OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Ohio Farm to School

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION Ohio Farm to School Newsletter National, Regional and State Updates January 2018 Conference Scholarship Applications Now Open 9 th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference The National Farm to School Network is now accepting applications for scholarships to the 9 th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, which will take place in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 25 -27, 2018. This event is the top national training and networking event for farm to cafeteria professionals working to improve community health, build economic opportunities for farmers and producers, and ensure longterm sustainability for local food efforts nationwide. To ensure the conference reflects the full diversity of the movement, scholarships are prioritized for farmers and farm support organizations, farm to college / hospital practitioners, early care and education providers, food service professionals, persons of color, and youth (through age 22). Learn more and submit your application at www. farmtocafeteriaconference. org. The deadline to apply is Feb. 12, 2018 at 8 pm ET. National Farm to Cafeteria Conference Cincinnati, OH Important Dates: Contents: Early bird registration: Jan. 29 - March 9, 2018 Farm to School Update……. . Page 2 Success Story………………. . Page 3 News ………………. . . . Page 4 Sponsors…………… Page 5 Registration closes: April 9, 2018 Conference: April 25 -27, 2018

Ohio Updates SNAP-Ed Supports Farm to School Activities in Ohio By Carol Smathers Ohio Farm to School Director The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) provides free nutrition education to SNAP participants and individuals eligible to receive SNAP benefits. Funded by the Food and Nutrition Service of the US Department of Agriculture and administered by through the Ohio Department and Jobs and Family Services, SNAP-Ed is taught by nutrition Building Capacity for Obesity Prevention PSE educators at Ohio State University Extension. The goal Readiness Assessment of the program is to improve the likelihood that families The Building Capacity for Obesity Prevention Project and individuals who receive SNAP benefits will make (BCOP) is a partnership between Case Western healthy food choices and choose active lifestyles. Reserve University (CWU) Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods; The Ohio State University SNAP-Ed programs use a variety of approaches such SNAP-Ed program; and the Ohio Department of Health as multi-level interventions and community and public (ODH) Creating Healthy Communities (CHC) Program. health strategies, in addition to individual or group. The aim of this project is to develop tools that SNAP-Ed based nutrition education to deliver effective, evidence- and CHC practitioners can use to prioritize, select, and based nutrition education and obesity prevention sustain four different nutrition-related policy, systems, programming. and environment (PSE) interventions. Resources for targeted interventions in four areas, including Farmers’ The “SNAP-Ed Toolkit: Obesity Prevention Interventions Markets, Healthy Food Retail, healthy eating policies in and Evaluation Framework” includes childcare, and Farm to School, are available on the Farm to School as an evidence-based policy, systems, BCOP website at PSEreadi. org. and environmental (PSE) change intervention for obesity prevention. PSE changes make healthier The PSEREADI. org website features an extensive choices more available, accessible, acceptable, and compendium of worksheets, tool-kits, videos, and other appealing. They complement education efforts that resources. Among these resources are a series of 20 help individuals identify and select healthy options. In videos that feature public health and SNAP-Ed Ohio, SNAP-Ed supports farm to school education and practitioners as well as community leaders from across PSE change activities in many ways. Ohio who tackled obstacles and/or leveraged resources related to implementing one of the four community County-Level Partnerships nutrition interventions. Three of the videos focus directly Extension Educators and SNAP-Ed staff help maximize on Farm to School. resources by leveraging partnerships at the local level. Michel Treber, Family and Consumer Sciences BCOP has developed a survey assessment called PSE Educator in Pickaway County offers this example: READI. This online tool will enable practitioners or Pickaway County is developing a “Green Team” that will community teams to assess their organization's or focus on gardening projects, Farm to School and getting community's readiness and capacity to implement youth involved in this movement. The health department a community nutrition PSE. Users will receive a set of is the lead on this with input from OSUE, FCFC, local three recommendations and resources tailored to their churches and other agencies. needs. The PSE READI assessment is free, and users can track their team's progress by taking it multiple Our SNAP-Ed program is working with local Head Start times. programs to expand their gardening program. We plan The Ohio Farm to School Advisory Group provided to provide small tools that Head Start can utilize in their feedback to help the BCOP team understand factors for efforts. We have been in contact with the local successful implementation of Farm to School vocational school to see if they could assist with interventions and operationalize them into measureable building raised beds for a section of the playground that indicators. The PSE READI tool underwent beta testing is against a fence. We hope to get the Master during fall 2017 and will be available for widespread use Gardeners involved in the “Green Team” effort. this summer. Continued on page 4 Ohio Farm to School Newsletter

Ohio Success Story Rural Action Helps Provide Local Foods to Schools By Caitlin Bond, Farm to Institution to School VISTA for Rural Action Since its inception in 2005 the Chesterhill Produce Auction a social enterprise of Rural Action in Morgan County has served as an intermediary between sellers, to serve fresh, local apples, watermelon, pears, including Amish and non-Amish growers, and buyers, tomatoes, yellow peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower in ranging from community members, institutions, food their cafeteria. banks, restaurants, and starting in 2008, local schools. A valuable outcome of this fresh local produce was Partnerships with local schools have expanded and creation of one job to prepare these foods for use in the improved every year. In 2017, Rural Action Farm to cafeteria. School has worked with four local school districts, reaching thirteen local schools. Trimble also incorporated locally purchased produce that was processed, frozen and packaged by Culinary Six of these schools qualify for 100% free/reduced Students at Hocking College and Tri-County Career lunches for their students, one school has 66% of Center. Trimble received a total of 248 lbs of frozen students receiving free/reduced lunches, and the product including tomato sauce, chopped onions, and remaining six schools, all within one district, range from chopped green peppers. The frozen produce was an 19 -75% of their students receiving free/reduced lunches exciting addition to fresh produce, as Billie Jo worked (2). In an effort to increase their capacity to provide with her cooks to incorporate these ingredients onto their access to fresh, local foods for the benefit of student menu. The spaghetti sauce they prepared from these health, as well as supporting local growers and the local ingredients was well received by the students, and was a food economy, Rural Action applied and received grant great start for developing a process to incorporate local funding through Athens County Job and Family Services produce during the winter months. (ACJFS) in 2017 for the purchase of fresh, local produce to be distributed to area schools. According to Billie Jo the school was pleased to participate in the Farm to School program. We loved Serving more than 800 students on a daily basis is a being able to provide our students with good healthy rewarding task for the nine cooks at Trimble Local fruit and vegetables from the local farmers and our School District. Through a partnership with their food students enjoyed getting some produce they service director, Billie Jo Limo, and her cafeteria staff, normally did not get on a regular basis. Rural Action has been working towards increasing their access to fresh produce for more than two years. In Sources: 2016, with funding from the Sisters Health Foundation of The Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs Parkersburg, West Virginia, Trimble was able to Ohio University (2010 January). Chesterhill Produce increase their capacity to prepare fresh produce through Auction: A Rural Appalachia Case Story. Retrieved from the purchase of much needed kitchen equipment. http: //ruralaction. org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/05/CPA_casestudy-ordered. pdf Billie Jo wanted to provide fresh, local produce to her students and has done all she can to make that a reality. Ohio Department of Education Office for Child Nutrition She has been, and continues to be a champion for her (2016). Data for Free and Reduced Price Meal Eligibility students and for Farm to School. Just in the four months 2016 -2017 [Data file]. Retrieved from since receiving ACJFS funding, Rural Action purchased http: //education. ohio. gov/Topics/Other-Resources/Foodmore than $2, 300 of fresh produce from local farmers and-Nutrition/Resources-and-Tools-for-Food-andthrough the CPA and delivered over 900 pounds to Nutrition/MR 81 -Data-for-Free-and-Reduced-Price-Meal. Trimble Local Schools. Billie Jo and her staff were able Eligibile Ohio Farm to School Newsletter OSU Extension

News Senator Sherrod Brown’s Office Visits Local Matters Program Columbus-based nonprofit Local Matters and NNEMAP Food Pantry welcomed Joe Gilligan, Central Ohio Regional Director with the office of US Senator Sherrod Brown, to a Cooking Matters class on November 30. Cooking Matters is a nationally-recognized program developed by Share Our Strength that leads participants in learning about budget and health conscious cooking as a tool for increased food security and overall health. In a statement about Local Matters’ work with partners like NNEMAP, Senator Sherrod Brown shared: “All Ohioans deserve access to healthy, affordable foods. I’m proud to support efforts to give central Ohio families the fools they need to prepare nutritious meals. ” Senator Sherrod Brown is an active proponent of food education and access, aligning with Local Matters’ mission. This October, Senator Brown introduced the Local FARMS Act to the US Senate, where it currently awaits review. The bill advocates for local farmers, local economy, and an overall increase in access to healthy, local foods. Children’s Books about Food and Ag Food Tank has compiled a list of 25 children’s books that can help stimulate food and agriculture awareness across all ages. From learning about where food comes from and the hardworking hands that grow it, to the importance of vibrant ecosystems, to cultural food diversity, these books make great gifts for hungry young minds. Go to: https: //foodtank. com/news/2017/12/childrens-booksgrowing-minds/ On-going resources: q Finding farms in and around Ohio that sell directly to the public through local farmers' markets, CSA's, and on-farm sales, visit OEFFA’s Good Earth Guide http: //www. oeffa. org/searchgeg. php q Ground. Works Community URL: www. edweb. net/schoolgardens q Ohio Proud is a resource for identifying local farms and food producers: http: //www. ohioproud. org/ q National Farm to School Network http: //www. farmtoschool. org/about Ohio Farm to School Newsletter SNAP- Ed continued from page 2 Celebrate Your Plate! Social Marketing Campaign OSU Extension’s SNAP-Ed program will launch a “Celebrate Your Plate” social marketing campaign this spring. The campaign’s goal is to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among SNAP-eligible Ohioans by complementing direct education efforts with social marketing. It is designed to change how participants think about fruits and vegetables, including increasing their understanding of the importance of eating produce, knowledge of ways to prepare fruits and vegetables, and awareness of places to get fruits and vegetables in each county. The website (www. Celebrate. Your. Plate. org ) includes low-cost recipes and videos. Celebrate Your Plate messages and resources align with Farm to School objectives. Shopping tips urge participants to use fruits and vegetables that are in season and shop at farmer’s markets to find seasonal produce, noting that in-season items can be easy to get, have more flavor, and cost less. Links to directories of farmers markets and community gardens are included. Most recipes use ingredients that can be grown or raised in Ohio. Check out the www. psereadi. org and www. Celebrate. Your. Plate. org websites today! They contain valuable Farm to School information for everyone! OSU Extension

Thank you to all of our partners and supporters! Ohio Farm to School Newsletter Authors: Carol Smathers, Ohio Farm to School State Lead Amy Fovargue, Youth Wellness Program Coordinator For Ohio Farm to School inquiries or to submit information, e-mail farm 2 school@osu. edu Follow Ohio Farm to School on Facebook CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information: go. osu. edu/cfaesdiversity.