eval report cover.indd - New Jersey Farm to School Network Wiki

Parent ImpactsFarm to school programs offer parents whose children participate in the programsome educational activities such as healthy eating seminars, farm tours and trips tothe farmers’ market. If parents receive the same information children do throughthe farm to school program, changes in the family lifestyle and eating habits are morelikely to happen. Parents who are strong supporters of farm to school programs alsovolunteer their time in planning and implementing the program.Only three programs had a parent education component included in the program andreported on its impacts.►►►FTK-PA indicated that 78% of parents reported an increased awareness forhaving their children eat more fruits and vegetables. 26,27,51 A majority of parents(90%) felt that they had changed the way they shopped for groceries, preparedmeals and talked to their children about food. After one year of participation inthe FTK-PA, 97% of parents believed that buying locally grown food is “important”or “somewhat important.”FFF-IL parents indicated a slight increase in their ease and interest in encouragingtheir children to eat healthy snacks and meals. 43 FFF-IL parents listed avariety of changes they hoped to make in their families’ diets as a result of aParent Nutrition Education Event organized by the farm to school program. Theproposed changes included attempts to cook healthier foods at home, servingmore fruits and vegetables at home, reducing the use of sugar, reading ingredientlabels more carefully before purchasing food products, and becoming goodrole models for the children. 43,44Parents of school children in the BTV-VT program helped with taste tests andspecial event dinners, worked in classrooms and gardens, attended Food PolicyCouncil meetings and advocated for the project at the Parent Teacher Associationmeetings. All the program staff remarked about the importance of parentand community volunteers in the success of the project. Parent feedback onfamily changes as a result of the BTV-VT program revealed that 32% believedthat their family diet had improved since their child’s participation in the program;32% reported buying more local foods; 45% were willing to pay more forthe school’s hot lunch if it contained food from local farms; and 90% believedthat lessons on food, farms and nutrition would affect children’s long-term foodchoices. 14,46Review of Farm to School Evaluation Literaturewww.farmtoschool.org 51