Workshop Descriptions
* Please note that some details may change; we will post changes to this page promptly.
Session 1 | Session 2 | Session 3 | Session 4 | Workshops by Track
Workshop Session 1: Tuesday 10:15 – 11:45 AM
Using Cross-Age Teachers to Deliver Farm to School Lessons
Brulé A
Flannery Cerbin, Americorps for NE Iowa Farm to School
Johnice Cross, GROWN Locally Coordinator
Teresa Wiemerslage, Iowa State University Extension
Rachel Wobeter, Americorps for NE Iowa Farm to School
Six rural school districts in cooperation with the Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative are using trained high school youth as “Team Teachers” to facilitate Farm to School lessons with elementary youth each month. In this session, participants will experience a simulated training offered to the high school students.
Farm to School and College Procurement: Matchmaking 101
Brulé B
Kelly Erwin, Massachusetts Farm to School Project
Abbie Nelson, Vermont FEED
How do you figure out if farm to institution is going to be successful for THIS farm or THAT school? Through a discussion of local food distribution options, and role-playing, we will delve into the crucial details related to local food purchasing transactions. A handbook will be provided.
Bringing Local Foods to Schools, By Land and By Sea
Cadillac A
Amanda Beal, Cultivating Community / Maine Eat Local Foods Coalition
Brett Tolley, Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance
Jessica Libby, Port Clyde Fresh Catch
Amy Winston, National Farm to School Network
By introducing a series of innovative projects currently underway in New England, presenters will illustrate and lead discussion on how the Farm to School movement can be strengthened by building alliances between farming and fishing communities; thus, providing youth in coastal communities fresh local foods from both land and sea.
Helping Grow Farmers to Meet the Demand
Cadillac B
Dorathy Barker, Operation Spring Plant
Don Bustos, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Daniel Teague
Fedial Gonalez
Angelina Lopez, La Placita Gardens
Tony Serrano, ALBA Organics
What do farmers need to meet the capacity of the cafeteria? In this interactive audience participating panel of farmers and farmer advocates we’ll explore how: finances, technical assistance, infrastructure, procurement, off season growing can help our local farmers bluster their capacity to meet the needs of the cafeteria.
School Gardens: Growing Healthy Together
Richard A
Elizabeth Gering, UW-Extension Dane County
Nathan Larson, Community GroundWorks at Troy Gardens
Nicole Raymond, Intermediate School District
Anne Scott, CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems
Create a symbiotic relationship between farm to school and school gardening initiatives in your school. Learn how to get children and teens excited about eating a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits through fun hands-on gardening and cooking activities at your school garden or farm.
It Takes a Village: Building Nutrition, Community and Economy Through Farm to School
Richard B
Doug Davis, Burlington Schools Food Service
Ken Meter, Crossroads Resource Center
Bobby Young, Burlington School Food Project
Connecting through the community is the best approach to create a sustainable food system, especially in troubling economic times. Similar to the innovations and community based approaches used by farms to stay viable in recent years, school food providers are also finding ways to market their program, build constituent support, and remain solvent by helping to build a sustainable and just food system. Learn about various ways schools can develop social capital to invest in the local food economy.
Food Safety from Farm to Food Service
Nicolet A
Colleen M. Bess, Michigan Dept. of Agriculture, Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division
Elaine Brown, Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS)
Kathy Gutowski, Manistee Area Public Schools
Learn about GAP standards, key requirements, available resources and status so you can share this information with farmers you work with to get good food to cafeterias. Then learn about some ways in which schools are using more fresh produce and addressing food safety from purchase to service.
A Radio Panel: Learnings from Large Urban School Districts
Nicolet B
Moderators: Getachew Abatekassa, Michigan State University; Gail Feenstra, UC Davis
JoAnne Berkenkamp, Saint Paul Public Schools community partner
Dorothy Brayley, School Food FOCUS Learning Lab Coordinator
David Conner, Michigan State University
Jim Groskopf, Saint Paul Public Schools
Andy Nowak, Slow Food Denver
Jean Ronnei, Saint Paul Public Schools
This panel will be structured like a “radio show” in which panelists respond to direct questions about the insights and learnings to date from School Food FOCUS’ Learning Lab. This national project has been exploring new supply chains for more healthful, sustainable and locally grown foods in school lunches.
Workshop Session 2: Tuesday 4:00 – 5:30 PM
MyGarden: Gardens and Nutrition Education in your School
Brulé A
Becky Henne, Michigan Nutrition Network
Norm Lownds, Michigan State University
MyGarden will present garden ideas, curricula, funding possibilities, ongoing connections and virtual activities that connected gardens and nutrition. The session will prepare participants to start their own MyGarden program and to connect it to the 4-H Children’s Gardens and other programs across the state.
Healthy Food in Health Care: A Menu for Change
Brulé B
Hillary Bisnett, Ecology Center
Christa Betts, MA, RD, Sparrow Health System
Frank Turner, Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital
The combined purchasing power of schools and hospitals can significantly influence the ability to have healthy food, healthy environment, and healthy citizens. Nationally, over 250 hospitals have signed the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge. This session will share success stories on how hospital food service managers are working toward a sustainable food system.
Brazil National School Meal Program: From Family Farmers to 47 Million Students
Cadillac A
Fabio Gomes, National Cancer Institute, Ministry of Health, Brazil
Najla Veloso Sampaio Barbosa, National Fund for Development of Education, Brazil
Maria Luiza da Silva, National Fund for Development of Education, Brazil
Dillian Adelaine César da Silva, Ministry of Health, Brazil
This presentation will highlight Farm to School programs in Brazil, focusing on the strategic approach to offer fruits and vegetables to schoolchildren by purchasing from smallholder farmers. We will aslo discuss the inter-agency public policy based on agrarian development, education and health, as well as social participation in planning and implementation.
You Can Build the Living Educational Space Your Students Need
Cadillac B
Anthony Geraci, Baltimore City Public Schools
Denzel Mitchel, Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School
Greg Strella, Great Kids Farm, Baltimore City Public Schools
We built a farm! You can too! Explore how classroom, schoolyard and farm-based education compliment Farm to School programs. Learn why you need these spaces, see what they look like, meet the people developing them and identify the resources in your community for starting and succeeding with living educational spaces.
Collaboration in the Food System: Urban and Rural Cooperative Marketing Models
Nicolet B
Pam Benike, Southeast MN Food Network
Larry Gates
Eitan Sussman, Greening of Detroit
Nicki Zahm, Greening of Detroit
Urban gardeners and farmers in the ‘Grown in Detroit’ cooperative collectively sell produce at local farmers’ markets and to restaurants. The Southeast Minnesota Food Network helps producers coordinate marketing, sales and distribution of products. Both projects use the cooperative model to increase the availability of local food, maximize the returns, ensure fair prices, and provide wide access to markets.
National Policy Opportunities and Updates from the USDA Farm to School Team
Richard B
Kate Fitzgerald, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Loren LaCorte, USDA – Food and Nutrition Services
Kathy Lawrence, School Food FOCUS
Megan Lott, Community Food Security Coalition
Chuck Parrott, USDA – Agriculture Marketing Services
This session will highlight opportunities for advancing the Farm to School movement at the national level, as well as provide an overview of the USDA’s Farm to School Team. The workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to share their Farm to School experiences, and discuss how to take advantage of current policy opportunities.
Kids are the Customers: Marketing Local Food In Schools
Nicolet A
Renee DeWindt , Food Service Director Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools
Eugene Peyerk, Food Service Director Glen Lake Community Schools
Joan Tobin, Eat Local Food LLC
Redefine “marketing” by exploring new creative and exciting ways to market local foods to students in school cafeterias, to parents, and to the greater community. Learn how to use the unique local qualities of your area to design a successful marketing strategy.
Farm to College Advocacy: Engaging Administrators for Successful Outcomes
Richard A
Daniel Bowman Simon, New York University
Andy Sarjahani, Montana State University
We will highlight specific and practical examples for engaging administrators in a university atmosphere. We will discuss tactics that have been used (both successfully and heretofore unsuccessfully) to affect both policy change and facilitate community partnerships that bolster a farm to college program and on-campus agriculture while raising awareness campus-wide and improving food security.
Workshop Session 3: Wednesday 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Healthy Cooking Contests: Engaging Students in the Healthful School Food Movement
Brulé A
Bjorn Bergman, Vernon Area AmeriCorps Farm to School Member
Monique Hooker
Sara Klinzing, Healthy Schools Campaign
Abbie Nelson, Vermont FEED
This session introduces student cooking competitions that highlight local, fresh and healthful school food, the need for additional resources for school food programs, and opportunities for young chefs to learn about healthy cooking. Presenters will share lessons learned and facilitate a dialogue to help attendees develop contests in their communities.
Local Is Affordable
Brulé A
Stuart Leckie, Bon Appetit at St Joe’s in Maine
Michial Russell, Pearson Town Farm
Thomas Sheehan
Whether it is Local Grass Fed Beef, Local Organic Milk, Local Fresh Organic Produce you always hear the argument “We can’t afford it.” That saying needs to go. As Administrators, Managers and Chefs, we need to discover new ways to make local purchasing the norm in our operation. Learn how to eliminate price from the decision making process.
3 Places, 3 Approaches: Farm to School Weeks in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC
Cadillac A
Matt Benson, Virginia Cooperative Extension
Stewart Eidel, Maryland Department of Education
Andrea Northup, DC Farm to School Network
There’s something for everyone to learn from Maryland’s Homegrown School Lunch Week, Virginia’s Farm to School Week and Washington, DC’s Local Flavor Week! Leave this workshop with an understanding of three successful models for organizing farm to school weeks; sample media and outreach materials; and tips for implementing your own successful week!
Marketing Local Foods: Guides for Farmers
Cadillac B
Teresa Cuperus, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection; Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Program
Colleen Matts, C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University
Learn how farmers of various scales can access local markets, including schools and other institutions, with Marketing to Michigan Schools: A Step By Step Guide and The Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Program. Also hear about the development of new food safety approaches for smaller, more diversified producers in Wisconsin.
Creating Economic Opportunity and Addressing Food Security in Detroit
Nicolet B
Jennifer Fike, Food System Economic Partnership
Theresa Ramirez, Office of Food Service, Detroit Public Schools
Ida Short, Detroit Public Schools Board
Monica White, Department of Sociology, Wayne State University
Betti Wiggins, Office of Food Service, Detroit Public Schools
Malik Yakini, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
The local food movement is sweeping through Detroit, creating economic and educational opportunities across the city. Learn how regional and local non-profits and the public school system are working together to address issues of food security, food access and economic development.
Procuring Food for the School Meals Programs 101
Richard A
Jaclyn Kupcha, USDA/FNS/CND
Loren LaCorte, USDA/FNS/CND
This session will provide an overview of how food purchases are made in the School Meals Programs, with a focus on how regulations impact the purchase of local farm products through Farm to School. It will also include a summary of the geographic preference policies from the Farm Bill, and mechanisms and strategies for schools to purchase foods from local farmers.
Evaluation of Four Farm to School Programs: Highlights of Results
Nicolet A
Phyllis Fleming, UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Amy Paxton, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
We will present descriptions of evaluation designs and methods and highlights of results from four different farm to school programs. We will then discuss the use of mixed methods and the importance of adapting methods to program uniqueness. Finally, we will summarize lessons learned and recommendations.
National Good Food Network Panel
Richard B
John Fisk, Wallace Center at Winrock International
Marty Gerencer, National Good Food Network
Denis Jennisch, Sysco Food Service Grand Rapids, MI
Chris Kirby, OK Dept of Agriculture, Food & Forestry
Otavio Silva, The Food Conservancy
Representatives of the National Good Food Network will describe the accomplishments of NGFN, including farm to institution case studies and models. Sysco’s support of getting regional food into schools and institutions will be highlighted as a model. A new farm to school publication on increasing efficacy of distribution, food safety and communication will be introduced.
Workshop Session 4: Wednesday 1:30 – 3:00 PM
Fresh & Local in Philly Schools: Growing, Cooking, Buying, & Learning Through Collaboration
Brulé B
Deborah Bentzel, Fair Food
Laquanda Dobson, Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative
Loretta Steffy, School District of Philadelphia
This lecture-based session will highlight how school gardening, local food purchasing, culinary and nutrition education programs were implemented and complement one another in the School District of Philadelphia. This workshop will feature remarks from the coordinating non-profit agencies, a school district food service manager, and from a high school senior. Q&A will follow.
What Did You Say? Learning to Speak the Same Language
Brulé A
Pat DuRussel, DuRussel Farms
Denise Worden, Food Service Administration, Region III, Michigan Department of Corrections
We may all be speaking the same language, but as farmers and food service directors we have our own lingo. In this fun and informative workshop you will learn how to bridge the communication gap and just what it means when the farmer says “one hundred 100 weights.”
The Lunch Box Project! Your Website to Change School Food
Cadillac B
Beth Collins, Lunch Lessons LLC
Ann Cooper, Lunch Lessons LLC
This session bridges the gap between a desire to implement change and having tools to accomplish this goal. Meet, learn, and get answers to your questions from leaders in affecting real improvement in school food. Participants will be introduced to a free resource which offers recipes, budgets, studies, marketing, purchasing, skill building, and community.
Cultivating Connections in Farm-Based Education
Cadillac A
Ildi Carlisle-Cummins, Community Alliance with Family Farmers
Erica Curry, Shelburne Farms
Dana Hudson, NE Farm to School Network
Encourage students to be adventurous in the lunchroom by giving them a healthy serving of farm-fresh education. Increasingly, local farmers are becoming teachers and farms are adding value to their operations by connecting with their communities. Hear highlights from successful farm education programs and learn about resources for everything from lesson development to business planning.
The Impact of Chicago Public School Purchases on Michigan Farmers
Richard A
Bob Bloomer, Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality
Richard Friske, Friske Orchards
Val George, Michigan State University
Eric Hahn, Locavore Food Distributors
Jean Saunders, Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality
Learn how a bumper apple crop in Michigan resulted in the creation of a farm to school program for Chicago, the nation’s third largest school district. Panel members will share how the initiative was developed and will share how this very successful program benefited school children and regional farmers.
Tips, Hints and Activities to Fill Your School Food Campaign Lunchbox
Richard B
Meredith Hayes, FoodShare Toronto
Michael Lewis, FoodShare Toronto
Brooke Ziebell, FoodShare Toronto
Join FoodShare for an overview of some of their most exciting school food initiatives! Facilitators will provide guidance of what makes their projects successful, sustainable and most importantly, easily replicable. Workshop rotations will delight young-at-heart participants, giving them a first-hand experience of activities from classroom-based, citywide and national campaigns.
Agriscience and Farm to School: Together Like Peas and Carrots
Nicolet B
Michael Dewey, Charlotte Public Schools Student
Martin Fabrik, Charlotte Public Schools Student
Maegan Householder, Charlotte Public Schools Student
Rachel Leightner, Springport Public Schools Student
Emily Reardon, Springport Public Schools
TM Russell, Springport Public Schools Student
Nick Thompson, Charlotte Public Schools
Career-tech agriscience programs in Michigan are developing Farm to School projects and engaging students in meaningful, experiential learning about agriculture and food systems connections. Learn how agriscience students grow, process, cook, eat, market, and teach others about foods grown at their school, and in their town, county, and state.
Marketing to Schools: A Panel Discussion on Direct Sales and Commodity Procurement
Nicolet A
Glyen Holmes, The New North Florida Cooperative
Chuck Parrott, United States Department of Agriculture
Industry professionals will discuss their work selling, marketing, and purchasing food for the National School Lunch Program. Workshop participants will learn about the advantages and challenges of grower cooperatives, how small to mid-sized distributors can meet the needs of the school lunch program, and what to expect when doing business with the federal government.
