What is Georgia Grown's Feed my School For a Week program?
Georgia Grown's Feed my School for a Week program is the Georgia Department of Agriculture's premier Farm to School effort. Farm to School programs purchase and feature local, farm fresh foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans and dairy in their menus. The Feed my School for a Week program is designed to show schools how to source 80-100% of their cafeteria foods from local, Georgia farmers. On top of that, the program provides schools with educational resources and fun methods of teaching Georgia students where their food comes from, valuable nutrition lessons and much more.
What is "local" food?
Definitions of local vary widely depending on the unique geography and climate where a school is located and on the abundance of local food producers and manufacturers. The State of Georgia is fortunate to have a strong agriculture community and a wide variety of local farm to school options available. Therefore, Georgia Grown's Feed my School for a Week program defines local as coming from within the state. The closer the farm is to the school, the better.
What types of food are sourced in a farm to school program?
a. Local offerings can span the school meal tray and include everything from salad bar and fresh fruit and vegetable servings to the wheat in the pizza crust, beans in the chili, rice in the sir fry, turkey in the sandwiches, and cheese in the quesadillas. Local buying includes all types of producers, such as farmers, ranchers, and fishermen, as well as many types of food businesses, including food processors, manufacturers, distributors and other value-added operations that enable school meals to showcase the full range of food products available in their respective regions.
How do Farm to School programs benefit local farmers?
Despite above average income generated by large, American agriculture companies, most mid to small sized farms in the United States are currently in a state of economic crises. The farmer share of every food dollar spent on food has dropped from 41 cents in 1950 to 19 cents in 2002 ("Profiling Food Consumption in American." USDA Agricultural Factbook, 2001-2002). By connecting local farms with schools, farmers are given a stable market to sell their agricultural products. The potential for significant sales exists: in North Carolina, for example, farmers sold $500,000 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables to state schools in 2004-2005. In Oklahoma, according to one estimate, farmers could sell $6 million worth of fruits and vegetables to schools. Such dollars are recirculated into rural communities, improving local economies.
How do Farm to School programs benefit the students?
Farm to School programs contribute to children's health by helping kids develop healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. According to research into existing farm to school efforts, students choose significantly more servings of fruits and vegetables when given the choice of high quality, farm-fresh produce. When they are well-nourished, children learn better. Research and the experience of educators has also established that kids are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables, especially unfamiliar items, if they participate in fun educational activities featuring these foods.
Do schools wishing to purchase Georgia products have to comply with procurement rules?
Yes. Schools must comply with all federal, state and local competitive procurement rules.
For schools participating in the Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program, does purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables through the Feed my School program affect the schools' DoD allocation?
Schools contracting directly with local farmers pay for all purchases from their own food service account.