By Justin Carter, former staff member
Fall is here and once again, folks across the nation are focusing on local food for our school districts. October is Farm to School Month which provides a chance for teachers and administrators to inspire and educate students on where their food comes from.
This seems all the more important in 2020 as the pandemic has shown that our food systems are not always stable. Supply chain disruptions can result in shortages and increases in food prices. Our schools can be a part of positive change by making local food purchases and expanding on-campus cultivation to benefit agriculture education and provide fresh food to cafeterias.
During the month of October, schools can kick off their farm to school activities by participating in a crunch off. For example, the Mountain Plains region of Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota compete in a crunch off to see which can get the most crunches into local foods. Apples have been the most popular food for students to crunch into. The crunch off is not just for in-person classes, families participating in online learning are also encouraged to take part.
Now is the time to connect with local schools to promote healthy eating and locally-produced foods. You can learn more on our website at cfra.org/f2s.
