In response to the growing rates
of childhood obesity, many school districts have developed Farm to School (F2S)
and Garden-based Nutrition (GBN) programs to combat the dietary factors that
contribute to obesity. The general goals of F2S and GBN are to provide
children with fresh locally grown produce, while teaching them healthy eating
habits and showing them where their food comes from. F2S programs work to build partnerships
between school districts, local farms, communities, and local economies. There
are a variety of F2S programs nationwide; The National F2S Network estimates
that there are 2,518 F2S programs in the U.S. involving 2,422 school districts (www.farmtoschool.org).
The concept of providing food
for school children came about during the 1940’s. In an effort to reduce food
surpluses and combat malnutrition, the United States federal government created
the National School Lunch Act in 1946 (Allen and Guthman, 2006). The schools would provide children with
lunch, and then be reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
However, agricultural surpluses consisted of processed meat and cheese high in
saturated fat and sodium; while trying to address the issue of feeding
children, a new problem was created concerning the nutritional quality of the
food (p. 404). The dietary guidelines
for school lunches were later revised during the 1980’s, but still contained
high levels of fat and sodium beyond the recommended amounts (Roberts, 2002).
The National School Lunch Program continues to provide school breakfast and
lunch to children, which benefits children from low-income families the most
via “free” or “reduced” priced lunch.
South Carolina Farm to School Program
In 2010, President Obama signed the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act which authorizes funding and policy creation for several USDA child nutrition programs. The act allocates $5 million a year in grants that schools can apply for to develop farm to school programs (www.fns.usda.gov).
More Information on Farm to School:
Allen, P., and Guthman, J.,
(2006). From “old school” to
“farm-to-school”: Neoliberalization from
the ground up. Agriculture and Human values, 23: 401-415.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2011). Children's Food
Environment State Indicator Report. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/PedNSSFactSheet.pdf
National Farm to School Network. (2012).
Farm to School Chronology. Retrieved from http://www.farmtoschool.org/files/F2SChronology3.09.pdf
National Farm to School Network. (2012). Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.farmtoschool.org/index.php
U. S. Department of Agriculture (2012).Implementation Plan: Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
Child Nutrition Program Provisions. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Legislation/implementation_actions.pdf
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