Healthy Schools Campaign

What a Good Idea!

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Founding Executive Director

I recently came across a job posting for a Farm-to-School Coordinator for the state of Washington.  What a good idea!  How sensible, with today’s concerns about childhood obesity and high energy prices, to prioritize farm to school programs and hire a coordinator to ensure that the initiatives are successful and effective.

What do childhood obesity and high energy prices have to do with each other?

As the position description says, “This position will lead the new state Farm-to-School Program (created by SB 6483) to increase the purchase of Washington-grown foods by Washington schools, thereby improving student nutrition and benefiting local farmers.”

Schools, farmers, public health advocates and policy makers are beginning to recognize the value of local procurement programs to bring the freshest, healthiest fruit and vegetables to our children at school. 

As we all know, getting children to eat more fruits and vegetables is an important challenge in combating the obesity epidemic -- and what better way than to provide them with the freshest and most tasty produce available?   

In addition to the benefits for student nutrition, we know that local procurement (or “farm to school”) programs benefit local economies and support local farmers.

Since most food travels more than 3,000 miles from farm to plate, these initiatives are taking on even greater importance.  With food prices raising as a result of higher transportation costs, local procurement programs are increasingly making the most economic sense for schools. 

We applaud the state of Washington for recognizing the many benefits of farm to school programs and taking the very sensible step of making local procurement a priority.

Workshop Highlights Enthusiasm for Healthy Food and Fitness in Schools

by Erin Murphy, HSC Wellness Intern

Last Thursday, educators, administrators and food service professionals came together to attend the Food & Fitness in Schools: Lessons from Charter Public School Innovators workshop presented by HSC and the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS).

Guests were greeted with a healthy breakfast of muffins, yogurt, cheese, bagels and a variety of fruit. This breakfast, provided by Sodexho, is typical of what one can find in an elementary school that has joined the movement of offering healthier and more appealing meals to students (including some of the schools represented by the workshop’s panel of speakers).

After grabbing something to eat and settling in, audience members were greeted by Elizabeth Evans, executive director of INCS, and HSC’s Jean Saunders. The two set the tone for the event by discussing how wellness, in the form of physical activity and healthy food, affects students’ performance in the classroom.

Dr. Darla Castelli, assistant professor in the department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois, presented an exciting and powerful presentation on the effects of physical activity on academic achievement.

Dr. Castelli discussed the ways in which research-based literature demonstrates that physical activity throughout the day can greatly improve academic achievement. What really stood out about her presentation were the numerous ways in which kids, living and learning in any kind of environment, can be physically active during the school day. Her presentation was full of information that was simple yet powerful enough for all audiences, and provided access to tools which teachers and administrators can utilize to improve physical activity for their students.

After Dr. Castelli’s presentation was a panel discussion featuring of administrators from charter schools throughout Chicago that have made the transition to serving fresh, healthy food. Panel members included Marc Arakelian of Perspectives Charter Schools; Bob Nardo of the Noble Network of Charter Schools; Alison Slade of Namaste Charter School and Soyini Walton of the Betty Shabazz International Charter School.

The panelists provided candid information about what has worked in implementing a healthy school food program, from the start-up to the ongoing challenges of maintaining it. They also discussed the outcomes and benefits of providing a healthy school environment to students. There were a lot of lessons to learn from this panel, and the questions and conversations were full of energy. The excitement in the room was noticeable as people wanted to pick the brains of the panel members all morning. The interest in communication and follow-up among those in attendance became clear.

The final speaker was Melissa Ritter from the Farm to Table Lunch Program at the Prairie Crossing Charter School. She provided background regarding the roots of the farm to school movement, and also provided insight as to why these types of programs are important.

The conversations continued as the event wrapped up, and the enthusiasm in the room didn’t dwindle a bit.

The enthusiasm at this event highlighted how important it is for school leaders to have a place to share ideas and work together toward the goals of providing fresh, healthy food and plentiful physical activity for students. HSC is working to address this need by developing new opportunities for communication and discussion, places where school leaders can ask and answer questions and share ideas.

We are inspired by the enthusiasm and dedication of the school leaders we met at this event, and look forward to working together to create exciting new school wellness programs.

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The articles below are part of a growing body of research documenting the connection between children’s health and their readiness to learn. Several attendees at the workshop mentioned an interest in additional resources and academic references on this topic; we hope you find these resources valuable!

Energizers
http://www.ncpe4me.com/energizers.html
A list of energizers which integrate physical activity and learning. These can be utilized during the school day to help improve attention.

TAKE 10!
http://www.take10.net/whatistake10.asp?page=new
Curricular activities to be used during the school day to combine physical activity and learning for grades kindergarten through fifth. TAKE 10! ® activities during academic time have reduced behavior referrals and increased attention.         

Florence, M. D., Asbridge, M., & Veugelers, P. J. (2008). Diet quality and academic performance. The Journal of School Health, 78(4), 209-15; quiz 239-41.
Florence, Asbridge and Veugelers illustrate the connection between quality of food and performance in school. This research helps to further the support that providing a healthy school food environment and access to high quality foods may lead to improvements in academic performance, and overall health.       

Fu, M. L., Cheng, L., Tu, S. H., & Pan, W. H. (2007). Association between unhealthful eating patterns and unfavorable overall school performance in children. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107(11), 1935-1943.
Fu et al. discuss eating patterns and their connection to school performance in elementary school-aged children. Though the data collected in this article reflects eating patterns of children from Taiwan, it is plausible that results from this study could accurately reflect that of children in the United States given the obesity epidemic occurring globally.                   

Settings, M. (2006). Position of the American Dietetic Association: Local support for nutrition integrity in schools. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 106(1), 122-133.
A position paper from the ADA expressing views toward a comprehensive school nutrition program which includes providing high-quality food, nutrition education, addressing policy issues, and finding support from various stakeholders.         

Wagner, B., Senauer, B., & Runge, C. F. (2007). An empirical analysis of and policy recommendations to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. Review of Agricultural Economics, 29(4), 672-688.
Wagner, Senauer and Runge explore reasons why schools are unable to meet nutrition standard requirements for meals offered at schools as stated in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To develop a better picture of the problem, the researchers explored various hypotheses as to why this is a problem that included: student food preference/demand in relation to nutritional quality, cost of meal production, facilities required for food production, and indirect costs.

Farm to School Programs Taking Off

Today we have a guest blog from HSC Intern Dennis Fiser. Dennis recently graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in environmental studies and is beginning a new job on an organic farm later this Spring. 

In Jean Saunders’ blog entry from April of last year, I think it’s safe to say pretty much everybody (myself included) was astounded by the quality of a school lunch in France. Smoked salmon with asparagus and crème fraiche? Tomato and fresh mozzarella salad? Who needs, or would even want, a bagged lunch if this were the standard fare?

In the meantime, our school lunches are suffering from an unfortunate convergence of government policies, agricultural practices, and the strained financial state of our education system. School cafeterias on this side of the big pond seem to have a penchant for pizza, a need for nachos, and a hankering for hot dogs. While all of those items have their place, there’s no question we could do far better - and a growing trend called Farm to School is starting to do just that.

The name means just what it says – bringing the farm to the school through nutrition education, visits from farmers, growing food in school gardens, and putting some farm fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, honey, and beans on students’ plates when they come to the cafeteria for lunch.

The National Farm to School Network was officially created in 2000, as a joint effort between the Community Food Security Coalition and the Center for Food & Justice. It started with just six programs in 1997, but now the organization estimates that there are a whopping 2,000 programs in over 8,000 schools in 38 states.

Marion Kalb, who is co-director of the National Farm to School Network, attributes this rapid growth in part to the growing interest in eating and living healthy, but it isn’t just adults who are interested.

“We've found that if kids can meet the farmer who actually grew the food, they're much more likely to eat it," she said.

In a country where the prevalence of obesity is a problem in ever more communities, Farm to School programs are one way to reconnect ourselves and our schoolchildren to meaningful and healthy eating habits, while also helping to support small, local farms that sell to the schools.

Several states have passed Farm to School legislation encouraging school districts to buy local and giving them some of the human and financial resources required to do so. Several states have bills which will come to a vote sometime within the next few months, and the USDA encourages states to purchase locally grown produce for school meals.

Right now, there is a strong Farm to School program going on in Oak Park and Forest Park schools, pushed on by Gary Cuneen and Seven Generations Ahead. Students have enjoyed some local delights, including Dinosaur Kale and Swiss chard, and been on several trips to nearby farms, such as the Green Earth Institute in Naperville.

USA Today recently featured Farm to School efforts in their article, “Food program brings together schools, farmers,” and here’s hoping they have plenty more reason to keep featuring it in the future.

Chicago Food Policy Summit: Farm to School and More

Today we have a guest blog from HSC Intern Dennis Fiser. Dennis recently graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in environmental studies and is beginning a new job on an organic farm later this Spring.   

Last Tuesday, hundreds of interested citizens, community organizations, legislators and food activists converged at the Chicago Cultural Center to take part in the 3rd annual Food Policy Summit, hosted by the Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council. It was the biggest turnout by far in three years, including major figures in the Chicago and Illinois food communities.

Attendees included Jim Slama, Jim Braun, and Debbie Hillman - members of the newly formed Illinois Local Food and Farms Task Force - along with the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Health, aldermen, and Illinois Senator Jackie Collins and Representative Julie Hamos, who sponsored the Food, Farms & Jobs Act of 2007. The act, which has now become law, is a major legislative step in building a sustainable, fair and economically productive food system here in Illinois.

As has become tradition, one of the highlights of the Food Summit was the food itself – made with ingredients grown and raised by local farmers and prepared by local bakeries and chefs – including lamb shanks from Harry Carr at Mint Creek Farm, strawberry-raspberry preserves from Chris Covelli and Tomato Mountain Farm, pastries (including the most delicious teacakes imaginable) from Bleeding Heart Bakery, Floriole, and Vella, cheeses from Prairie Fruits Farm and Brunkow Cheese, vegetables from Growing Power and Genesis Growers, and many, many more. (For a full list, click here.)

The latter half of the day involved plenty of networking and several breakout sessions on topics such as selling to local markets, Farm to School programs, youth leadership and food access.

Farm to School programs and other initiatives that increase access to fresh, healthy food in our communities can go a long way toward improving children’s health and combating skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity and related diseases.

The Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council also released a new report, Building Chicago’s Community Food Systems, which highlights initiatives within Chicago and across the nation where cities and states are taking an active role in promoting urban agriculture, securing food access in underserved communities, composting, and building organic and local food systems. The report helps set the stage for future collaboration between community organizations and the city on food policy.

The Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council is network of organizations and individuals sharing their experiences and concerns about food security in the Chicago region. The goal is to influence policy makers to make informed decisions motivated by the goals of community food security.   The council holds quarterly meetings open to everybody who shows up. The next meeting is on May 20, 2008, and the location will be posted on the Council’s website, along with a PDF version of the report.

Get Your Farming On

Today we have a guest blog from HSC Intern Dennis Fiser. Dennis recently graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in environmental studies and is pursuing a career in sustainable food systems.

Part of the Healthy Schools Campaign’s mission is to promote healthy food and discourage the low-nutrient, high-calorie ("junk") food that has become widely available in schools. Fresh fruits and vegetables are just what school cafeterias need, and all the better if fresh produce can be purchased from local farms.

But even though "locally grown" is all the rage, there are surprisingly few farms growing food for people to eat. Much of our farmland is filled with corn for animal feed, food additives and biofuels, along with soybeans for biodiesel, food additives, and animal feed – which doesn’t sound very appetizing.

So here I am, working at HSC on farm-to-school policies; but what is there to do when there simply aren’t many local farms growing food, and even fewer which can supply enough ingredients to feed the thousands of Chicago students who eat school lunch every day?   I’ll go do some farming myself, that’s what.

In the past couple of years, there has been growing awareness [pdf] of the need for younger people to get involved in farming. Many farmers are nearing retirement and there aren’t many younger farmers to take their place.

But there are plenty of opportunities for those of us who do want to get involved in farming. It’s a great way to help build a sustainable food system from the ground up, literally. And the food is absolutely delicious.

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) helps people find opportunities to gain hands-on farming experience. WWOOF publishes a directory of organic farms for dozens of countries, and in return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts (farms) offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles. Specific to our region are programs like the Collaborative Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT), which serves northern Illinois and Wisconsin (but has chapters in all areas of the country), Stateline Farm Beginnings, Central Illinois Farm Beginnings, and Farm Beginnings for Wisconsin and Minnesota, among many, many others.

And if farming isn’t going to be your occupation, many farms welcome visitors for a short stay – you get to do some good work and eat some good food, and then return to your normal life. Check out Local Harvest to find a farm close to you.

Fresh Fruit, Nutrition Ed, Local Purchasing: Senate Farm Bill Includes Some Good News for School Food

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Founding Executive Director

After much debate, the Senate has voted on a farm bill that includes some good news for school food and nutrition education.

The bill expands the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to all 50 states and increases funding from $9 million to $225 million per year. This will expand the number of schools that are able to offer and promote free fresh fruits and vegetables and dried fruit throughout the school day.

As a pilot, this program has been successful in increasing student exposure to fresh produce and increasing student consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. It also introduces children to a variety of fruits and vegetables that they may otherwise not have the opportunity to try, an important part of establishing lifelong healthy eating habits.

This simple step is especially important in a climate where children have easy access to so much unhealthy food and often have limited access to good, fresh produce.

The farm bill also includes a clarification of language that now specifically allows schools to designate a geographic preference in purchasing food. This means that schools can now specifically request locally-grown ingredients in their food purchasing plans.

An important complement to providing fresh, healthy food is offering students the nutrition education that helps them make smart food choices. The farm bill includes funding to encourage the expansion of nutrition education by providing grants to projects that can be replicated in schools. 

The School Nutrition Amendment that I discussed in a previous blog did not come up for a vote, so it will not be part of this year’s farm bill. The activity surrounding the amendment built a strong coalition in support of school nutrition standards and the amendment’s main sponsor, Sen. Harkin, has announced his intention to bring up school nutrition legislation when the Senate re-convenes in January 2008.

Now, the Senate version and House version of the farm bill will go to a committee that will work out differences in the two bills. 

Healthy Harvest: Reforming the Farm Bill to Promote Child Nutrition

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Executive Director

The debate in Congress is heating up around the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, which not only addresses agriculture policy but also covers many important nutrition issues.

This New York Times article and this San Francisco Chronicle article illustrate the unique buzz surrounding this year's Farm Bill reauthorization (which occurs every five years) and its connection to health and obesity issues.

As I mentioned in HSC's blog earlier this year, HSC supports reforming the Farm Bill because we understand that an agriculture policy that stresses healthy sustainably grown food is important for children's nutrition both in and out of school. We've joined hundreds of other organizations in signing on to a report titled "Seeking Balance in U.S. Farm and Food Policy" (PDF), which calls for a more balanced Farm Bill.

Specifically, we'd like to see changes that will have an impact on what children eat at school, where they consume many of their daily calories. HSC is encouraging our congressional leaders to authorize a Farm Bill that will:

Establish Appropriate Standards for Food Offered in Schools. The Farm Bill should authorize the USDA to develop standards for all food offered in schools, not only those foods available from school lunch in the cafeteria. Food sold in vending machines, school stores, and cafeteria a la carte lines are currently not subject to any minimum nutrition standards.

Promote Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Intake. Programs that have been successful in increasing children's fruit and vegetable consumption – thereby reducing their risk of disease and providing the nutrition they need to learn – need funding to reach students in need.

Support Healthy School Food Programs. The Farm Bill has the opportunity to support fresh, healthy food for children's lunch while also supporting healthy local agriculture systems. Initiatives to do this include farm to school grant programs and clarification of language that will allow school districts to specify local or regional foods in their bidding process.

The Farm Bill is one of the largest and most complex pieces of federal legislation in place today, making it a powerful force in shaping our food and nutrition practices. It's exciting to consider the tremendous potential for change in these sensible yet innovative reforms.

Federal Spending on Diabetes Highlights Need for Obesity Prevention

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Executive Director

When working to create school environments which promote healthy eating and lifestyles, we are motivated by our concern for children's health and ability to learn. A recently released study conducted by Mathematica Policy Research Group for the National Changing Diabetes Program calls attention to another important ramification of obesity epidemic. 

According to the study, one out of every eight U.S. Federal health care dollars is spent treating people with diabetes, one of the most common medical conditions resulting from obesity. Using 2005 data, the student found that the government spends more than $79.7 billion more to treat people with the disease, or some 12 percent of the $645 billion in total federal health care spending.

This is another compelling reason why political, corporate and education leaders need to band together to prevent obesity. Research suggests that a school environment that serves healthy food, teaches students about nutrition and provides opportunities for physical activity can have an impact on children's lifestyles. This study provides the federal government with another compelling reason to take action now to support schools in their efforts to create this type of healthy environment. 

One of the ways in which Congress could make a difference is by supporting a number of provisions of the Farm Bill that set standards for food available in schools, support farm-to-school programs or provide funding for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Notes from France: A School Lunch We'd All Enjoy

by Jean Saunders, HSC School Wellness Director

Jean is attending the 2007 International Exchange Forum on Children, Obesity, Food Choice and the Environment in the Loire Valley of France. Her entries will be posted throughout the week.

Probably the best way to share with you what I've learned about school food in France is to start with the school lunch we ate Thursday:

Menu du College Milcendeau, Challans

Salad of butter lettuce with smoked duck
Tomato and fresh mozzarella salad
Smoked salmon with asparagus and creme fraiche
Roasted chicken with roasted root vegetables and roasted potatoes
Apples with sabyon
Fresh strawberries
Goat cheese
French bread
Water

A little bit of background about the ingredients and their preparation. The butter lettuce was grown by a local farmer, the strawberries were just as beautiful as those that we had with our dinner the night before and most likely were grown in the south of France, the chicken (also grown locally) was roasted whole.

And, this wonderful meal was not served in plastic airline-like containers, but on REAL plates with real cutlery and glassware. And, the plates were warmed in a plate warmer!

Needless to say, the food we ate was absolutely delicious!

OK, not everything about this meal was typical. Usually there is only one salad -- the "apples with sabyon" was something special, and they don't have strawberries every day.

But every day the food is cooked fresh, on-site, right before it is served.

We also got to peek into the kitchens -- nothing like any I have seen before during my school travels. There were separate walk-ins for the meat, the dairy products and the vegetables. Did I mention that there was mache in the veggie walk-in?

So who cooks this amazing school food? Trained chefs! We learned that every school has a chef.

Every two weeks, students get to weigh in on the school food program. According to the principal, Mme. Roux, students take note of everything. She knew that they needed to change things up a bit when she heard one student say, "Today the food is not smiley enough, it's not reaching out to us."

If my son had a meal like I ate yesterday, I would no longer pack his lunch; he would eat a school lunch every day.

Seven Generations Ahead Moves Forward With Healthy Lunches in Oak Park

by Jean Saunders, HSC School Wellness Director

Congratulations to our colleagues at Seven Generations Ahead! As a result of SGA's collaborative work with parent-teacher organizations, food service directors and the school district superintendent, Oak Park (Ill.) School District 97 has adopted a healthy lunch program for all of its 10 schools.

The new lunch program will include a brand new daily menu, inspired by SGA’s Fresh from the Farm lunches that were piloted at several schools starting three years ago. The Oak Park program is slated to begin in September 2007.

Seven Generations Ahead is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to build ecologically sustainable and healthy communities. SGA's Fresh from the Farm program is one of a growing number of "farm-to-school" programs across the country reconnecting children and adults to healthy eating and the source of their food.

Believe Chicago has more about how Seven Generations Ahead has achieved success with school lunch reform.

Farm-to-School Programs

by Rochelle Davis, HSC Executive Director

Earlier this month I wrote about our commitment to providing school children with the healthiest and tastiest food available and our support for the Illinois Food, Farms and Job Act.

This is part of our overall support for farm-to-school programs. Farm-to-school programs have two components: incorporating regional purchasing into school food programs; and incorporating lessons about food -- where it comes from, how it is grown, how to cook it -- into the classroom.

If you want to learn more about farm-to-school programs, take a look at the report "Going Local: Paths to Success for Farm to School Programs" (PDF). It includes a chapter about "Fresh From the Farm," an educational program in the Chicago area that was created by our friends and allies Seven Generations Ahead.