Inside School Food

Food service leaders from six of the nation’s very largest districts–New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and Orlando–have joined together over shared reform goals: lower prices, more sustainable production practice, and a pronounced shift in not just what’s served, but how–including how we talk to kids about food. And who best to consult with about that? The French, bien sur. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

Photo: Pierre Bonnard, The Children’s Meal, 1895

–Stephen O’Brien on Inside School Food

“We really feel like there’s great opportunity for the community and legislators to start looking at our childhood nutrition programs as education programs. School meals are no different than transportation and textbooks and it goes to support academic performance of the students.” [20:00]

–Dora Rivas on Inside School Food

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Three very big districts—Riverside, San Diego, and Oakland—are taking farm to school to the next level with an enormous, year-round commitment to sustainably grown California chicken. Their ambitious purchasing initiative, which has been several years in the making, is designed to send a clear and certain message to the poultry industry: Clean up your act. Our students’ health is at stake. Find out more on this week’s episode of Inside School Food. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

–Ariane Michas on Inside School Food

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What community isn’t proud of its school trophies? Across Georgia, there’s a new kind of prize that recognizes exemplary work in farm-to-school, named after a tasty local vegetable. And winning at any level—gold, silver, or bronze—can generate the kind of excitement and support that a good school meals program deserves. This program was brought to you by White Oak Pastures.

—Erin Croom on Inside School Food

“Educating the student through the school nutrition program is truly educating the whole family.” [23:50]

—Kathy Peavy on Inside School Food

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Farm to school purchasing pursues social, environmental, economic, and public health goals. How to evaluate progress in reaching them, and how to share ideas and learning across a diverse, national community of practice? In this episode, learn about two new resources that are designed to help. This program was brought to you by Rolling Press

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Family farms dominate the agricultural landscape of the Lower Michigan Peninsula, growing lots more than those celebrated sour cherries. Romanesco and kohlrabi, for instance, which the children of Traverse City Area Public Schools have come to enjoy are grown there. Learn how the district is drawing in local growers with the help of a network of community partners. This program was brought to you by White Oak Pastures.

—Mark Coe on Inside School Food

“It’s a part of our wellness policy, to promote as much scratch cooking as possible.” [22:10]

—Tom Freitas on Inside School Food

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We’re so excited about Farm to School Month 2014 that we’re starting two days early. Join us for a walk through USDA’s totally indispensable, very user-friendly guide to launching, bidding, and buying farm to school. Author Christina Conell talks about what’s in it, including best practice examples from all over the nation. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA.

“The most oft cited advice I’ve heard from school districts is baby steps. It can start with one product, once a month. It doesn’t need to be big changes right away.” [30:00]

–Christina Conell on Inside School Food

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Want fresh, USDA-compliant meals that kids will get excited about? How about putting kids in charge? Cooking Up Change does just that. Subjected to the same tight budgets, strict nutrition standards, and logistical challenges that adult school menu planners face every day, teams of high school culinary students in ten cities compete to create healthy school lunches that their peers will enjoy. The winners make their way to Washington, DC, every spring to offer samples to legislators and put student voices front-and-center in the national dialogue about school food. Who’s learning more–the students or the politicians? Listen and decide for yourself. This program was brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

–Shawnlaun Kelly on Inside School Food

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A school cafeteria can be a highly charged environment. Crowds of students press into the line, eager to zip through so they can get to their friends and recess. They’re hungry. It’s very loud. And they’re only children. Can we really expect them to focus on healthy choices? Experts from the Cornell Center of Behavioral Economics say we can, with the help of simple, low or no-cost interventions at the point of sale. It’s just marketing, but it can work like magic. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market

“When you look through a lunch room you really do have to examine it like a grocery store or a space where kids could purchase food.” [18:00]

Kate Hoy on Inside School Food

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Inside School Food kicks off the new school year with a discussion of the nutrition standards mandated by the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010. This school year, SFAs are being asked to do even more–more fruit, more whole grain, and less sodium, along with new, very strict guidelines on a la carte and snack items. Can they do it? Two food service directors from medium-size districts at opposite ends of the country weigh in on their successes and challenges to date, and their hopes and concerns for 2014-15. This program was brought to you by Tabard Inn.

–Karen Brown on Inside School Food

If we had more commodities it would help American farms, give us food and be a win-win situation instead of just asking for an increase of money. Times are tough everywhere.” [25:00]

–Donna Martin on Inside School Food

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Explore school lunch around the world on the season finale of Inside School Food. Why are we so riveted by pictures of school meals in other countries? Perhaps because it’s a shared experience the world over, and perhaps because these images are so rich in information. “Unpack a school lunch,” writes guest Andrea Curtis, author of What’s For Lunch: How Schoolchildren Eat Around the World, “and you’ll discover that food is connected to issues that matter to everyone—things such as climate change, health, and inequality.” This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

–Andrea Curtis on Inside School Food

“Agriculture in brazil is actually dominated by large corporate farming. What’s surprising is that despite all this, over 84% of all rural enterprises in Brazil are family farms.” [28:00]

–Cecilia Rocha on Inside School Food

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