.centerfornutrition.org