Local Food to School Program Expanding

The Local Food to School Program continues to grow, strengthening our local food system. The Food is Elementary program has expanded and we now connect with over 900 children each week! There are also 60 teachers and hundreds of parents, interns and volunteers....all experiencing delicious local foods, preparing simple, healthy dishes, learning more about health and wellness and gaining insight one person at a time. That is what has been so exciting to see, the changes happening in our system. Any change on a system level requires partnerships, multi-level programming and continually assessing our work to make sure we are what the community needs.

What other programs make up the Local Food to School Program? Good question, I hear that frequently. Well, we know that not only do we need to reach the children, but the adults have the power to change the foods they are buying and putting on the table.

Adult Programming:

• Shared Healthy Meals & Large Events, with cooking demonstrations, simple recipes, nutrition handouts and good conversation about food and our lives....at the same time sharing a beautiful meal of local, delicious foods.
• The Veggie Van, our mobile farmers market, with cooking demonstrations and yummy tastings of the food we are selling. A new schedule will soon be announced!
• "Healthy Living Groups", currently working with 4 schools to improve their health and wellness on a personal, school, community and system level. Some of the outcomes have been removal of unhealthy items in vending machines, walking clubs, group support to stop eating fast foods, increasing fresh foods and whole grains in school lunches and an increased excitement and interest in increasing health.
• Urban Agriculture, with several on site edible gardens connecting adults and children to food production and education. Brookside Elementary in Worthington has a 3 acre, award winning garden!

We recently joined in a partnership with The Ohio Weslyn University. Professor Chris Fink, along with his students, will be learning about Local Matters through a series of weekly observations, interviews and studies of our programming. This is the beginning of a long term plan to not only assess our work, but will also provide an increased understanding and hands-on education for the OWU students. 

Change on a system level requires a web of connections, with all people in the system being involved. It's exciting to see the change happening weekly. You are welcome to come and experience the work. To schedule an observation in the classroom or the garden, contact me at trish@local-matters.org