Richland Parish School Food Service was chosen for the National Farm to School Initiative Seed Change to Connect Students to Fresh, Healthy Food and Nutrition Education.
On September 8, 2015, Richland Parish was selected to participate in Seed Change, an initiative of the National Farm to School Network aimed at expanding farm to school activities at the state level to support better health outcomes for children and strong local economies.
As part of Seed Change, Richland Parish has been designated one of two Farm to School Demonstration Sites in Louisiana. In addition to school greenhouses, purchasing from local farms, harvest of the month, and raised bed gardens, the district will host and train school professionals from across the state to help increase these opportunities for all students.
The purpose of this project is to connect students with fresh, locally-grown produce on the school menu, in addition to, the students learning about local agriculture and growing healthy food. The Farm to School program is designed to make a healthy impact in the lives of the students that we feed.
Over the past decade, the farm to school movement has exploded across the country, reaching millions of students in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. From school gardens and farm field trips to local food on cafeteria trays, farm to school practices help children learn about where food comes from and make healthier choices while also creating new markets for local and regional farmers.
“Communities across Louisiana are ready and eager to get started with farm to school or grow their existing activities, but schools need support to establish strong and sustainable programs,” said Sara Tedeschi, Seed Change Program Manager for the National Farm to School Network. “With the help of leaders like Richland Parish Food Service, Seed Change is delivering resources and technical assistance directly to schools ready to do the hard work and reap the benefits for their kids, farmers and communities.”
Seed Change in Louisiana is funded through the National Farm to School Network by a generous grant from the Walmart Foundation, and coordinated locally through the Louisiana Farm to School Alliance in partnership with Market Umbrella. Katie Mularz is Executive Director and Co-Founder of this state organization. The 18-month project goes through the school year, and results will be released in fall of 2016.
Learn more at farmtoschool.org/seedchange.