FoodCorps extends farm-to-school reach to C. Oregon

Boostedby a federal farm to school grant, Oregon’s popular and successful FoodCorpsprogram is adding three new sites, including two serving rural communities, one of them Bend.

That brings the total ofFoodCorps sites in the state to 11 and increases thenumber of schools and children benefiting from an array of positive activitiescentered around healthy, local food, the Oregon Department of Agriculture reported last week.

“Weare excited to be expanding the FoodCorps family,” says Amy Gilroy, manager ofthe Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School Program. “We want to beable to bring more school gardeneducation and nutrition classes, and helpschools develop relationships with local agricultural producers throughFoodCorps programming.”

Thethree new sites, which will come on line in September, include Lakeview, GoldBeach/Port Orford and Bend. They join existing sites in Multnomah, Tillamook, Marion,Benton, Jackson, Josephine, Lane and Unioncounties.

All sites includeFoodCorps service members who work to expand hands-on nutrition educationprograms, build and tend school gardens, and source healthy, local food forschool cafeterias.

FoodCorpsseeks to improve vulnerable children’s access to healthy and affordable food.Patterned after the public service model of AmeriCorps, FoodCorps leveragesfederal funds to help its service membersaccomplish program goals.

is theonly state agency to manage a state’s FoodCorps program. Most other sitesinclude academic institutions and non-profit organizations.

Whilekids in rural Oregon are more likely to be exposed to agriculture than those inurban communities, there is a critical need for the kind of experientialeducation provided by FoodCorps.

“Alot of kids don’t know that they can grow delicious and healthy food at schooland learn the benefits of healthy eating,” says Gilroy. “That’s one of the coretenets of FoodCorps, to help kids learn about tomake healthy food choiceseveryday.”

FoodCorpsis targeted to communities that have a high percentage of youth at risk of poorhealth outcomes and low academic achievement. Lakeview, in particular, isexcited to reach those families in thecommunity that face hunger and povertyissues.

“LakeCounty’s food insecurity is an issue that needs to be addressed with innovativeapproaches,” says Meera Norris, Community Health Improvement Manager. “Beingselected as a Food Corps site meansthat our community is about to embark on ajourney of food related education and exciting projects.”

Gold Beach, Port Orford, and northern Curry County have been exploring ways to support small family farms. FoodCorpshelps toaccomplish that in several ways.

“Thisyear, with the help of our FoodCorp member, we will focus on local foodeducation for the families within our communities,” says Site Supervisor CathyBoden of the Curry County Soil and WaterConservationDistrict. “Our schools are the backbone of our communities, it is important foreveryone to understand that to support our local farms and fisheries is tosupport our local economy.”

Bendis the largest population area and most urban of the three new sites, but isequally anxious to get FoodCorps up and running.

“Gettinglocal foods into school cafeterias is probably the biggest need that FoodCorpscan help address,” says Kiley Rucker-Clamons of the Central OregonIntergovernmental Council. “Through COIC’s foodsystems work, we have developedstrong relationships with local farmers and producers, but we need helppromoting locally sourced foods in schools and engaging students and theirfamilies.”

Thethree new sites have already selected the schools they will be working withstarting this fall and have started to build individual relationships withprincipals and teachers. Focusing on farm to school andschool garden-relatedactivities will help teach kids, in a hands-on way, about nutrition and what ittakes to grow food. At the same time, a FoodCorps presence will help schoolssource more local agricultural products.

“Byplacing a FoodCorps service member in these communities, it will help fosterrelationships with producers,” says Gilroy. “Maybe those schools will startsourcing different types of foods in the school mealprogram that are locallyproduced, whether it’s fruits and vegetables or beef, for instance.”

Oregonwas one of only five states to receive the USDA Farm to School Support ServicesGrant. ODA successfully applied for the $100,000 grant in an effort to enhanceall FoodCorps service sites. Without thefederal funds, ODA would have onlybeen able to add one new site, not three.

Thefunding will allow all sites to do more FoodCorps-related activities includingfield trips for kids to farms and to support maintenance of school gardensduring summer months. It will also help create moreawareness of FoodCorps inthose communities.

“Whatwe’ve heard is that a lot of volunteers, teachers, parents, and communitypartners don’t understand what FoodCorps does, so some of the funding will beused by these sites to host open houses,” saysGilroy. “That will help peopleunderstand how FoodCorps can be a community resource.”

Thefive-year track record of FoodCorps in Oregon is strong.The national organization is looking at Oregon as a model for other states.

“Rightnow, we are working in about 30 schools across the state through our servicesites,” says Gilroy. “We see kids trying more new fruits and vegetables,sometimes on a daily basis. Many of our FoodCorpsservice members help teachersfind ways to integrate nutrition education into their classroom lesson plans.Those are huge accomplishments that have great impact in terms of getting kidsto be more proactive abouttheir food choices, especially in the school lunchline.”

FoodCorpsis a catalyst for communities to establish a program with lasting power. Thehope is that participating schools in these communities graduate from FoodCorpsonce a learning environment is createdthat promotes healthy food for kids. Atthat point, the training wheels come off and schools are ready to go it alone.

To learn more:https://foodcorps.org/