What is Farm to School?
The Farm to School Initiative is a growing movement that aims to integrate agriculture education into schools, organizations, and the community. Farm to School programs include promoting the procurement of local fresh foods for school meals, providing hands-on gardening or cooking learning experiences for students, and the incorporation of nutrition and ag education at all levels of learning.
In the Imperial Valley, the Farm to School Initiative has the unique potential to create a greater sense of connection and pride in our community as well as connect underserved populations with high quality, fresh, and nutritious food. The field of agriculture is a dominant industry in our county, yet many of the people within the area do not always have access to healthy foods or the knowledge to understand where food comes from. Limited food and agriculture literacy prevents them from making informed decisions. With the USDA-NIFA Farm to School grant, Farm Smart has been able to make positive steps toward promoting agricultural and food literacy, and connecting stakeholders to advance policy and environmental changes.
The Role of Farm Smart:
Farm Smart is an educational outreach program at the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center (UC DREC), that has been committed to educating the public about agriculture, natural resources, our role, and the impact it can have on our daily lives. Our organization was awarded a Farm to School Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) from 2021-2024. Our funded project is to support the adoption of the Farm to School Initiative in Imperial Valley with three main goals: 1) Bringing together stakeholders, 2) Providing new and additional learning opportunities through the Farm Smart program, and 3) Providing training and resources to teachers and food service staff.
Expanding our Team - Community Partnerships & New Staff
A major goal of our initiative was to expand our reach and create new Farm to School collaborations within the Imperial Valley. In order to achieve this, we had to grow our team. The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) is dedicated to connecting the expertise of UC research in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition and youth development with local communities to improve the lives of all Californians. Through this grant, Farm Smart was able to create two new positions at DREC: a full-time Community Education Specialist, and a part-time student intern; these new employees have been dedicated to developing, preparing, and delivering our new activities and educational programs highlighted below. Additionally, we partnered with the Imperial County University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL) Imperial Valley. Together, our organizations have continued to expand the reach of UCANR.
Activities and Impacts:
Two-Day Farm to School Conference and DREC Farm Tour
To kick off our journey with the Farm to School Initiative in the Imperial Valley, Farm Smart hosted a two-day conference in June 2022 for educators, administrators, and food service staff in the community, featuring a wide range of keynote speakers and workshops, followed by a tour of the DREC facility with presentations from researchers and staff. The goal of the two day conference is to introduce what is farm to school, how it can benefit all partners, and what are the resources out there to support the initiative.
Our first session Agriculture Education and Nutrition Curriculum, hosted by CFHL, UCCE Imperial introduced prominent ag and nutrition curriculums that can be used to support Farm-to-School activities within school gardens, classrooms, field trips, and cafeterias. This presentation included topics such as the smarter lunchroom movement, school wellness policy, and an introduction to the Healthy Choices Through History Curriculum. We then heard from the San Diego Farm to Institution Center's (F2I Center) manager and coordinators on how their center has used farm-to-school programs and community partnerships to promote healthy local communities throughout San Diego school districts. Following this presentation was a grant workshop prepared by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Farm to School Program Manager, on the farm-to-school incubator grant program, as well as grant application requirements, examples of successful applications, and other important information regarding funding cycles. We also had a workshop on Food Safety - Field to Fork, from a University of California, Davis (UCD) Food Safety Specialist; this covered topics including the food safety regulatory oversight difference of foods; types of hazards in food; produce outbreak; food handling practices; and a school food safety program. To wrap up the first day, we had a presentation from a local high school FFA teacher to see the success they have had with their own school garden project as well as showcasing their school greenhouse. A high school student also presented on her Youth-led Participatory Action Research project, the school Eco-Garden club, and the culinary arts cooking club, which all coordinate to expand the incorporation of locally produced foods into our schools and classrooms.
The second day of the conference UC staff gave a tour of the DREC facility, and participants were given a first hand introduction to the history of local agriculture, commodities grown in the Imperial Valley, and the complexity of natural resource usage/management. In true Farm Smart fashion we took a wagon ride led by Farm Smart Program Manager Stacey Amparano, to explore the facility that has grown from 10 to 255 acres. At our first stop we visited the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) Weather Station to introduce the network of stations that help farmers all throughout the state manage their businesses. We then headed to the DREC Feedlot where we had a presentation from UC Livestock Advisor Brooke Latack, which included activities and curriculum pertaining to cattle that can be adapted for different grade levels. Next we visited a burrowing owl habitat demonstration site to gain insight into the Southern California bird that is monitored and protected by the Imperial Irrigation District (IID). We then drove by the canals to observe how these burrows have been established along canal banks to stabilize the native bird population. While alongside the canal banks, we had a presentation from DREC Director Jairo Diaz, about his research regarding water issues in Imperial County; he then led an interactive activity/lesson demonstration that can be used in the classroom. Lastly, we had UC Integrated Pest Management Advisor Apurba Barman lead an interactive discussion on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and entomology, providing resources and activities that participants could take back to their classrooms.
Through this conference we were able to reach local government representatives, food service/nutrition staff, food banks, community organizations (Health Department, Office of Education), school administration, and educators. This event provided a variety of activities and resources that promote Farm to School initiatives to various members and organizations throughout the community. For those participants that have interests in Farm to School, they were able to help build up their school gardens with CalFresh, attend field trips and activities with Farm Smart, and get answers on how to take steps towards procuring locally grown produce for school lunches.
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Ag Tour and Stakeholder Networking Opportunity
To continue supporting Farm to School Initiative journal in the second year, , based on the last year participants' feedback, we decided to center the experience of the farmers in the Imperial Valley to understand their capacity and role in Farm to School. We toured three facilities in February of 2023, that are a part of Vessey Farms operations to get hands-on learning and insight to the complexity of the vast agriculture industry in our county. We started the day with Keynote Speakers - DREC Director, Jairo Diaz and IID Director, Karin Eugenio; With these speakers, we framed the background about the work DREC has been doing for the ag community, as well as the positionality of the Imperial Valley in the larger scope of agriculture and natural resources.
Our first stop on our tour was to one of Vessey's cabbage fields where we went into the fields and learned about commercial harvesting and food transportation. We then went to an Organic Spring Mix field where we were given insight to how farmers manage such large scale operations - from water orders and schedules, to managing harvests, and the importance of food safety protocols. Our last stop on the tour was to Highline Cooling where we were shown around the facility and learned about the operations and how food is processed for travel. We ended the conference with a panel of local farmers from a mix of industries: Jack Vessey - Vessey Farms, Trevor Tagg - Westgro Farms, Angela Barioni - Imperial Olive Mill, Kevin Grizzle. This panel gave participants from a wide range of backgrounds and school districts to speak with farmers, ask them questions about their work and their experience, and figure out ways to incorporate what they learned into their work.
This tour brought together individuals from various fields to continue creating conversations to work towards adopting Farm to School practices within schools, cafeterias, and throughout the community. Some of the major successes of this tour was its promotion of ag literacy and the networking opportunity it created - we had multiple teachers that connected directly with farmers for tours, lessons, and other forms of collaboration as well as other teachers who registered their classes for the Healthy Choices Through History Field Trips at Farm Smart. Participants said they saw this conference as a “starting point to building connections”, and a way to “learn more about the agriculture we have in the Valley and UCCE/DREC does for the community”. At the end of the tour and discussion participants were able to take home locally grown produce, as well as resource bags containing items that were grown/produced locally. We also had multiple resources available including handouts for funding opportunities and in class lessons and activities.
Healthy Choices Through History Field Trips
Farm Smart, as previously mentioned, is an educational outreach program that sees more than 8,000 participants each year through educational field trips; These programs consist of multiple themed/seasonal lessons and activities that focus on agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, and career development. The Farm to School grant has allowed Farm Smart to offer a new three-part field trip that centers the indigenous communities of this region, and their relationship and management of natural resources and food. The grant has also allowed us to serve additional communities and demographics because this curriculum is targeted towards 4th-6th grade students.
In the 2022-2023 school year we saw over 650 students through our Healthy Choices Through History curriculum. The program begins with a trip to the classroom where we introduce students to the topic of nutrition as well as the complexity of balancing your diet by teaching them about the types of food that the Kumeyaay tribes eat to make up their seasonal and biome-specific diets! The next part of the program is a field trip to the Desert Research Extension Center where they complete a nature trail, tour our Sensory Garden, create a plant profile, and build their own flatbread using fresh seasonal veggies. For our final lesson, we return to the classroom to apply what we have learned about California biomes, natural resources, and their influence on Indigenous diets, to understand the diversity of California Agriculture.
Overall, these field trips have been a great addition to the programs offered by Farm Smart. True to the mission of UCANR, the Healthy Choices Through History curriculum centers the topic of natural resources through the discussion of indigenous communities, diets, and the diversity of California climates. The activities encourage students to use critical thinking to make observations about their surroundings and create a deeper understanding of how agriculture and natural resources contribute to our everyday lives.
Desert Scouts Day Camp
Over the summer of 2023, we expanded our curriculum into a 10-day camp where we learned all about the Southern California Desert - including animals, plants, foods, and the Kumeyaay tribe. For this program, we partnered with the Imperial Valley Desert Museum (IVDM), to curate lessons and activities that enhanced our Healthy Choices Through History curriculum, introducing new topics using exercises, arts & crafts, and other hands-on activities to enrich the lessons!
We kicked off the camp with a general introduction of what is a biome and everything that a Desert Biome consists of. After learning about the animals, plants, and climate conditions specific to the desert, we connected what we learned about the region to concepts such as natural resources and indigenous communities. The students constructed replicas of desert landscapes, which they then added features such as ewaa's (the traditional homes of Kumeyaay communities), pottery, and traditional weapons in order to see how the area changed over time. Participants also got to learn about the Kumeyaay culture by crafting replicas of their boats, tools, hunting weapons, and even their art. Another focus of the camp was to use our five senses to discover things in nature. We took multiple outdoor nature walks, exploring the DREC facility for plants, animals, and other natural features such as rocks and soils. Using their knowledge of indigenous communities, participants were able to identify plants that could be used for crafting clothes, tools, and different forms of art. At the end of the program, we took a group field trip to IVDM where we got to take a tour of the museum, see Kumeyaay artifacts, roam the desert landscape, and craft pottery using traditional Kumeyaay methods.
This camp was an amazing opportunity for us to positively influence students through the Summer season. We had more than 15 students participate in our camp, starting off knowing little to nothing about the indigenous communities of this region or just how rich the desert landscape is; By the end of the program we had students who understood what it means to be a steward of the land and how food and physical activity can be enjoyable and connect you back to nature.
Local Food Procurement
Another major milestone for the Farm to School Initiative was the procurement of locally grown food for the school districts to distribute to their students. Located less than 100 miles away is Aziz Farms, the family-run grower and broker that is strongly tied to the growing farm-to-school movement in the Coachella Valley. Retired Farm Smart educator Stephanie Collins began volunteering with Aziz Farms and quickly put us in connection to support the farm-to-school efforts being spearheaded at Farm Smart. Together DREC staff, CFHL, UCCE Imperial, and El Centro Elementary School District (ECESD) Food Directors, visited Aziz Farms for a tour of the facility, observing their educational programs and receiving first hand insight to how they logistically operate to keep some of their produce local. Through this tour, the University of California was able to serve as a liaison between the two organizations, starting the conversation of replicating the successes of the Palm Springs Unified School District within the Imperial Valley. Over the summer ECESD Food & Nutrition Services procured 600 Veggie Boxes which were delivered by Aziz Farms. El Centro Elementary School District (ECESD) distributed those boxes to families through their summer meals program, along with recipes and nutrition information provided by Aziz Farms and CalFresh Healthy, UCCE.
Conclusion
The Future of Farm to School in the Imperial Valley
Moving forward, we hope to see Farm to School Initiatives adopted throughout the community within various organizations. This upcoming year we plan to expand our reach and see an additional 2,000+ students through the Healthy Choices Through History - continuing to promote our mission and impact. Longterm, we would like to see even more locally grown and procured produce in school lunches and family meal boxes. In the final year of our grant we plan to connect even more schools to local farms to increase the number of fresh, locally grown produce within school meals. DREC Farm Smart and its partners intend to continue supporting local organizations in their adoption of farm-to-school activities and programs including school gardens, agriculture literacy, seeking funding opportunities, and providing training and resources.
- Farm to School Resources To register for a field trip - Click Here
- To inquire about getting local produce at your schools - Email us at cjabarca@ucanr.edu
- To learn more about our organization - Click Here
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