Part 2: How to Get Organics and Healthier Food into the Schools

March 7th, 2008

As we all know, shopping for organics and fresh produce for our own households can be complex. Just imagine the challenge of supplying an entire school system with farm fresh foods. According to activists interviewed by OrganicMania, this is one of the key reasons so many public school systems nationwide have resisted parents’ entreaties for more farm fresh and organic foods in the schools.

Check out this ABC News interview with Two Angry Moms who agitate for improvements in the nutritional content of school lunches.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yjQgxZrEQ4[/youtube]

Last year, parents in my community agitated for change in the school menus. Their efforts were detailed in the media here. Yet when I looked at the school menu last week, I saw no evidence of change.

I called Mike Tabor, a farmer who was one of the activists quoted extensively in media coverage of last year’s school menu meetings. He told me that with last week’s Maryland Senate passage of “Farm-to-School” legislation, there is hope that farm fresh foods will soon be available to in public schools throughout Maryland.

It always takes community involvement to enact change. Clearly that’s the case with school lunches. What can you do?

Check out these resources:

Two Angry Moms Resource Page for School Lunch Change

Farm to School Program

Please send me your stories of success with improving school lunch quality. And check back next week for a guest column from Mamabird, who as a school teacher, saw first-hand what it was like to bring farm fresh produce into the public school system.

Please read Part 1 of this series too!

— Lynn