Oklahoma Farm-to-School:
Growing Healthy Kids and a Healthy Rural
Economy
As of fall 2008, 57 Oklahoma school districts were serving Oklahoma-grown
produce in the
cafeteria as part of the Oklahoma Farm-to-School Program. The program
continues to grow.
If your child attends school in one of these districts, please
let food service, school administrators, and state and local officials
know that you support farm-to-school and other efforts to improve
children’s health.
The Oklahoma Farm to School Project is brought to you by the Oklahoma
Food Policy Council (a joint project of the Kerr Center and the
Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Forestry) the Oklahoma
Dept. of Human Services, the Oklahoma Dept. of Education, the U.S.
Dept. of Defense Farm Fresh program and participating schools.
For more information on farm-to-school, contact Chris Kirby, Oklahoma
Farm-to-School Program coordinator, at 405.522.2106 or chris.kirby@oda.state.ok.us
Legislation (HB 2655) authored by Rep. Susan Winchester (R-Chickasha)
and Sen. Daisy Lawler (D-Lawton) passed both houses of the Oklahoma
legislature in May 2006. Governor Brad Henry signed the bill
into law on June 7.
The bill established a farm-to-school program within the Oklahoma
Department of Agriculture. It created a position for a coordinator
whose job is to develop the program statewide by providing information
and assistance to both farmers and school food service directors,
as well as advising state agencies on what is needed to make the
program a success.
The bill encourages school districts to “purchase…locally
and regionally produced foods in order to improve child nutrition
and strengthen local and regional farm economies.”
Why support Farm to School?
Serving our Kids Foods Fresh from the Farm:
- Improves Nutrition
- Encourages Good Eating Habits
- Fights Childhood Obesity and Obesity-Related Diseases
- Teaches Kids about Oklahoma Agriculture
Connecting Local Farmers with Local Schools:
- Supports Family Farms and Rural Communities
- Increases our Nation’s Food Security
 This
project is supported by the Community Food Projects Program of the USDA
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, grant # 2004-33800-15141
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis
of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable,
sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion,
sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal,
or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from
any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply
to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative
means for communication of program information (Braille, large
print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at
(202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
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