Why is Farm-to-School Important?

Why is Farm-to-School Important?

Across the nation, there is growing interest in connecting fresh and local foods with school lunch programs.  With childhood obesity, diabetes, and other nutrition-related diseases on the rise, parents and educators want to see children eating more healthy foods.  At the same time, small farms are struggling to survive.  Farm-to-school programs address both of these community concerns by bringing locally grown foods into school cafeterias.  In Whatcom County, there is a groundswell of interest and opportunity.  Farm-to-school can help…

  • Provide children with more fresh, nutritious foods.
  • Improve children’s health.
  • Encourage lifelong healthy eating habits.
  • Support Washington’s farmers with local markets for their crops.
  • Reduce negative environmental impacts including energy use, waste, and climate change pollution by decreasing food packaging, refrigeration, storage, and transportation.
  • Help preserve our rural communities.
  • Promote awareness of how food choices impact our health, our communities, and the environment.