2006 Essay Contest Winners

Drew Reese

1st Place Essay – 2006
Drew Reese
Deer-Creek – Lamont Public Schools – 12th Grade

Farm-to-School

More and more unhealthy food and drinks are being made available on school campuses. These unwise options are often taking claim on kids in Oklahoma and throughout our country. In 2004, Oklahoma ranked 13th in the nation in adult obesity with an 11.1 percent of Oklahoma high school students considered overweight. “To partially offset the impact of unhealthy food environments on children, nutrition advocates and school districts have turned to sourcing foods for school meals from local farmers” (Winne). The program, Farm-to-School exercises this, buying fresh food from local farmers and serving it to kids in school. The program is geared towards getting kids to choose fresh fruits and vegetables and thus reducing their consumption of less healthy options. Objectives of Farm-to-School include serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime, and supporting local farmers.

Schools participating in Farm-to-School receive no extra funding to pay for the food. The food is paid for with commodity funds already received by each district. However, U. S. Congress reauthorized the provision known as the Access to Local Foods and School Gardens that established a competitive grant program of up to $100,000 per school district for development and start-up costs associated with Farm-to-School programs. After the start-up costs are covered, Farm-to-School is not dependent on funding. But it is supported by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (U.S.D.A.) Food Stamp Nutrition Education program. “The program is a great way to improve the nutrition of our kids in schools while supporting local Oklahoman farmers,” said Jim Reese, U.S.D.A. Farm Service Agency Executive Director.

Obesity has grown drastically in the past twenty years and continues to challenge a great percentage of the youth in America today. “In an increasing number of schools, the food service department is contracting out lunch to fast food chains such as McDonalds, Domino’s, or Taco Bell. None of this bodes well for the health and nutritional needs of school children” (“Farm to School Projects”). The American School Food Service Association estimates that 30 percent of the nation’s 23,000 public schools sell fast food (Winne). Farm-to-School programs offer the obvious benefit of bringing healthier foods to young people and lightening their load of greasy foods. Kids respond to Farm-to-School very well and are wiling to try new things in the lunch line. Food systems analyst at the UC Davis-based statewide Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, Gail Feenstra said “When a variety of fruits and vegetables are offered, kids take them. This is most true when options are fresh” (qtd. In Harris). It is often thought that children would reject fresh fruits and vegetables. This is just not true. Kids are very willing to step out of the “just-add-water” routine into a fresher, better-tasting alternative. The real deal just tastes better. Farm-to-School helps children develop excellent eating habits that have the potential of lasting a lifetime.

Schools also provide students with experiential learning opportunities through farm visits, gardening, and recycling programs to go along with Farm-to-School. When being tested at Ohlone Elementary School in California, a teacher, Trina Padilla said, “This program is great because it’s engaging on every level. It’s hands-on and includes every type of learning” (qtd. in Agcongay). The more fun it is for kids, the more they’ll learn. Some schools add in extra-curricular activities like farm visits and children-kept gardens to further enhance the program. Farm-to-School is a hands-on learning experience that gets both the kids involved and their parents interested in what is going on.

Aside from the nutritional and educational value of Farm-to-School is an imminent economic problem facing small to medium sized farms. “While our children are eating unhealthy foods, our farmers are losing out on potential markets due to globalization and the growing trends of corporations consolidating agri-business” (“What is Farm to School”). Increasing cost of land and water is making farming more difficult. Of all occupations in America, farming is facing one of the greatest declines. Many small farms only exist because of family members who seek additional off-the-farm jobs. Farm-to-School gives kids healthier options while making a market between local farmers and schools. Farmers connect to their community through participation in this program. In addition to the educational feeding of school children, our farmers benefit, with a greater demand for the products they produce. Help can never come fast enough.

Some doubt Farm-to-School and its changes to be successful. They say that food service budgets are tight and that there may not be adequate labor to process local foods in many schools. But the funding is there. It has never cost more to buy straight from the source. Critics also question how popular the fruits and vegetables would be for kids. Testing shows that children will significantly increase their helpings of fruit and vegetables when the local farm’s food is put out. Four school districts in Oklahoma are involved in a pilot-project right now and have had nothing but astounding success. From the kids’ approval to the farmers’, everyone has agreed this program is beneficial.

Connecting what we grow and what we eat is something Farm-to-School helps to do. It fills the gap between our harvest and our meals. Kids have fun with this project and are pleased to participate. This process helps children better relate to how their food choices affect their own health, their family, and the local farmer. The kids develop a better understanding of where and how their food is grown, while they help sustain the shrinking population of small farms. The program hopes to expand, to include more farmers, more Oklahoma-grown produce and more schools. A statewide Farm-to-School program would do much for the future health of children and to revitalize Oklahoma’s struggling rural communities.

Works Cited

Agcongay, Joy. “Farm-to-School teaches kids to eat right.” June 2004. Santa Cruz Sentinel. 6 Jan. 2006
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2004/June/15/local/stories/07local.htm

“Farm to School Projects – Is There a Need?” Community Food Security Coalition. 6 Jan. 2006 http://www.foodsecurity.org/farm_to_school.htm

Harris, Wylie. “Farm-to-School Pilot Project: Melons Carry Seeds of Change.” Fall 2004.
Food and Society Policy Fellows. 6 Feb. 2006
http://www.foodandsocietyfellows.org/library/uploadedFiles/Farm-to-School
_Pilot_Project_Melons_Carry_Seed.htm

Reese, Jim. Personal interview. 10 Feb. 2006
“What is Farm to School?” Farm to School. 6 Jan. 2006
http://www.farmtoschool.org/about.htm

Winne, Mark. “Food Security – It takes a Community.” Center for Ecoliteracy. 6 Jan. 2006
http://www.ecoliteracy.org/publications/rsl/mark-winne.html

1st Runner Up – 2006 Essay Contest
Meghan Gose
Thomas High School – Grade 12

Meghan Gose

Farm Fresh for Kids’ Health

The results are in and it doesn’t look pretty for the health of today’s youth. According to one published report (Wellness International Network Ltd – web.winltd.com, 2001) childhood obesity is running out of control with 25% of all white children overweight and 33% of African American and Hispanic children overweight in 2001. Additionally, the rate of all children overweight increased from 4% in 1982 to 16% in 1994. The report states that hospital costs associated with childhood obesity rose from $35 Million in 1979 to $127 Million in 1999. Although there is more than one reason and therefore more than one solution for this serious health care problem, the initiative implemented by the Farm to School Program is a positive step toward improving the dietary habits of youth in Oklahoma and as a result their long-term health.

My grandparents grew up in an era where much of the food they ate was fresh from the farm. As a result the nutritional value of their food was much higher than the processed foods most kids eat today and the overall health of the people of their day was better. The problem with the processed foods is that the milling process they go through removes virtually everything that’s good for you, leaving only empty calories (www.newstarget.com, 2003). Fresh foods still have the vitamins and minerals, which are so essential to growth and development in the human body. The idea brought forth by the Farm to School Program to put produce directly from local farms onto local school lunch lines could assist greatly in changing the trend from the processed fast foods that are so prevalent on the menus of school lunchrooms today and damaging to children’s health.

I wanted to get a first hand account of how the Farm to School Program is operating in Oklahoma so I contacted two of the people directly involved. I spoke to Mr. Bob Ramming, an Oklahoma watermelon grower who is currently a local producer for the program in Oklahoma. Mr. Ramming said the only problem he had encountered was the need to buy different shipping boxes, which was he said the least of his worries. He was very much in support of the program and lauded the organizers’ efforts in creating a new market for farmers while creating a greater connection between farmers and their local communities.

Another contact I made was with Ms. Paula Price, who is a DHS Commodity Distribution & School Nutrition Agent. Ms. Price was also in full support of the program, which she stated was beneficial to both students and farmers. Ms. Price thinks the biggest benefit of the program is the educational aspect which gives students direct contact with farmers on the farm so they see the various produce all around our state as well as in their local areas. One minor problem the program faced according to Ms. Price, but has now overcome, is the delivery time. The program was forced to switch from monthly distribution to weekly. This also made food arrive quicker and cost less. Ms. Price conveyed that if the food came from another state the produce would not be as fresh and would cost more. Ms. Price also informed me that in addition to watermelons, which were the first products distributed, in the near future we will be seeing fresh cherry tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, and asparagus delivered to schools across the state.

Many states besides Oklahoma have implemented the program in their school systems. According to the National Farm to School web site, almost 400 school districts in 22 states are operating farm to school programs. Produce provided ranges from carrots, cabbage, onions, root vegetables, peppers, apples and cranberries in Wisconsin to broccoli, cantaloupe, cucumbers, peppers, potatoes, squash, seedless watermelon and zucchini in Kentucky. California has the advantage of a year-round growing season, and as a result, nearly 100 schools in 20 districts are participating in the program. The benefits of the program in California were noted in a February 15, 2004, article in the LA Times where it was touted that, “Farm-to-school programs have been shown to increase fruit and vegetable consumption by more than 40% and also to decrease food waste.” As you can see, the program is off to a good start and kids nation wide like the change.

Some of the drawbacks to the program I discovered through looking at several sources was the fact that it sometimes requires additional labor, new equipment, training of staff, and different methods in the way food is procured, delivered and packaged. The local food can also be higher, but there are locations across the country where these programs actually provide a cost savings. The higher costs, the fact that the growing season doesn’t match many northern school calendars, are all potential drawbacks for the Farm to School program. Another barrier involves purchasing and delivery. Many school food service administrators prefer to buy from a single distributor that then transports the food to the site rather than having to purchase from several different distributors.
In summary I found that the benefits of the program far outweigh the drawbacks. The connection made between the farmers and the schools in their communities, the creation of a new market for farmers, the enlightenment students receive concerning the various crops grown in their state, and ultimately the improved diet and health of students in the schools will all have a lasting positive impact on our state and our country.

Honorable Mention – 2006 Essay Contest
Jessica L. Warren
Deer Creek – Lamont High School – 12th Grade

Jessica Warren

Get Healthy With Oklahoma Farm-to-School

“During the past 30 years in Oklahoma, the percentage of overweight children (ages 6-11) has quadrupled, while adolescent rates have more than doubled” (“How Farm-to-School...”). Only about fifteen percent of Oklahoma’s high school students eat the recommended serving of five fruits and vegetables each day, and in 2004 eleven percent of Oklahoma high school students were overweight or obese. So how is the state fighting this problem? By implementing the Farm-to-School program. This program takes food, such as apples and seedless watermelons, from local farms to schools; which helps to teach children about nutrition and decreases obesity.
The Farm-to-School program was started in Oklahoma as a joint project by the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the Oklahoma Food Policy Council, and many other associations. The government also took a part in the implementation of the Farm-to-School program. On December 12, 2005 the Oklahoma Senate held a meeting about Farm-to-School legislation. They discussed laws and bills, the food, and the farmers and schools.

Obesity is the top health problem in Oklahoma. Studies have shown that obesity can lead to heart disease, high cholesterol and blood pressure, type two diabetes, low self-esteem, and depression. Also, being overweight can make serious diseases worse. The rising obesity rate has many causes. According to Mark Winne, Communications Director for the Community Food Security Coalitions, “We’re too fat, we don’t exercise enough and we don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables” (Winne). The Farm-to-School program could help these problems in Oklahoma. It would teach kids about nutrition and agriculture, and it would give them better access to the needed fruits and vegetables. It is shown that when kids can choose between different fruits and vegetables, they will eat more and get healthier.

The Farm-to-School program is becoming quite popular. Many states already have it, including Connecticut, Washington, California, and Oklahoma. In a recent survey asking Oklahoma school district food supervisors if they would like to have the Farm-to-School program, sixty-nine percent agreed or strongly agreed, and only six percent said they would not like the Farm-to-School programs in their school. With these positive results, it seems as if the Farm-to-School Program will quickly be spread throughout Oklahoma.

Recently, Connecticut has been testing the Farm-to-School program with a high success rate. The South Windsor school district bought apples from a local orchard. The farmers were able to extend the eating season by putting the apples into a cold-storage unit so the kids could get them fresh in the middle of the winter. Mary Ann Lopez, food service director of the South Windsor school district, said “It always drove me nuts that we were buying Washington state apples. Now that we’re buying Connecticut apples, the kids are eating more” (Winne). This not only benefits the kids, but also the farmers.

Many states have been doing similar tests on the Farm-to-School program. Oklahoma is one of those states.

Oklahoma’s test of the Farm-to-School program, called the pilot project, started in the fall of 2004. Four school districts, Edmond, Shawnee, Broken Arrow, and Tahlequah, participated in the first year of the pilot project using seedless watermelons. Along with being delicious, “...a cup of watermelon provides 19.5% of the daily value for Vitamin C, and through its beta-carotene, 13.9% of the daily value for Vitamin A. Watermelon is also a very good source of the carotenoid, lycopene. Lycopene has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties” (“Farm to School...”). Bob Ramming, a Hinton watermelon farmer, planted his watermelons a little late so the harvest would coordinate with the fall school semester. Then the watermelons were delivered to the four school districts for the students’ enjoyment. The schools also had the Ag in the Classroom project, which is aimed at helping kids to better understand nutrition and Oklahoma agriculture. The pilot project was a success. The obesity risk lessened, the students started paying more attention in class, unhealthy snacking decreased, and the program increased the students’ awareness and consumption of fruits and vegetables. For the 2005-2006 school year, two school districts, Tulsa and Muskogee, have also joined the pilot project. I think the results of this year’s project will be positive too.

The Farm-to-School program could be extremely beneficial to Oklahoma. Most importantly, it would teach children about nutrition and provide them with an opportunity to eat healthier foods, which would help to slow down the rapidly rising obesity rates. The Farm-to-School program would also teach kids about where the fresh fruits and vegetables that they are getting in school come from, and it would teach them about agriculture and how it affects Oklahoma’s economy. The program would also provide a much needed economic boost for farmers. They would be selling to closer consumers, so shipping charges would be less and the fruits and vegetables would be fresher when they arrived at their destination. I think that they would also sell more because kids will eat more when the produce is fresher and tastes better. Susan Stansbury, Project Director of the Valley of Heart’s Delight organization, summarized the benefits of the Farm-to-School program best. “First is that the food looks and tastes good to the students. Second, students often times meet the farmers and/or visit the farm where the food is grown. I think this connection with the food gives it more meaning, which in turn means more appeal” (MacMorris).

The Farm-to-School program would be a great thing for Oklahoma students and farmers. It would teach young people about nutrition, which is a very important step in lowering the obesity rates in Oklahoma.

I think we need to approach Farm-to-School as we already have in some respect, but as a campaign and a marketing opportunity in Oklahoma, as a way to help encourage better nutrition, to get parents actively involved in supporting better nutrition in schools. But also in just getting our farmers interested and realizing that this is a market (“First Meeting...”).
This program would be an amazing opportunity for Oklahomans. We just need to reach out and accept all of the good it can do for us.

Works Cited

“Farm To School program enhances healthy food choices.” 2 Feb. 2006. http://www.ba.k12.ok.us/newbapage/farm.html.

“First Meeting Held on Farm-to-School Interim Study.” 29 November 2005. Oklahoma State Senate. 2 Feb. 2006. http://www.kerrcenter.com/nwsltr/2004/fall2004/fall_04.pdf.

“How Farm-to-School Programs Help Kids Eat Healthy” November 2005. Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Inc. 2 Feb. 2006. http://www.kerrcenter/farm_to_school/healthy?kids.htm.

MacMorris, Kitta. “Farm to School.” 13 December 2004. The Paly Voice. 2 Feb. 2006. http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id-2345.

Winne, Mark. “Connecticut Farmers and Students: A Healthy Combination.” 13 March 2005. Hartford Courant. 2 Feb. 2006. http://www.foodandsocietyfellows.org/library/
uploadedfiles/connecticut_farmers_and_students_a-healthy-combination.htm.

Honorable Mention – 2006 Essay Contest
Brady Brewer
Deer Creek – Lamont High School – 12th Grade

Brady Brewer

Get Healthy With Oklahoma Farm-to-School

The old cliche that the children of today are the future of tomorrow is a perfect example of why Oklahoma public schools need the Farm-to-School program. This program has immense values and can help solve a variety of problems that plague today’s society. With obesity rates rising among school aged children, along with the sputtering economy in rural areas, this program could be a leap in the right direction for public schools, farmers, and the children who will benefit from the Farm-to-School program.

The goal of the Oklahoma Farm-to-School program, is to encourage public institutions; schools, public colleges, technology centers, state prisons, and state hospitals; to buy a portion of their food from local farmers. This novel idea is a joint adventure between the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture, and is being called the Oklahoma Food Policy Council. These two organizations hope to develop a framework that connects Oklahoma farmers with public schools. The Farm-to-School program works by having the participating school contact the involved agencies and inform them about the food they would like to purchase. The agencies then find the growers of the desired food for the school. The Oklahoma Food Policy Council has already created a directory with farmers interested in selling their food products. With this simple process, Oklahoma Farm-to-School could change how we look at school cafeteria food.

Like any good researcher, the agencies involved have done thorough experiments. One of these experiments has been a pilot project that involved four schools from Oklahoma. The four schools that participated in the 2004 pilot project were Edmond, Shawnee, Broken Arrow, and Tahlequah public schools. In this project, the main produce ordered was watermelons, which were grown by Rob Ramming, who grows 300 acres of watermelon near Hinton, Oklahoma (“Oklahoma”). Besides the pilot project, surveys and opinion polls have been conducted in order to gain specific information about Farm-to-School. This survey was conducted in late 2002 with 638 public institutions taking part in it. The survey found that tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, and eggs were at the top of the list of food that the institutions would like to purchase (“Oklahoma”). This research and pilot project prove that a Farm-to-School program is needed and will be used by public schools if implemented.

One of the reasons that the Farm-to-School program is needed is because it benefits so many areas of the rural community. With the problem of the rising obesity rate among children and that 85% of food choices in school vending machines are of poor nutritional value, the fact that the food from the program has high nutritional value is a major incentive for institutions to buy from Farm-to-School (“Junk”). The produce will also be cleaner, since the food does not travel very far the need for preservatives and other additives is significantly reduced. This not only improves the health of the child but can also improve the ability to concentrate in school (Horne). This program could also lead to school gardens with classes designed to teach children about agriculture. However, some people think that more needs to be done than just the reform of school meals. According to Margo G. Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, “Daily physical education for every school child,” is just as important as healthy school meals (“Healthy”). Still, most people agree that Farm-to-School is a step in the right direction. Another benefit of the program is the positive economic impact that it will have on the farmers and the rural community. For instance, the Farm-to-School project in North Carolina bought almost $300,000 of fresh produce in 2002 (“Oklahoma”). This money and economic impact has the potential to revitalize communities and make the business of farming attractive for people to do. It is these qualities of the Farm-to-School program that make it a promising program for the people of Oklahoma.

Even though this program has many positives about it, there are some problems that could arise. One problem is that Oklahoma is prone to have weather related problems with crops, such as droughts, tornados, and hail storms. If a drought causes a crop failure statewide, what will the schools and institutions do who are dependent on this food? Probably the simplest solution to this problem is to go back to buying the commodities that they bought before, but some would say that if that happened, it just defeats the purpose of the Farm-to-School program. Others, however, would say that it is a special case, just as long as the school went back to buying from the program once crops are available. Another problem is that because of the winters in Oklahoma, not every crop can be grown all year long. This problem is also compounded by the fact that almost all of the school year takes place during the winter months. Some crops can be stored for a long time, but others spoil fairly quickly, just adding to the problem. Green houses could work but would probably be expensive and could not produce the quantity needed for all of Oklahoma’s public schools. The most plausible solution to this is just have the cafeterias adjust to what is in season at that time of year and adjust the menus accordingly. Though obstacles in the road, these problems should be overcome to let the Farm-to-School program be a success.

A person can easily see why Oklahoma and its public institutions need the Farm-to-School program. It can fight obesity in what is a very unhealthy world. It can fuel the economy, helping the small farmer become more profitable, also making the small rural community a more attractive place to raise a family. It can also have educational values to teach children about agriculture. With all this, the Farm-to-School program truly can prepare the future of tomorrow.

Works Cited

Healthy Schools re Junk-Food-Free Schools. Center for Science in the Public Interest. 4 Feb. 2006. www.cspinet.org/new/200210071.html

Horne, James E. Farm to School Report. Oklahoma Food Policy Council. 2 Feb. 2006. www.kerrcenter.com/ofpc/farmtoschool.htm

Junk Food in Schools Enjoys Bipartisan Support. Center for Science in the Public Interest. 3 Feb. 2006. www.cspinet.org/new/200405201.html

Oklahoma Farm-to-School Program: Pilot Project 2004. Oklahoma Food Policy Council. 2 Feb. 2006. www.kerrcenter.com/ofpc/farmtoschool_faq.htm

Back to Top