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National program seeks to link students, farms

Another thrust of Farm to School is educating students about nutrition and the sources of their food.
Kay Shipman 
Published: Jan 23, 2012
A nationwide program is working to link more schools directly with farmers in various capacities, according to the state’s liaison for the Farm to School Network.

Julia Govis, the network’s state liaison and a new University of Illinois Extension employee, recently explained the network and its potential implementation in Illinois during the Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference.

The network marked having programs in every state on Feb. 14, 2011. The Illinois website is www.farmtoschool.org/state-home.php?id=35.

Farm to School “does not tell communities how to do things. We try to encourage growers and help make connections to local schools,” Govis said. For example, those farmers may sell produce and products to be served in school cafeterias or serve as educational resources, she added.

One tool to connect farmers with schools is through the existing MarketMaker online database/marketing program, according to Govis. Currently, she is working with the MarketMaker specialists to expand the database and allow listed farmers to designate their interest in selling to schools.

“We’re trying to get all schools interested in buying from producers to list what they want,” Govis added.

Another thrust of Farm to School is educating students about nutrition and the sources of their food. Govis discussed the importance of educational information about nutrition and farming.

For many years, Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) has developed and distributed a variety of educational materials about food and nutrition. IAITC also provides workshops, tours, and summer institutes for educators to help them incorporate ag-based information into their existing curriculum.

Many local AITC groups also work directly with classroom teachers to offer farmer speakers and demonstrations.


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