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

MLS-MT: MISSOULA COUNTY FARM TO SCHOOL, MONTANAConclusions Farm to School and RecommendationsProgram ProfilesMontana’s fi r st pilot farm to school programwas implemented in August 2005 in the MissoulaCounty Public School District (MCPS).Two “Montana Made Meal Events” in 2005-06, throughwhich 3,000 students received a meal made from locallygrown ingredients, helped set the stage for a morecomprehensive program at the district. In the 2006-07school year, several Montana grown products such oats,whole wheat fl o ur, peaches, apples, cantaloupes, carrots,cucumbers, potatoes, zucchini, cheese, pasta, honey andsalad greens were introduced in the school cafeterias.Educational aspects of the program include classroomlessons about where food comes from, how it is processedand prepared, farm trips, taste tests of Montanagrown products and cooking demonstrations.Th e Missoula Farm to School Program has broad supportof the community and school board. The CommunityFood Security Coalition (which Farm to School is aproject of ) has focussed efforts on addressing challengesassociated with local food procurement at institutionalMissoula County PublicSchool District, MTFree / reduced mealeligibility: 35.5%Total schools: 16Enrollment: 13,375Demographics:1.5% Hispanic, 1.0% AfricanAmerican, 91.5% White, 4.1%American Indian/ AlaskanNative, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% NativeHawaiian/ Pacific IslanderLocal product used in:Cafeteria meals, taste testsOther program components:Classroom-basededucation, farm tourslevel, such as need for value-added products, distribution and delivery systems at state andregional levels. Th e coalition has organized many community meetings to bring togetherfood service staff, producers and distributors to discuss these issues.Th o ugh an extensive evaluation of the program has not been conducted so far, data is availablethrough information available from reports cited below.Dillon C, Counties and Local Food Systems, Ensuring Healthy Foods, Nurturing Healthy Children. NationalAssociation of Counties p 11-13, July 2007.Missoula County Public Schools Resolution www.farmtoschool.org/mt/montanaFTSResolution.pdfUnlocking the Food Buying of Montana’s Public Institutions. Towards a Montana-based Food Economy, GrowMontana, 2006.76 Bearing Fruit: Farm to School Evaluation Resources and Recommendations