Farms to Schools- working together for healthier children

We often don't think about where food comes from. We just go to the grocery store and buy what we need. I asked my niece, she's eight, where food comes from and she said, "the store". Well, of course she said the store! She is not growing up on a farm so why would she think it came from anywhere else?

There is a whole movement underway to help kids reconnect with where food really comes from. The path food travels from "farm to fork". This is another great way to have kids connect with healthy foods, helping them not only understand where food really comes from but seeing fresh food growing right before their eyes. Meeting with local farmers to learn all about how food is grown.

It gives a whole new dimension to fruits and vegetables and also make them very interesting to learn about.

I have been reading about how schools are connecting with local farms to bring healthy foods fresh, organic to the child's lunch program and even introducing programs that teach children about fresh fruits and vegetables and even growing them.

There is a wonderful organization called farmtoschool.org that is committed to connecting schools with local growers. The organization has a great deal of information, program support and lists of grants that schools can apply for.

The National Farm to School Network sprouted from this desire to support community-based food systems, strengthen family farms, and improve student health by reducing childhood obesity.

Here is a link to a utube video about a farm to food program in Maynard, Massachusetts public school. Pass this information on to your child's school.