United States school meal, farm to school & food education programs

Abstract:

During this presentation, I’ll discuss how school meal programs (lunch, breakfast, and fresh fruit and vegetable) in the United States operate, including successes (such as Minneapolis Public Schools central kitchen and scratch meals program), challenges (such as reimbursement rates that provide challenges in certain areas), and opportunities (such as cultivating healthy eating habits in children as part of their education).
I’ll also discuss how the Farm to School program operates, including success stories and challenges, as well as benefits to farmers and nutrition education opportunities provided by the program.
I’ll also discuss U.S. nutrition education efforts related to USDA programs, and share some first-hand experiences interacting with leaders, children, media, and others during school visits designed to highlight healthier eating initiatives, such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to improve school meals and President Biden’s efforts to expand on those efforts.
I’ll finish with successes, insights, and lessons learned in communicating and marketing these programs and initiatives.
Background Information: The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.
Over 95,000 schools/institutions serve school lunches to 29.6 million students each day, including:

• 20.4 million free lunches
• 0.9 million reduced price (student pays $0.40)
• 8.3 million full price
• 4.8 billion lunches are served annually

School Breakfast Program (SBP) Average Daily Participation

Over 93,000 schools/institutions serve school breakfasts to 15.6 million students each day, including:

• 12 million free breakfasts
• 0.4 million reduced price (student pays $0.30)
• 3.2 million full price
• 2.5 billion breakfasts are served annually

The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program helps child nutrition program operators incorporate local foods in the National School Lunch Program, the Summer Food Service Program the Child and Adult Care Food Program and all associated programs. In addition, USDA staff work with tribal communities by promoting food sovereignty and the integration of traditional food ways into tribal meal programs.

Biography:

He directed communications for U.S. nutrition programs, including major campaigns (such as First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! and healthier school meals campaigns). He founded and facilitated four networks: one focused on hunger and nutrition and comprised of over 600 health care providers and related organizations; another focused on local food systems with over 1500 participants; the third focused on anti-hunger efforts and nutrition with over 400 organizations; and the fourth focused on improving school meals with around 100 school meal champions. The purpose of the networks was to shorten the learning curve through lifting up successful models, connecting organizations across the country to others, and to connect participants to the federal government and relevant programs.
While serving at U.S.D.A., He played an early and leading role in connecting the healthcare sector with federal nutrition programs and viewing hunger as a health issue. He served as part of a small team that planned and hosted the first-ever U.S.D.A. summit focused on the intersection of health and nutrition which included food as medicine approaches.