Farm to School Program gets straight A’s

From a Press Release:

Farm to School Program gets straight A’s

ASAP announces annual Farm to School Conference

ASHEVILLE, NC (September 22, 2014)—Every nine weeks, students (sometimes happy, sometimes not) receive a report card. Now a local nonprofit has issued one of their own. ASAP’s Growing Minds Farm to School program, supporting farm to school initiatives and serving as the SE Regional Lead for the National Farm to School Network, has released their own report card for the 2013-14 school year. This report card captured the farm to school resources and services provided to schools and school systems in ASAP’s Appalachian Grown™ region, as well as the impact of those services.

The Growing Minds Report Card showcases the program by the numbers – the number of schools served, the number of students provided with a farm to school experience, the number of seed packets, recipe cards, and stickers distributed, the number of farm to school trainings provided – as well as snippets of surveys that highlight the impact of the Growing Minds program. A snapshot of some of the numbers in the report card: 12,464 children served in 20 Appalachian Grown counties, 39 cafeteria taste tests were conducted, and 1,109 individuals were provided farm to school training.

“We are thrilled to see the impact of our work every day. These numbers help demonstrate that our approach is working,” Emily Jackson, ASAP’s Growing Minds Farm to School Program Director offered. “What started in 2002 as a garden project at one school in Haywood County has now grown into a movement. Thanks to our partners for putting farm to school in action. We all get an A! ”

One of the trainings that ASAP provides is the annual Farm to School Conference. This year the conference takes place on Saturday, November 1, at the Sherrill Center on the University of North Carolina Asheville campus. This conference is for anyone involved in or who wants to be involved in farm to school, including parents, teachers, farmers, school nutrition staff, agricultural professionals, and community members. Four specialized tracks will be offered: preschool, gardening, community connections, and cafeteria. Dr. Olson Huff, early childhood advocate and former Buncombe County pediatrician, will provide the keynote.

The conference is nearly sold out, but registration is currently open! The $55 registration fee includes a local foods breakfast and lunch and a comprehensive resource notebook. Individuals from an Appalachian Grown county receive a discounted rate of $45. Twenty-three conference scholarships have been awarded. Sponsors of the conference include Whole Foods and Greenlife Grocery, HomeTrust Bank, Smart Start of Buncombe County, and Roots & Fruits Markets. Learn more and register online at growing-minds.org, or contact conference coordinator Brittany Wager at brittany@asapconnections.org or 828-236-1282 ext. 103.

[High-resolution photos of Farm to School in action around Western North Carolina are available. For more information, images, or to connect with participating schools, teachers, and farmers, contact Growing Minds Farm to School Program Director Emily Jackson at emily@asapconnections.org.]

ABOUT ASAP (APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT)

ASAP’s mission is to help Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia’s farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. Growing Minds, ASAP’s Farm to School program, has been in operation for more than a decade, connecting farms and schools and providing children positive experiences with healthy local foods. Experiences include farm field trips, nutrition education, school gardens, and local food in cafeterias. For more information on the Growing Minds Report Card and the Farm to School Conference, visit growing-minds.org or call 828-236-1282.