Farm-to-school movement gains momentum

UC Davis is riding high on a swell of interest in changing the way American children eat. First lady Michelle Obama, celebrity chef Alice Waters and TV personality Jamie Oliver are behind the spiking popularity of a movement that has been quietly building for years in places like UC Davis, which founded the Davis Farm to School Connection in 2000.

Last week, school nutritionists, farmers and others in the agriculture industry - including UC Cooperative Extension - gathered for a workshop aimed at making farm-to-school a reality in Yuba County, according to an article in yesterday's Appeal-Democrat.

The story centered on UC Davis student Julia Van Soelen Kim, who decided to make the farm-to-school food movement the topic of her master's degree thesis. She helped coordinate last Thursday's workshop, and plans to serve as a farm-to-school researcher.

A school nutrition services director, Mary Driscoll, of the Marysville school district, raised a common concern about the movement at the workshop.

"It's a little more costly, but we are willing to pay that if we can stay within our budget," Driscoll was quoted. And, she said, it has to be consistent.

Van Soelen Kim acknowledged that farm-to-school food is "easier said than done," noting that successful long-term implementation requires buy-in from school administrators, local government officials and farmers.

But the benefits are many. Such programs improve children's health, teach kids where their food comes from and support the local economy, the article said. They also reduce the resources used to process, package and transport food.

Bringing local foods into school cafeterias offers many benefits.

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