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- Title
Farm to School: Closing the Food Literacy Gap to Address Healthy Eating Habits.
- Authors
Antonini, Amanda; O'Neal, Carol
- Abstract
Kentucky is listed as the third most obese state for children according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only 17% of children are consuming the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. The purpose of this article was to examine how farm to school programming addresses the growing need to engage and educate students to make healthy food choices. Farm to school programs are educational curricula that encourage community engagement and healthy eating habits for students. The three main elements of farm to school programming include procurement, education, and school gardens. Procurement focuses on where the food comes from and incorporating farm fresh food into school cafeterias. The education portion involves incorporating lesson plans and teaching children about food, farming and nutrition. Incorporating school gardens so that students can become actively engaged in the growing process through hands-on interaction is the final step. Immersing students in farm to school programs ensure many benefits for students, schools, farmers, and communities. Benefits include greater fruit and vegetable consumption and improved overall nutrition for youth. These programs also support local farmers and improve local economies and strengthen communities. However, such programs are lacking in Kentucky. Currently, less than 50% of school districts in Kentucky buy local foods for their school cafeterias or implement farm to school programming. There are several national organizations and resources available for teachers, schools, or communities seeking to utilize farm to school programming. Using a social ecological approach, farm to school programming can be integrated into school districts at either the classroom, school, or community levels. The flexibility and efficacy of farm to school programming provides operational solutions for every district to be able to address healthy eating behaviors in its students.
- Subjects
KENTUCKY; FOOD habits; ADOLESCENT nutrition; CHILDREN
- Publication
Kentucky SHAPE JOURNAL, 2017, Vol 54, Issue 2, p56
- ISSN
1071-2577
- Publication type
Article