MORGANTOWN — Supporting local farms while feeding children healthy, fresh food kills two birds with one stone.
In West Virginia, this effective strategy is just getting started.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is partnering with the West Virginia Department of Education and WVU Extension Service to expand market opportunities for local farmers. This project will allow the three organizations to collaboratively develop a five-year strategic plan to increase the accessibility of fresh food in West Virginia schools, while supporting West Virginia farmers.
The project is prompted by a FY18 USDA Farm-to-School Implementation grant, totaling $91,540. This grant will provide funds for the collaboration to take off over the next two years. The two years are designated for formulating and implementing the strategic plan to better this initiative statewide. Specific outcomes like an increase in resources available to farm-to-school stakeholders, market opportunities for farmers and West Virginia Grown procurement in West Virginia schools are to be expected.
The Farm-to-School initiative is a national program with a goal to strengthen family farms and reduce child-hood obesity by providing healthy foods in public schools. Beginning as a pilot project in 1996, then an authorized program in 2004, the initiative includes 400 programs in 22 states.
In 2011, West Virginia began its own initiative after the West Virginia Farm-to-School Community Development Group formed. This group included partners such as the WVDE, the WVDA, the WVU Extension Service Farm Center, New Appalachian Farm and Research Center and the Collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia. The group aimed to increase local foods served in schools to develop the next generation of farms in the state.
While this initiative existed in the state before now, the awarded grant in June will jumpstart this program once more.
A press conference and stakeholder meeting this month kicked off this new collaboration and celebrated October as National Farm-to-School month, announced by Gov. Jim Justice.
Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt believes the strategic plan will serve as a win in more ways than one for West Virginia. “Farm-to-school can help expand market opportunities for farmers, spur economic growth in our communities, as well as help fight back against rising health care costs. West Virginia is facing some serious problems,” Leonhardt said.
Development Coordinator of the Agriculture Business Development Division of West Virginia Cindy Bailey said educational benefits will result from this program. Bailey said, “Farm-to-school activities enhance classroom education through hands-on learning related to food, health, agriculture and nutrition.”
Director of Child Nutrition Karen K. Ghiardi said all West Virginia counties try to incorporate local produce in their public schools whenever possible. “We have had West Virginia peaches during peach seasons and West Virginia apples, also.” Ghiardi said.
While this revived program brings a variety of potential positive impacts to the state, it may take time and effort to put in action. Superintendent of Marion County Schools Gary Price believes in the program, but has not had luck so far.
“We have had very little success recruiting people interested in providing the schools with event a limited amount of produce,” Price said. “Most farms in our area do not operate on the scale needed to consider commercial production. We will continue to recruit providers. …”
West Virginia Superintendent of Schools Steven Paine believes exposure to this program may cause students to work towards being farmers who can contribute to programs like this in the future.
“We have seen record enrollment numbers in our FFA programs. Farm-to-school is having a tremendous impact on the Mountain State,” Paine said.
For more information on the Farm-to-school program, contact Cindy Bailey at cbailey@wvda.us or 304-558-2570.
