EL DORADO COUNTY FARM TO SCHOOL COALITION
The Coalition was initiated by the local CalFresh Healthy Living UCCE staff in collaboration with El Dorado County Ag in the Classroom. This initiative brought together like minded individuals, organizations and schools to create the El Dorado County Farm to School Coalition to help revitalize school gardens and to foster farm to cafeteria efforts.
Mission/Vision Statement
“The El Dorado County Farm to School Coalition aims to create a network of resources to better connect youth and community members to farm to school efforts by building sustainability and resiliency.”
Teaching a growing generation by providing high quality educational programs to increase awareness of the importance of agriculture in our lives.
WHAT IS FARM TO SCHOOL?
According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, farm to school programs are a combination of:
- Schools and early care and education programs buying California grown or produced foods from California food producers for school meal programs,
- Educational activities that connect classroom learning with cafeteria meals, and
- Hands-on food education opportunities in school gardens, on farms, in culinary classes, in settings that celebrate traditional foodways and cultivate food sovereignty, and their experiential learning pathways.
Source: CDFA Office of Farm to Fork. California Farm to School Program.
FARM TO SCHOOL COALITION OBJECTIVES
- Expand potential for participant reach to both virtual and in-person environments based on the expressed needs and feedback from our local community members at the school level:
- Garden-enhanced nutrition education that builds positive connection to locally grown farm foods.
- Building/reinvigorating school gardens.
- The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement that revitalizes school lunchroom environments by increasing the appeal of, and access to healthy foods.
- Establish partnerships with school districts and schools to implement School Wellness Policies that enable a healthier school culture and environment.
- Build community partnerships with organization-level programs that can assist school-level projects; deepening community support and building local capacity to implement health initiatives.
- Foster change that ensures children eat, learn, live, and play in environments that support healthy lifestyles.
