Farm to School

about farm to school in the Healthy Schools Act

Farm to School programs bring locally-grown products fresh from the farm to students’ trays. Farm to School programs can help expand students’ knowledge about food, health, and environmental issues, and improve the quality and nutrition of school meal options, while supporting the local food economy.

For the first time ever in the District, the Healthy Schools Act sets up a Farm to School Program (pdf), which encourages D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) and charter schools to serve locally-grown and unprocessed (fresh) foods whenever possible. The Farm to School Program will help to connect District students with where their food comes from, and will help provide access to fresh and healthy foods in school meals.

The Healthy Schools Act includes funding to support Farm to School programs in DCPS and public charter schools. Schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program (pdf) will receive an extra 5 cents for each lunch served that contains a meal component made entirely of unprocessed, locally-grown foods AND that meets the nutrition and access requirements of the Healthy Schools Act.

Additionally, in order to receive the extra 5 cent reimbursement, the school must list the names and addresses of the farms where the fresh, local foods came from to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).

put the Act into action!

Title III of the Healthy Schools Act requires schools to:

1. Serve locally-grown, unprocessed foods in school meals whenever possible.

2. Ensure that these farm-fresh foods are grown sustainably whenever possible.

3. Educate students and the school community about Farm to School products. Schools are encouraged to partner with District agencies and community organizations on Farm to School education efforts.

4. Participate in at least one Farm to School educational program each year. For example, schools can participate in a seasonal celebratory Farm to School Week event. OSSE will share the responsibility for this requirement.

5. Report where fruits and vegetables served in schools are grown and processed and whether growers are engaged in sustainable practices. School food vendors will share the responsibility for this requirement.

To support Farm to School efforts, the Healthy Schools Act directs District agencies (OSSE Department of Health, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of the Environment) to work with community partners (such as University of the District of Columbia, school food vendors, and community organizations) to create educational programming that promotes purchasing and eating locally- and sustainably-grown foods.

The Act also lifts a ban on the use of public recreation facilities for farmers’ markets and other programs that provide access to healthy foods.

definitions in the Act

Locally-grown means grown in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and North Carolina, with preference given to foods grown here in the District of Columbia, or in our neighbors Maryland and Virginia.

Unprocessed foods are agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, etc. that retain their inherent natural character. Foods can be cooled, refrigerated, frozen, peeled, sliced, diced, cut, chopped, shucked, ground, dried, dehydrated, washed, subject to high water pressure or “cold pasteurized”, packaged, vacuum packed, bagged, or pasteurized (in the case of milk) and still be considered “unprocessed” according to the USDA definition (pdf).