Fresh From Farms to Schools -- It Just Makes Sense

As the person in charge of ordering food for the Dallas school system, Dora Rivas certainly knew that the fruits and vegetables provided to her students came from farms. She just didn't know which farms. Or, more specifically, where those farms were located. Near Dallas? In Texas, even? Those questions came up almost three years ago when her team applied for a federal Farm to School grant to help pay for locally-grown produce to be delivered to schools. What's happened since has changed everything from the way kids are learning to what they are eating. Educators have happily learned some lessons, too. The result is a better, healthier school district, as well as recognition from their peers in the form of awards and invitations to share their best practices. I recently spent a day with Rivas at a Dallas school, and came away so impressed. I'm happy to share with you the steps they are taking to ensure the next generation is a healthier one. *** In 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture to free up money and support so that schools could stock their cafeterias with foods grown close to home. From the start, Rivas and her staff were interested in the USDA's Farm to School Grant Program. About three years ago, they began filling out the application. One of the first things they had to do was take stock of their situation. That is, they had to figure out how much of their produce was grown locally, regionally and from lo...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news