Get Involved in Farm to School!
—Doug Walton
Now is the time to act, if you would like to see farm-to-school
blossom within your own community.
In 2004, two important laws were passed requiring public schools
to review and establish policies that impact the wellness of their
students.
Thanks to the efforts of the Oklahoma Fit Kids Coalition, a law
was passed by the Oklahoma legislature mandating that all public
schools form health advisory committees.
A second law was passed by the U.S. Congress, as part of the
Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act. It requires every school district
to develop and implement a local wellness policy.
Taken together, these two measures give communities the opportunity
to help shape the future course of health and nutrition at the
school and district levels.
School Advisory Committees
The Healthy and Fit Kids Act of 2004 requires each individual public
school in Oklahoma to establish a Healthy and Fit School Advisory
Committee, consisting of at least six members, which can include
parents, students, teachers, food service staff, administrators,
local business persons and others.
These healthy school committees are charged with assessing and
making recommendations in three areas: health education and services,
physical activity, and nutrition education and services.
Upon reviewing current school practices in each of these areas,
the advisory committee is to identify possible ways for the school
to help improve student health and fitness.
Farm-to-school approaches such as offering fresh locally grown
produce in the cafeteria, creating a school garden, and teaching
kids how to prepare and eat healthy foods are examples of some
measures that could be advocated for by the advisory committee.
Contact your school principal to find out more about the current
status of the Healthy and Fit School Advisory committee. Many schools
have not yet formed one and may just need a little encouragement
from a concerned parent.
School District Wellness Policies
Federal law requires each public school district participating
in the National School Lunch Program to establish a local school
wellness policy by July 1, 2006.
The law specifies that each districtÕs wellness policy
should include: goals for nutrition education, physical activity,
and other school-based activities that promote student wellness;
nutrition guidelines for all foods available on the school campus;
assurance that nutrition guidelines for reimbursable school meals
are not less restrictive than federal policy; a plan for measuring
the implementation and effectiveness of the wellness policy, including
the designation of at least one person in each district to ensure
that each school fulfills the policy objectives; community involvement
including parents, students, food service staff, school administrators
and the public in the development of the wellness policy.
Contact your local school district office to inquire about the
status of your districtÕs policy and to learn how you can
become involved.
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