The preliminary Farm to School Census results are in!  The USDA has released some of the results for their recent Farm to School Census.  The census was sent out to school districts across the nation to ask specific questions about participation, items served, benefits and challenges to serving local foods, and other important considerations for the program.  So how does Idaho compare when it comes to Farm to School participation?  By some metrics, Idaho is ahead of the curve.  In other measurements, Idaho has some opportunities for improvement.  Let’s review the facts.

• Idaho has 3% higher school district participation in Farm to School activities compared to the national average.
• 55 Idaho’s 120 school districts are participating in Farm to School activities.
• 247 Idaho schools participate in Farm to School activities.
• 107,000 Idaho students participate in Farm to School activities at school.
• 20% of nonparticipating Idaho schools plan to participate in Farm to School activities in the future.
• Over $4 million have been spent in Idaho schools on locally produced agriculture products.
• Schools nationwide spend an average of 10% on local food items, based on the overall budget.
• Some Idaho school districts reported spending as much as 13% of their budget on local items.

As the facts above show, Idaho can be proud of the overall commitment to the Farm to School movement.  Of course, there is certainly room for improvement.  It is encouraging to see schools interested and ready to participate in Farm to School activities.

Schools often wonder why they should participate in Farm to School activities.  As we hope our Learning Lunchroom newsletter will communicate, there are many benefits to Farm to School participation.  One quantifiable benefit touched on in the Farm to School Census is the impact on local communities.

According to the USDA, “Several studies estimate that buying local food has a multiplier effect of 1.4-2.6 throughout the local economy; for every dollar spent locally, another 40 cents to $1.60 of economic activity is generated.” 

This multiplier effect means that our neighbors and communities are better off financially than they would otherwise be.

Additional information from the Farm to School Census is available at FarmToSchoolCensus.fns.usda.gov.  Also, be sure to check out our June Farm to School newsletter (the last one of the school year) for more census information.  The USDA plans to release the full census data set later this month.

 

Citation:  USDA.  FarmToSchoolCensus.fns.usda.gov.  May, 2016.

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