Reflection: Farm 2 School

Five years ago today, I attended the national Farm-to-School conference in Madison, WI. As a doctor, I wanted to learn how school gardens and local food in school cafeterias impacted health. I sat in on roundtable discussions with food service managers, farmers, parents, teachers, administrators, dietitians, local food advocates, and so much more. I came with an open heart and mind with the primary goal being to listen and learn.

It was inspiring to see how communities implemented innovative strategies across the food system in order to connect children with fresh, nutritious food. There was no one-size-fits-all program. Each model was unique and tailored to meet the needs of the community. That made sense to me as that’s the personalized approach I took when working with my patients.

Over and over again, I heard how programs that get children into gardens and connected to where their food comes from improved dietary intake, academic performance, and well-being. The further I dove in, not surprisingly, I saw that the research supports these stories and anectodes.

Now in my current role in community health, I am so grateful to work alongside so many amazing people in our community who make these programs possible. It truly takes a village from volunteers, parents, teachers, farmers, advocates, food service workers, dietitians, administrators, policymakers, funders, and so much more. In the past 2 years alone, we’ve added 11 new community & school gardens across Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon counties in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan…this is just the beginning!

To learn more about the amazing work being done with school gardens + food systems in the western U.P., check out these links:

Portage Health Foundation - Food Initiative

Western U.P. Food Systems Collaborative

Photo: Goodman Youth Farm in Madison, WI