Oshkosh School Food

October is National Farm to School month.  Our community has identified and responded to the need of providing food to our children, both through our expanding serving of free & reduced lunch, offering of breakfast, and providing a limited number of families with food for the weekend.  It is obvious to anyone involved that child learning when hungry is extremely difficult and ineffective.

The next step is to help improve our school food programming is the improvement of food quality - Moving away from individually packaged, bleached, artificially-enriched, mushy imitations.  Instead, serving real food, fresh food, things grown in the country, midwest, state, and when available, in Northeast WI. 

There are numerous programs that the community could explore to move towards healthy, fresh, local food.  According to Farm to School:

The choice of healthier options in the cafeteria through Farm to School meals results in consumption of more fruits and vegetables with an average increase of 0.99 to 1.3 servings per day, including at home.

Schools report a 3 to 16 percent increase in school meal participation when farm-fresh food is served through Farm to School programs.

Farm to School programs open new markets for farmers and help expand their customer base by raising awareness about local food systems.

Here is an example of the progress one Appleton school made in partnering with Natural Ovens to provide "a healthy nutrition program for students. Non chemically processed foods, low in fat, salt, sugar, and fresh fruits and vegetables are a basis for the program. 

Posted in: education,School Board