We are a coalition of advocates working to get more local produce into DC schools and to reconnect DC schoolchildren with where their food comes from.
**Notice** If the hearing is postponed due to snow, we will let you know as soon as possible! Make sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive these updates and others by emailing Rachel.
When: Wednesday, Feb. 10th at 10AM (Take note of the new day and time)
Where: The Wilson Building, room 412
Sign up to testify : Contact Ms. Aukima Benjamin at (202) 724-8062, or via e-mail at abenjamin@dccouncil.us. You can submit written testimony to Ms. Benjamin or bring 15 copies of your 3-minute testimony to the hearing when you speak.
To prepare your testimony:
1) Read this one-pager produced by So Others Might Eat about testifying in the D.C. City Council for the first time.
2) Read the Healthy Schools Act
3) Read the D.C. Farm to School Network’s priorities for the farm to school section of the bill. The school garden section of the bill on pages 18-19 also nicely complement the farm to school section.
- Local Food Preference: Require schools and food service management companies to buy local, unprocessed foods whenever costs are within 10% of conventional food costs.
- Extra Reimbursement: Provide an extra 5 cents to schools (or their food service providers) for every $1 they spend on unprocessed local foods served in school mealss
- Centralized Kitchen: Provide a city building for coordinating the purchase, transport, storage, and processing of local, healthy foods for Washington, D.C. public schools.
- Food Origins: Require public disclosure by schools and food service providers of where foods are grown (and make efforts to discover and disclose how those foods are grown). Encourage use of local, sustainably grown foods whenever possible.
- Farm to School Education: Institute a mandatory Farm to School promotional week each year, and encourage government agencies, schools, cooperative extension, private sector and community partners to collaborate to incorporate year round hands-on farm to school education with existing educational standards for students and staff.
- Evaluation: Require annual evaluation of farm to school initiatives and recommendations for improvement by an independent, contracted organization.
4) Read some of the commentary on the Healthy Schools Act: see the compilation of blog links and articles on our Healthy Schools Act Page.
5) And most importantly – think about Why farm to school is important to you and why it should be addressed and fully funded in the Healthy Schools Act bill.
Have you seen children under perform when they don’t eat their fruits and vegetables? Do you know how excited they get when they garden or visit a farm? Have you seen how kids try and like fresh, seasonal foods? Have you tasted the D.C. school food and wish it were different? Can you speak to how this bill will address some of the issues farm to school programs face? Do you see other environmental or health benefits to D.C. schools “going local”?
To learn even more go to the Healthy Schools Act page of our site.
DONATE TO THE DC FARM TO SCHOOL NETWORK NOW
Click the word ‘donate‘; Donations will go through the Capital Area Food Bank, as DC Farm to School is an initiative of the Food Bank.
The Local Restaurants for Local Kids Fundraiser was a HIT!
Thank you to all of the participating D.C. area restaurants and to all who came out to eat and drink in honor of DC Farm to School and local food!
Participating Restaurants:
Bar Pilar, Bread and Brew, Busboys and Poets and Eatonville, Cafe Saint-Ex, Clyde’s Restaurants, Farmers & Fishers, PS-7, ris, Coppi’s Organic, and Blue Ridge Restaurant
Are you interested in learning more about the DC Farm to School Network? Click on the links to your left, starting with ‘
About Us‘, and start exploring!
For more information, please email andrea@dcfarmtoschool.org. She will put you on our email list to receive monthly DC Farm to School email updates.
To learn more about DC Farm to School efforts, subscribe to our Google Group below. You’ll be a part of an email discussion group focused on Farm to School news and events happening in the District.
Click on the image to see more pictures from Local Flavor Week!
Farmer Miller helping Bancroft students harvest kale & collard greens at Miller Farms
The DC Farm to School Network is supported by the Capital Area Food Bank, and is a member of the National Farm to School Network.
Please email the webmaster with any suggestions and/or ideas for the DC Farm to School website!
Contact Andrea Northup with specific questions or requests at andrea@dcfarmtoschool.org; (202) 526-5344 x 298
