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School Communities Hungry for Better Food

Nearly one in four of Georgia’s third graders are more than overweight; they are technically obese. This generation may well be the first to have a shorter life span than their parents.

Limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables along with reduced exercise as physical education programs become optional or are eliminated altogether are two key factors driving the problem. With rising food and fuel prices squeezing school budgets, it would seem that the impetus to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into school meals would come crashing to a halt. Instead, signs of hope are rising from the grassroots in school systems around Georgia. A revolution, largely driven by concerned parents and community health advocates, is taking shape in cafeterias, at PTA meetings, and in school classrooms.

Farm to School programs connect schools to local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, supporting local small farmers, and providing health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime. This May, Georgia Organics completed its pilot farm to school program in Atlanta–a unique and comprehensive approach weaving food and nutrition education into the context of edible campus gardens.

E. Rivers Elementary School in Buckhead and Cascade Elementary School in South Atlanta participated in the third grade Garden Exchange Program which featured school gardens, visits from farmers, hands-on culinary classes, taste tests, and a pen pal program between the two demographically divergent schools. The program culminated with School Garden Week where the third graders hosted garden tours for their exchange pals, and afterwards celebrated their achievements at the Glover Family Farm in Douglasville. 

All of the stakeholders—teachers, food service personnel, parents, and administrators were recognized for the effort they put forth to make the Garden Exchange Program a success. In addition to cultivating garden-enhanced experiential learning centered on growing and eating delicious foods and building relationships with local farmers, Georgia Organics facilitated discussions with the program’s stakeholders to identify the challenges and opportunities associated with the next stage: integrating fresher, locally grown food into school cafeterias.

The outcomes of the Garden Exchange Program are astonishing. A demonstrated increase in the students’ preference for fresh produce made it feasible for Sodexo, the school’s foodservice provider, to install a child-sized salad bar in the cafeteria at E. Rivers. While the salad bar does not currently include produce from sustainable Georgia farmers, it has certainly opened the door for this possibility as students have demonstrated a clear demand for fresh-from-harvest foods. The impact of the program on student’s food preferences was stated best by one student at Cascade Elementary who said, “I used to not like spinach, but then we grew it in our garden and now I eat it all the time!”

Cobb County schools may well be next to stick a toe in the farm to school waters. In April, Sope Creek Elementary organized a system-wide town hall meeting focusing on children’s nutrition in Cobb County schools. While the presentations from parents, health advocates, and nutrition specialists were informative, their data and recommendations were overshadowed by powerful and passionate presentations given by three Cobb County students, including one eighth-grader who circulated a petition signed by nearly 200 students urging his school to offer a salad bar. Another student spoke openly about her ongoing battle with her weight while a third student passionately campaigned for more physical education programs. The town hall drew 200 attendees which included parents, legislators, and school board members.

The forum not only served as an educational opportunity for stakeholders from the entire school community, it also yielded tangible outcomes. After the meeting, a school garden project began immediately at the Sope Creek school, and a system-wide Nutrition and Wellness Committee consisting of parents, teachers, and advocates has been convened to find ways to integrate healthier, local, and organic food choices into the school cafeteria offerings.

Farm to school programs are gaining interest across Georgia and the country. A movement that once included just two angry moms now has thousands, if not millions, taking action across the country. Nationwide, over 8,000 schools offer some type of farm to school program, and several states such as Vermont, California, Washington, and Kentucky have enacted legislation to support these programs. These programs are significant first steps toward real change—steps toward a more promising and healthier future for our children.

It’s time we teach our children that real food doesn’t come wrapped in colorful foil packages containing ingredients we can’t pronounce, that carrots and potatoes grow in the ground and are healthier and tastier when they are local–whether harvested from our own backyards, school gardens, or local Georgia farms. It’s time our children developed a healthier attitude and understanding of food lest they struggle with diet issues and subsequent health problems their whole lives.

Now is the time for change.

To learn more about farm to school programs, contact Georgia Organics at 678-702-0400 or visit www.farmtoschool.org. Georgia Organics also maintains a farm to school e-newsletter. To subscribe, visit www.georgiaorganics.org or call 678-702-0400.