hawaii farm to school update, mar09

HAWAI‘I FARM-TO-SCHOOLgrowing a movement

Updated March 2009

HAWAI‘I BASICSIsolated island chain

Population = 1.2 M

10,930 square miles; 7 populated islands

High reliance on food imports & fossil fuels

7 days worth of food on island

Ethnically & culturally diverse

HAWAI‘I AGRICULTURE

• Fertile land, year-round growing season

• Crop diversity increasing• GMO experimentation• High land values, shortage of

farm labor• Lack of processing,

distribution infrastructure• Farmers interested in

supplying schools, want to know what to grow!

‘AINA In Schools:Actively Integrating Nutrition &

Agriculture in Schools

• Six Integrated Components:School Gardens, Agricultural literacy, Waste reduction & management, Nutrition education, Local & Fresh school lunch, Family & community outreach

• 10 participating schools on O‘ahu

• Workshops, mini-grants for other schools

www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org/aina

Mala‘ai, The Culinary Gardens of Waimea Middle School

• Modeled after the Edible Schoolyard

• Collaborates with teachers to develop customized lessons

• Breakfast snacks during testing

• Community presentations & workshops

• www.malaai.org

Hawai‘i Island School Garden Network

• Goal: increase consumption of locally produced food on island

• Networking with educators at 50+ schools on Hawai‘i Island

• Workshops, networking, technical assistance

http://www.kohalacenter.org/HISGN/about.html

OTHER FARM TO SCHOOL & FOOD PROGRAMS

• Hoa ‘Aina O Makaha (Makaha, O‘ahu: www.hoa-aina.org)

• MA‘O Youth Organic Farms and ‘Ai Pono (Wai‘anae, O‘ahu: www.maoorganicfarms.org)

OUR STRENGTHS• Growing interest in food

self-sufficiency

• One state-wide school district--opportunity for BIG change

• DOE Wellness Policy utilized by schools to support, implement F2S

• Great growing conditions!

• Tight communities with strong traditions

OUR CHALLENGES

School Lunch:• One school district!• Fixed menu statewide• School budgets• DOE can’t quantify produce

needs • Inconsistency of local

produce; small farmsOther Components:• Not enough hours in school

day• Few staff positions

dedicated to F2S issues

2009 LEGISLATION

• SCR121: Feasibility study for statewide F2S program (alive as of 3/30/09)

• Others, deferred or waiting to be heard:– Establishes a F2S nutrition program– Local produce at lunch 1x/week– Hawai‘i products preferences– Vegetarian lunch option– Establishes the F2S program in DOE

A BRIGHT HORIZON

Increasing interest in food & fuel independence

High interest in F2S across Hawai‘i

Trainings, funding networking opportunities

Legislative interest, support

Growing number of organizations, partnerships

MAHALO!

Please send inquiries or updates about your Hawai‘i program to info@kokuahawaiifoundation.org