“There are good things happening in this city,” said Detroit Mayor David Bing on the third morning of the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference held in Detroit, a city quickly becoming a leader in the urban and school garden movement.
Yet, that same statement could have come from countless other mayors, school administrators and community leaders in cities and states across the country. The farm to school movement is blossoming nationwide, and the nearly 700 attendees at the National Farm to Cafeteria Conference know it.
Hosted by the Farm to School Network and organized by the Community Food Security Coalition, the conference was supported by a wide range of corporations, foundations, agencies and non-profits. With the majority of school lunches failing to provide the most basic nutritional needs to children, there has never been a better opportunity than now to change young American’s relationship with food.
Conference participants were reminded of the impact one school garden can have for a child who has never seen a head of broccoli or a seed grow into a plant. Farm to school programs reconnect communities, support local economies and improve the health of our children. Bottom line: a healthy and locally-sourced school lunch can benefit a student’s ability to learn as much as it benefits a local farmer’s pocketbook.
For more information on food and nutrition policy, check out the Spectrum Food and Nutrition Report. (more...)
