ASAP receives USDA training grant for regional Farm to School program expansion

Press release:

ASAP Receives USDA Training Grant to Increase Farm to School Capacity in Southeast

Asheville, North Carolina (December 9, 2015) – ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) is pleased to announce that they are one of 74 projects spanning 39 states receiving support this year through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm to School Program, an effort to better connect school cafeterias and students with local farmers and ranchers. ASAP, a nonprofit organization, received a $26,150 training grant to provide a farm to school (F2S) conference for the eight Southeastern states (Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi). The conference will be held in Greenville, South Carolina in late fall 2016.

“Farm to school programs work—for schools, for producers, and for communities,” says USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. “By serving nutritious and locally grown foods, engaging students in hands-on lessons, and involving parents and community members, these programs provide children with a holistic experience that sets them up for a lifetime of healthy eating. With early results from our Farm to School Census indicating schools across the nation invested nearly $600 million in local products, farm to school also provides a significant and reliable market for local farmers and ranchers.”

“ASAP is thrilled to receive this support from USDA Farm to School Program and we are looking forward to working with all of our regional partners to host a fun and informative conference,” says Emily Jackson, ASAP Program Director.

ASAP will use training funds for a Southeast Farm to School conference, building connections and capacity in supply chain relationships and enhancing existing farm to school networks. Additional goals include: offering experiential farm to school conference activities; sharing successes and best practices from the region; promoting farm to school to those new to the concept; sharing information about the USDA’s Farm to School program; promoting/expanding Farm to Preschool; and reporting back to the USDA on emerging farm to school initiatives. P

roject partners represent the Southeast – National Farm to School Network state leads from Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida; SE USDA F2S Specialist Samantha Benjamin-Kirk, Clemson University, and South Carolina Dept. of Health and Environmental Control.

Farm to school programs are one of the many tools and resources USDA offers to help schools successfully serve healthier meals. In the past three years since the bipartisan passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, kids have eaten healthier breakfasts, lunches and snacks at school. Over 97 percent of schools report that they are successfully meeting the updated nutrition standards.

In addition to school meals, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service administers several other nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (commonly known as WIC), and the Summer Food Service Program. Together, these programs comprise America’s nutrition safety net. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov.

ABOUT ASAP (APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT)

ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. To learn more about ASAP’s work in the region, visit asapconnections.org, or call (828) 236-1282.