By DOUG GRAVES Ohio Correspondent COLUMBUS, Ohio — School districts in Ohio are looking to start or expand a Farm to School program. Farmers and producers are looking for school districts that want the fresh, local food they grow. So, the two groups will converge in Cincinnati on April 25-27 during the National Farm to Cafeteria conference. “The conference is designed for school districts and farmers as a way of getting fresh local foods to schools and other institutional cafeterias,” said Carol Smathers, an Ohio State University extension field specialist and director of Ohio Farm to School. “This conference is expected to draw more than 1,000 farmers, producers, educators, school foodservice professionals, parents and business leaders, as well as OSU extension experts. It will help increase farmers’ economic opportunities.” Farm to School is a national initiative, which in Ohio is led by extension in partnership with numerous agencies, organizations and industry groups. The conference is organized by the National Farm to School Network. “The conference will highlight innovative Farm to School approaches, and we expect participants will become aware of the many ways their own work fits within Farm to School efforts,” Smathers said. “They’ll leave motivated to forge new procurement channels, plant school gardens and offer more Ohio-grown foods in their communities’ cafeterias.” The conference is April 26 from 7 a.m.-5:15 p.m. and April 27 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm Street in Cincinnati. “The conference will include speakers, workshops, poster presentations, field trips and several short courses,” said Amy Fovargue, youth wellness program coordinator for Farm to School. “The event will also include a pre-conference forum on opening night to highlight Ohio’s Farm to School program and will focus on emerging issues, unique opportunities, challenges and barriers and policy development.” A welcome reception awaits attendees that Wednesday, while 36 interesting breakout sessions are available the following day. Diane Conners, senior policy specialist with Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, will share her success story, as she has built Farm to School, local food economy and farm-to-health programs for 15 years. She is also founding site supervisor for FoodCorps in northern Michigan. Tristana Pirkl, Grant Programs manager for Whole Kids Foundations, will engage participants in learning and discussion around ways equity and access are addressed in the school garden movement. Pirkl oversees her organization’s 4,800-school garden grant program across the United States and Canada. Presenters Claire Uno (deputy director for Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education and Policy) and Wes King (policy specialist with National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition) will detail how federal policy can support or hinder nutrition education and farm to cafeteria efforts. “The 2018 farm bill is an important and timely opportunity for advancing these priorities,” King said. “We’ll show how to navigate the farm bill policy landscape and show ways one can get involved in helping to foster and support nutrition education and farm to cafeteria efforts.” Eight breakout sessions are available on April 27, with several field trips available in the afternoon. Sessions include strategies for buying local and teaching practices for the kitchen and garden classroom, while those engaging in field trips can learn how Columbus City schools (the largest district in the state) is bringing the farm to its schools. Attendees can opt to head to Wilmington College, where they’ll learn how that campus has engaged students in the local food system. Or they can take a short trip to OSU South Centers to learn of its research on fruits, vegetables and farm-raised fish. This stop will provide hands-on experiences to learn about local food resources. Another field trip will take attendees to Ed-Mar Dairy in Walton, Ky. On this tour people will learn about the journey milk takes from farm to table, including transportation, regulations, food safety and specifications. Another trip takes visitors to Batesville, Ind., and Margaret Mary Health, a not-for-profit hospital that has made a commitment to local food systems with locally sourced foods served in hospital meals, partnerships to support local school gardens and support for the Food and Growers Assoc. There attendees will also hear from leaders of the Indiana Farm to School Network. Registration for the conference is $250 due by March 9, with additional costs for field trips and short courses. After March 9 the registration fee increases to $300, plus any additional costs for field trips and short courses. To register or for more information, go to www.go.osu.edu/farm2school-conference |
