Fresh from the Farm Expands to 28 School Boards in 3rd Year
Posted: April 7, 2015
Categories: Edible Education Network / Food in the News / GoodFoodBites
Fresh from the Farm, a fresh take on school fundraising, is entering its third year of operation. This year, the program will be expanding to an additional 9 school boards, bringing the total to 28 school boards in Ontario! Now students from over 1,400 schools in southwestern, central and northern Ontario regions are eligible to participate.
The program focuses on educating children about healthy food; supporting local food production; and engaging youth in food systems and their communities. As a pilot project, it’s proven to be an innovative, effective model for connecting schools with Ontario farmers around common fundraising goals. Participating farmers receive market price for their produce, and schools receive 40 per cent of the revenue. The program is a collaborative initiative of OMAFRA, the Ministry of Education, Dietitians of Canada, and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association.
As stated in OMAFRA’s media release:
“Since 2013, more than 150 Ontario schools have participated in Fresh from the Farm. They have collectively distributed over 130,000 kilograms of fresh, local fruit and vegetables to Ontario families, and raised more than $125,000 for school initiatives.
Fresh from the Farm is committed to helping:
- Encourage healthy food choices
- Provide opportunities for learning about agriculture and food in the classroom
- Support local economies
- Align with Ontario’s School Food and Beverage Policy and Ontario’s Local Food Act
- Create great profit for schools – 40 per cent of all sales go directly to the school
Connecting students, farmers and communities is part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, supportive environment where business thrives, and building a secure savings plan so everyone can afford to retire.”
To learn more about Fresh from the Farm, or to sign on as an educator, visit their website. Schools enroll beginning April 1st for the September fundraising campaign start. Delivery of fresh Ontario fruit and vegetables to participating schools begins in November.
Read more Sustain Ontario entries about the initial stages of the project, as well as an update from the project’s second year.
Photo credits: Freshfromfarm.ca