Policy // Experiential Education
Innovative Farm to Cafeteria Programming // Food Service
Youth // Sustainability and Economic Development
Farmers // Distribution and Procurement Issues // Other
Policy Track
An Overview of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act
Friday, March 20, 1:45 - 3:15 pm
Oregon
This workshop will discuss the priorities for farm to school and topics such as nutrition standards for foods that compete with school lunches, and the need for increased school lunch reimbursements in order to meet higher nutrition standards and meal quality. We will also discuss the major groups involved and their platforms.
Presenters: Thomas Forster, School Food FOCUS, NY; Marion Kalb, Community Food Security Coalition, National Farm to School Network, NM; Madeleine Levin, Food Reasearch & Action Center (FRAC)
What Will it Take to Win Mandatory Funding for Farm to School?
Saturday, March 21, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Oregon
Reflecting on the lessons learned in the 2008 Farm Bill fight, this session will attempt to answer the question “What will it take to win mandatory funding for F2S in the upcoming reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act?” The workshop will include a presentation and a mix of large and small group discussion.
Presenter: Margaret Krome, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, MI
Partnering Farm to School with the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Saturday, March 21, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Oregon
The USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) provides supplemental funding for purchase of fruits and vegetables at schools in low-income districts. A panel discussion of FFVP guidelines and regulations will include how Farm-to-School programs can interface with eligible schools to make easy connections and overcome roadblocks to success.
Presenters: Joanne Burke, Director of UNH Dietetic Internship Program, University of New Hampshire; Elisabeth Farrell, University Office of Sustainability, University of New Hampshire
Experiential Education Track
Building Relationships Through School Gardens
Friday, March 20, 1:45 - 3:15 pm
Mount Saint Helens
This workshop will provide participants with a model that connects school gardens with the community the cafeteria, and educational institutions. The Growing Gardens Youth Grow program partners with low-income schools to provide after-school food gardening clubs as well as to provide support and guidance for school communities to develop long-lasting garden programs. Pomona College and its 2.5-acre organic garden will be discussed in relationship to a newly developed composting program with Dining Services.
Presenters: Caitlin Blethen, Growing Gardens, OR; Bowen Patterson, Sustainability Coordinator, Pomona College, CA
Counting Ladybugs: Making the Best Use of Your School Garden Classroom
Friday, March 20, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Mount Saint Helens
This session will be a hands-on, take-home lesson on how to use your school or community garden for classroom-linked, standards-based lessons. Participants will take on the role of young learners in two different lessons: math in the garden, and cooking in the garden. Come to this workshop prepared to get on your hands and knees to search for bugs, sing garden songs and think about where our food comes from!
Presenters: Elizabeth Beak, Garden Nutrition Educator, OR; Thea Flynn, Hayward Nutritional Learning Community Project, CA; Courtney Marshall, Hayward Nutritional Learning Community Project, CA; Anna Sommo, Garden Nutrition Educator, OR
Local Food Literacy: Experiential Education in the Classroom
Saturday, March 21, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Mount Saint Helens
Participants will be engaged in a hands-on activity-based session where they will learn to use children’s literature to provide an engaging cooking activity (useful for home or the classroom), and extend this lesson to create “literacy beds” in the school garden and reading across the curriculum. Participants will also engage in tastings and puzzles that highlight differences in food preferences and how to create an environment for acceptance of local foods.
Presenters: Emily Jackson, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, NC; Danielle Pipher, Food, Farm & Nutrition Educator, Vermont FEED
Linking Classrooms and Cafeteria from Elementary to Elders
Saturday, March 21, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Broadway
This session introduces three educational programs engaging schools, families and communities to create healthy cafeteria environments. These include: BEE Healthy: Eat Smart and Exercise, from Rutgers, Cooperative Extension; educational components from elementary to elder programs; and the Kindergarten Farm Food Initiative of Kansas City.
Presenters: Luanne J. Hughes, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, NJ; Molly Nicholie and Libby Hinsley, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, NC; Crystal Weber, University of Missouri Extension
Innovative Farm to Cafeteria Programming Track
Farm to Head Start in North Carolina and Oregon
Friday, March 20, 1:45 - 3:15 pm
Hawthorne
Farm to childcare programs have the potential of making a long-lasting, profound impact on the health of preschoolers. This workshop will highlight different models of partnering with Head Start in North Carolina and Oregon. Participants will gain skills to cultivate farm to childcare programs.
Presenters: Emily Jackson, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, NC; Stacey S. Williams, Farm to School Program Assistant, Ecotrust, OR
Three Unique Approaches from Three Unique Institutions in Kentucky
Friday, March 20, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Broadway
This workshop will highlight three Farm to College programs using unique approaches to their work in Kentucky. The University of KY recently launched the Kentucky Hamburger Alliance, an effort to boost farms finishing their own beef. At the University of Louisville, Sodexo has begun to work with a new farmer-owned local food distributing company to source local products. Berea College provides all food for its students from its own farm and gardens on campus, with labor supplied by students in lieu of tuition. Sodexo is now working with the college’s agriculture department to source college-produced food and food from local farms.
Presenters: Scott Kohn, Executive Chef, the University of Kentucky; Berea Ernst, General Manager, Grasshoppers, KY; Cait McClanahan, Berea Dining Service’s Sustainability Coordinator (Sodexo), KY; Bob Perry, UK Food Systems Initiative, KY; Roger Sidney, Asst. Director of Dining Services
Menu of Change: Healthy Food in Health Care
Saturday, March 21, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Broadway
The combined purchasing power of schools and hospitals can significantly influence the ability to have healthy food, healthy environment, and healthy citizens. Nationally, 150 hospitals have signed the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge. This session will share success stories on how hospital food service managers are influencing the marketplace.
Presenters: Roberta Anderson, The Food Alliance, OR; Eecole Copan, Oregon Health and Science University Food and Nutrition Services; Emma Sirois, Oregon Center for Environmental Health
Food Service Track
Healthy Schools Campaign: Getting Locally Grown Food into School Cafeterias: Success Stories from Around the Country
Friday, March 20, 1:45 - 3:15 pm
Mount Hood
Three speakers from school food service, food service management companies and not-for-profit organizations will discuss their work/success in integrating locally grown food in the school meal programs. The speakers will also address how food service directors have worked with food service management companies as partners in incorporating food from locally grown sources.
Presenters: Bob Bloomer, VP Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality, IL; Peggy Luther, Chartwells Dining Services, South Carolina; Jean Saunders, Healthy Schools Campaign, IL
The 5th Season: Capturing The Abundant Harvest With Simple Food Preservation
Friday, March 20, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Mount Hood
Farm to School efforts located in rural districts often enjoy certain logistical efficiencies, such as access to growers, volume needs that match grower capacity, ample school kitchen facilities, etc. In this panel session, projects from 3 different northern climate states will share their models for creating the “5th Season” of frozen foods targeted toward school menus all year round. Session attendees will be treated to sample tastings.
Wisconsin presenters: Monique Hooker, Culinary Teacher/Author/Consultant; Jessica Luhning, Projects Coordinator, Valley Stewardship Network; Sara Tedeschi, Coordinator, Great Lakes Farm to School Network; Marilyn Volden, Director of Nutrition Services, Viroqua Area School District
Vermont presenters: Doug Davis, Director of Food Service, Burlington, VT; Abbie Nelson, Northeast Organic Farming Association, Vermont FEED Co-director
Oregon presenters: Clare Columbus, Food Service Administrator, Gervais School District; Jeff Rosenblatt, Happy Harvest Farms
Hands-on Tools for Local Foods in Schools
Saturday, March 21, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Three Sisters
Learn about and discuss three new hands-on tools from Michigan and Minnesota in this interactive session. The Michigan Farm to School website and Purchasing Michigan Products manual, and Minnesota’s on-line Farm to School Toolkit and “Go Wild Curriculum” provide support for purchasing, using, and educating about local foods.
Presenters: Lynn Mader, University of Minnesota Extension, co-leader of the MN Farm to School Network; Colleen Matts, Farm to School Specialist, Michigan State University; Sara van Offelen, Extension Educator, University of Minnesota Extension
Farm to School: Experimental Education and Curriculum Development
Saturday, March 21, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Mount Hood
Local culinary schools and kitchen seminars can provide continued education opportunities for food service administrators. The speakers will present a case study of an Oregon training program that re-visits the school kitchen with the support of a local culinary school focusing on local foods and scratch cooking techniques.
Presenter: Paul Folkestad, Chef Instructor, The Western Culinary Institute; Jim D. Rowan, Food Service Director, Astoria School District and Naselle/Gray’s River School District; Cory Schreiber, Farm to School Project Manager, Oregon Department of Agriculture
Farm to University Dining Staff: Tracking Purchases of and Learning about Real Food
Saturday, March 21, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Mount Bachelor
Participants of this session will: 1) learn about ways that dining staff can be involved in farm to cafeteria programs, 2) reflect on how this involvement has impacted dining staff and the implications for farm to cafeteria programs, and 3) find out about the Real Food Calculator and discuss the implications of standardizing real food.
Presenters: Sue DeBlieck, Farm to Iowa State University Coordinator; Erin Gaines, Sustainable Foods Coordinator, Stanford University
Youth Track
More than Just Local: Fair Trade and International Farm to Cafeteria
Friday, March 20, 1:45 - 3:15 pm
Mount Bachelor
Can Farm-to-Cafeteria include farmers abroad? This interactive session will lead participants through The Community Agroecology Network’s Fair Trade Direct model—exploring the realities of coffee production in Central America, the complexities of and alternative to conventional global trade, and how institutions can still put a face to their food when that face lives a continent away.
Presenters: Grace Voorheis, Community Agroecology Network, Santa Cruz, California
The Real Food Challenge: Uniting Students for Just and Sustainable Food
Friday, March 20, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Mount Bachelor
Students across the country are taking action—challenging their schools to invest in real food. Through a variety of interactive activities and discussion formats conference attendees are invited to explore three core questions: What is “real food”? What is the role of students in the growing food movement? What will it take for us to achieve wide-spread institutional change together?
Presenters: Timothy Galarneau, Real Food Challenge, University of California, Santa Cruz; Shannon Kuhn, Real Food Challenge, University of Montana; David Schwartz, The Real Food Challenge, Brown University, RI
Farm to School: Youth Entrepreneurship Initiatives
Saturday, March 21, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Mount Bachelor
During this session, speakers will discuss initiatives that foster entrepreneurship in agriculture for youth at risk. Farm to school as a marketing opportunity will be examined, with examples from New Jersey and the north Florida panhandle.
Presenters: Glyen Holmes, New North Florida Cooperative; Luanne J. Hughes, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, NJ
Sustainability and Economic Development Track
Beyond Organic: Greening Your Farm to Cafeteria Program
Friday, March 20, 1:45 - 3:15 pm
Three Sisters
Farm to cafeteria programs offer many ways to green your institution. Hear examples of programs that have reduced food waste, supported composting and gardening, and educated eaters about the food system. Educate yourself about the pros and cons of new “green” cafeteria products such as corn-based plastics. From reducing food miles to reducing waste, learn how farm to cafeteria programs are making an impact both globally and locally.
Presenters: Moira Beery, Center for Food & Justice, Occidental College, CA; Arielle Tozier de la Poterie, Oregon Center for Environmental Health; Arden Bucklin-Sporer, Director of Educational Gardens, San Francisco Unified School District, CA; Gary Giberson, Sustainable Fare, The Lawrenceville School, NJ
Local Foods Strengthen Your Local Economy
Friday, March 20, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Idaho
Schools and other institutions purchasing from local farms get good food, and help create stronger local economies. The economic slump poses challenges, but also offers the best opportunity in memory to address local foods. Learn about successful pitches to local officials and share your insights with others.
Presenters: Ken Meter, Crossroads Resource Center, MN; Sarah Hackney, Gorge Grown Food Network, OR
Growing Farm to School Programs: Building Relationships, Community, and Local Food Sovereignty
Saturday, March 21, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Three Sisters
Learn the tools and experiences of nonprofit organizations that use regional and collaborative approaches to help schools and universities develop partnerships, problem solve and share strategies; and help growers connect, develop distribution, and expand their business. Facilitators from across Michigan will share their approaches and how they support each other. A community-based Farm to School program in a Native community will discuss their unique challenges and innovations in building a culturally-relevant, reservation-based program.
Presenters: Colleen Matts, Farm to School Specialist, Michigan Sate University; Diane Conners, Senior Policy Specialist, Michigan Land Use Institute; Michaelle Rehmann, Farm to School Program Director, Food System Economic Partnership; Winona LaDuke and Kyra Busch, White Earth Land Recovery Project
Greening College Food Service Operations
Saturday, March 21, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Mount Saint Helens
Farm to College projects can compliment their local purchasing efforts through incorporating ‘green initiatives’ in the college cafeteria. The possibilities abound! Using green cleaning products and biodegradable products, developing advanced recycling systems, composting organic matter, going tray-less, and other green business practices will be discussed during this session. Learn about the nuts and bolts involved in having a greener college cafeteria.
Presenters: Marc Marelich, General Manager, Bon Appetit at Willamette University; Rebecca Shern, R.D., University of Montana
Farmer Track
Rooting the Farmer in the Farm to School Movement
Friday, March 20, 1:45 - 3:15 pm
Alaska
Farmers’ roles are far from being solely defined as producers- they also are parents, advocates, educators, distributors, and community members. Along with challenges and successes of engaging in farm to school program development, farmers have plenty to share about the value they draw from farm to school experiences, and what building this community really means for their bottom line. This session will consist of a panel of farmers engaged in farm to school work in varying levels from Vermont, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and South Carolina.
Moderator: Tegan Hagy, The Food Trust, Philadelphia, PA
Farmers: Feeding the Community, Leading the Community
Friday, March 20, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Alaska
This session will be a panel of three farmers discussing their perspectives on the benefits, strategies and impediments to farmers marketing directly to community institutions. Questions to and from the audience will encourage the exchange of ideas and suggestions.
Presenters: Lisa Griffith, Local Foods Committee, National Family Farm Coalition, Washington DC; Charles Houston, Mississippi Association of Cooperatives; Kaycie Len Carter, Community Farm Alliance, KY; Andrea Malmberg, Oregon Rural Action (ORA)
Farm to Institution Procurement and Distribution: Supporting Local Producers
Saturday, March 21, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Alaska
This session will present practical lessons and experiences from institutions and distributors that are purchasing foods from local producers in California and Michigan. We will also share best practices of a local distributor as well as outreach strategies and a toolkit.
Presenters: Gail Feenstra, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, UC Davis, CA; Aliza Wasserman, Growers Collaborative & Community Alliance with Family Farmers, CA; David Conner, C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems, Michigan State University
Distribution and Procurement Issues Track
Shifting Procurement In Large Urban School Districts: Initial findings from the FOCUS School Food Learning Lab
Friday, March 20, 1:45 - 3:15 pm
Idaho
A panel will discuss results of the first pilot case (Saint Paul MN) of the FOCUS school food learning lab, which is designed to help large urban school districts harness their buying power to serve healthier, more locally and sustainably grown foods to school children.
Presenters: Dorothy Brayley, Manager School Food Learning Lab, School Food FOCUS, MN; David Conner, C.S. Mott Group, Michigan State University; Gail Feenstra, Univ. of CA, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program; Jean Ronnei, School Food Service Director for St Paul School District
‘Buy Local’ - What Does the New Farm Bill Allow and How Will We Take Advantage of the Change?
Friday, March 20, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Oregon
The 2008 Farm Bill contains language confirming that school food buyers can use local purchasing preferences. Despite the new and better language in this Farm Bill, it’s up to those in the field to translate the new policy into action. This roundtable will include an analysis of the new Farm Bill language and outline new opportunities for schools. We’ll focus on program implementation in light of the new legislative mandate; interpretations of the ‘buy local’ mandate by USDA staff; the importance of state and municipal enabling legislation for farm to school; and opportunities for continued advocacy on ‘buy local.’
Roundtable discussion with: Peter Riggs, Forum for Democracy and Trade, NY; Thomas Forster, School Food FOCUS, NY
Connecting the Links: The Role of Distributors in Local and Sustainable Food Chains
Saturday, March 21, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Idaho
Food distribution companies play an important role in growing local and sustainable food systems. This workshop will be a moderated panel discussion including a producer, a processor, a distributor, and a food service operator who will all speak to the role for distributors and advise on the best ways to work with them.
Presenters: Roberta Anderson,
Business Development Manager,
Food Alliance, OR; Donna Shumate, Food Services of America-Portland, OR ; Peter Truitt, President, Truitt Bros Inc., OR; Karl Kupers, Co-founder and producer, Shepherd’s Grain, WA
Other
De-mystifying Media Web Tools: What They Are and How to Use Them
Friday, March 20, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Three Sisters
Whether through YouTube, Ning, Blogs, Del.icio.us, RSS Feeds…do you social compute or want to? This interactive workshop will provide practical guidance about how to navigate web based communities and use various media tools to reach your goals. Tips, tricks, and toolkits will be shared. Beginners and advanced users welcome as we travel the newly paved social roads of the web.
Presenter: Deb Eschmeyer, National Farm to School Network, Center for Food & Justice, Occidental College
What Does Farm to School Research Tell Us? Making Fact-based Claims
Saturday, March 21, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Alaska
As practitioners, we often tend to “make claims” to media, policy makers and funders about the impacts of farm to school and school garden programs that may or may not be supported by research. This workshop will update participants on what we can really say about the impacts of these programs.
Presenters: Anupama Joshi, National Farm to School Network, Center for Food & Justice, Occidental College, IL; Gail Feenstra, Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program, University of CA
Conducting Research and Evaluations Centered Around Farm to School: Asking Questions, Study Designs, Developing Tools, Analyzing Results, and Challenges in the Field
Saturday, March 21, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Is Farm to School having an impact? On what? On whom? Through active participation from the audience, this session will address how to ask research questions, designing studies, tools to capture relevant information, what to do with results, and challenges that arise when working with schools and communities.
Presenters: Phyllis L. Fleming, Assistant Director for Evaluation, University of North Carolina, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Amy Paxton, Nutrition Department, University of North Carolina, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, NC
