The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida - Nutrition Education
Celebrating 10 Years Of Wellness
Farm To School
The Farm to School Program in Palm Beach County continues to flourish. The practice of sourcing locally grown produce for use in school meals supports the initiatives to improve the nutritional integrity of school meals, increases student consumption of fruits and vegetables, provide opportunities for students to learn about their local agricultural community as well as support our local and regional farmers.
The School Food Service (SFS) Department started focusing efforts to partner with local farmers to develop a procurement process where the District could purchase produce directly from them. Through this collaborative relationship, the Department drafted a term contract specific to produce that could be purchased locally and decided to pilot a Farm to School program. In order to have successful pilot, through the process it was determined that we would debut corn cobbettes as the first farm to school vegetable. In October 2008, corn cobbettes grown in the Belle Glade Area were served at all schools in Palm Beach County.
With much success on the horizon, this first menu placement opened the doors to so much more opportunity. Since that first offering, the Department has partnered with a number of local and regional farmers and the variety of produce has expanded from corn cobbettes to include: squash, zucchini, green beans, carrots, oranges, strawberries, grape tomatoes, mini sweet peppers and grapefruit.
We believe it is important to support our local agricultural community for a number of reasons. First, many local and regional farmers want the opportunity to positively affect the health of children, and Child Nutrition Programs are a fantastic avenue to make that connection. In addition, Palm Beach County is one of the richest agricultural communities east of the Mississippi River and our growing season aligns with the academic school year. Through wonderful partnerships with R.C. Hatton Farms, Pero Family Farms and Localecopia we are able to provide students with Farm to School produce, support the local agricultural economy, and implement more environmentally friendly practices.
Each quarter, the SFS Department and the District’s Purchasing Department work together to obtain quotes from the approved vendors to ensure fresh produce is offered through the District menus. The Farm to School produce is highlighted as “Fresh from the Farm” and includes a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. This school year, we introduced ruby red grapefruit for the first time. The students really seemed to enjoy this new offering, especially at breakfast! See our Farm to School Purchases below for the 2015-2016 school year.
In an effort to support October as National Farm to School Month, the School Food Service Department partnered with Localecopia one our suppliers for locally grown produce. They were able to secure an early season harvest of Florida oranges for our district. We purchased more than 400 cases or 50,000 servings from citrus farmers in Hendry, Hardee and Putnam Counties. Press Release
Within the State of Florida, as well as nationally, Palm Beach County is recognized as a pioneer in implementing a successful Farm to School Program. Through the years, we have been asked to share our story in hopes of inspiring other districts to develop a program for their students. We have participated as guest speakers in numerous workshops, panel discussions, webinars, and conferences. We have been recognized for best practice awards and have worked directly with legislative committees to see how Florida districts can utilize the abundant amount of agriculture in our state for use in Child Nutrition Programs.
Each school has a set of 10 vibrantly colored fruit and vegetable posters that are hung inside the serving line. The posters are a way to educate students about Florida grown produce and promote MyPlate. A monthly poster schedule is created to align with the growing season and lesson plans are made available for teachers and staff. This year, we aligned with the Harvest of the Month program designed by Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – Food Nutrition & Wellness Division. The resources made available through this program are age-appropriate and practical for inclusion in the classroom.
Sample Lesson Plans and Link Provided Below: