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

FTS-MA: MASSACHUSETTS FARM TO SCHOOLPROGRAM, MASSACHUSETTSMassachusettsPublic Schools(statewide data)Free / reduced mealeligibility: 27.7%Total schools: 1878public; 57 charterEnrollment: 975,574Demographics:11.8% Hispanic, 8.9% AfricanAmerican, 74.2% White,4.8% Asian / Pacific Islander,0.3% Native AmericanLocal product used in:School cafeteriasOther programcomponents:School gardensThe Massachusetts Department of AgriculturalResources (MDAR) has been matching up schoolsand farmers as they try to make that “locally grownconnection.” Primarily funded by MDAR, the FTS-MAhas assisted more than 30 public school districts and collegesfind ways to buy and prepare locally grown foods ona regular basis. Sustainable sales routes for local farmershave been developed. The program stated that it has beeninspiring to see school systems as large as Worcester andas small as Maynard beginning to serve fresh local foodsin their cafeterias. In their opinion, good communicationat the beginning of the process, including between schoolfood service directors and their frontline staff was crucialto make this work. Between June 2005 and May 2006,Massachusetts farmers selling to Massachusetts schoolsgrossed more than $55,000 in K-12 sales and more than$80,000 in college sales. The majority of these sales weremade by Czajkowski Farm and Lanni Orchards and therewere about 45 school districts, private secondary schools,and colleges involved in purchasing from Massachusettsfarms.Future efforts for promoting farm to school will involve engaging K-12 food managementcompanies, encouraging them to buy direct from farmers. While this is a preferred method,as it can mean more dollars going directly to farmers, a team of farm to school organizersis also working on developing a preferred vendor list that would be available to institutions.Th is would include a seal of approval for vendors who purchase direct from local farms.An extensive evaluation of the FTS-MA program was not been conducted, though the programwas been monitored and data made available through a MDAR consultant workingon farm to school programming.Joshi A, Kalb M, Beery M, Going Local: Paths to success for farm to school programs. Case study “Massachusetts:Sowing Seeds in Farms and Schools,” December 2006.Conclusions Farm to School and Program RecommendationsProfileswww.farmtoschool.org 73