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

Program ProfilesAES-OR: ABERNETHY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLFARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAM, OREGONAbernethy ElementarySchool, ORFree / reduced mealeligibility: 25.7%Enrollment: 357Demographics:84.6% White, 8.4%Asian, 3.4% HispanicLocal product used in:Scratch cooking at oneschool site, salad bars.Other program components:The Garden of Wonders, in-classeducational opportunitiesThe evaluation of the first year of the AES-ORproject was conducted by Ecotrust. Th e objectiveof the evaluation was to coordinate a comprehensivequantitative and qualitative analysis so thatthe project at Abernethy School accelerated discussionand decisions at the district level. In addition to Ecotruststaff, the research team included the Injury FreeCoalition for Kids at OHSU / Doernbecher Children’sHospital.Th e evaluators of the Abernethy program recognizedthe challenges of isolating and understanding the effectsof change within a complex system. The multi-componentnature of the program made it difficult to pinpointimpacts related specifi c ally to one change. Seeking toprovide feedback on the program that would be mostvaluable to the school district, the evaluation focused onthe kitchen and cooking “from scratch;” it did not specificallyextend the analysis to the garden or classroom.Much of the analysis relied on data already generated by the school district, including participationrates, income and expenses, and nutritional information. Other data was gatheredvia interviews, focus groups and surveys. In some cases, Abernethy data was compared toan anonymous control school within the school district that served the standard schoollunch fare.With the findings from the 2005-06 school year forming the baseline, the PortlandPublic Schools Nutrition Services has changed the program, making adjustmentswhere necessary to help institutionalize the program. The cafeteria program plans toinclude product from the garden, initiate a Harvest of the Month program, and exploreopportunities to expand the Abernethy model to other schools in the district.Local purchasing, while an aspect of the program, was not a part of the 2005-06 analysis butwill be a goal for the coming years.New on the Menu, District wide changes to school food start in the kitchen at Portland’s Abernethy Elementary.Abernethy Elementary, Portland Public Schools Nutrition Services, Injury Free Coalition for Kids, and Ecotrust,October 2006.Conclusions Farm to School and Program RecommendationsProfilesJoshi A, Kalb M, Beery M, Going Local: Paths to success for farm to school programs. Case study “Oregon: GettingFarm to School Programs Started,” December 2006.www.farmtoschool.org 61