Kentucky Department of Agriculture Healthy Kids Conference Jim Mansfield, Director Division of Horticulture & Aquaculture

KY Farm-to-School Program To provide high quality fresh local food to KY public institutions at a fair price while at the same time providing sales and income opportunities for KY farms. MISSION STATEMENT

Farm Sales Potential è 1665 Schools in KY (2001) è Approximately 82,275,000 meals served annually è Creates marketing opportunities for produce, dairy products and meat from KY family farms

Kentucky’s Unique Situation  89,000 Farms, mostly small  3.1 Billion Dollars in Agriculture Sales (2002)  Approx. 33% Crop & 66% Livestock  Tobacco up to 1 Billion in Sales (1998)  50% Cut in Quota  Tobacco: –High Value per Acre –Not Perishable –Price and Sales are Guaranteed

Produce Marketing Four key points needed to establish a viable wholesale market –Quality –Volume –Service –Price

Central Kentucky Growers’ Association 2190 Cincinnati Pike Georgetown, KY Cumberland Farm Products 469 East Highway 90 By-pass Monticello, KY West Kentucky Growers Co-op 806 KY 279 North Owensboro, KY Green River Produce Marketing Association PO Box 71 Horse Cave, KY Areas serviced by Kentucky’s fruit and vegetable marketing cooperatives

Farm to School - History  Idea took root in May 2000  A joint interest and effort by USDA, KDA, UK Extension and KY Dept. of Education  Pilot program in regions 4 & 8  Sales of cabbage, broccoli and fall decorative items (mini pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn)

Farm to School - History  2001& 2002 state-wide program  98 Schools participated  KDA Marketing coordinated crop offerings and delivery schedules  KDA Food Distribution coordinated distribution and school produce orders  DOD coordinated bid process, quality control and payments to growers

Farm-to-School Menu 2002  Seedless Watermelons  Yukon Gold Potatoes  Fall Décor Kit  Red Cabbage  Green Cabbage  Broccoli

Advantages of Kentucky FTS  Allows schools an opportunity to support local agriculture and purchase fresh products  Offers a “teachable moment” about food  Provides an additional market for KY farms  State-wide distribution of products  Prices are competitive with national markets  Quality control  Multiple products supplied by multiple growers

Challenges  Most KY produce = June, July & August  2000 thru 2002 MO was cumbersome  Schools have limited produce preparation abilities  Tracking KY products - is this working and are we getting what we asked for?  New crops and or new time frames are needed  Program loyalty- patience please!

The Future  Work mainly through the DOD vendors  Encourage early and late KY produce crops  Develop fresh-cut and processing opportunities  Look for ways to link individual farms with local schools

HAPPY CUSTOMERS !!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Daviess County Schools Ms. Lisa Sims Food Service Director

Daviess County Schools utilize Farm to School Program  Support local farmers  Fresh, quality products  Efficient way to use Commodity Dollars

Farm to School Purchases for  Seedless Watermelons –290 melons, $2297  Green Cabbage- 40/25lb, $233  Broccoli – 60 bushels, $856  Fall Décor Kit- 30 kits, $300  Red Cabbage  Yukon Gold Potatoes

DCPS Farm to School Products for  Request KY Grown on Fax Cover Sheets when requesting produce orders from the Department of Defense.  This year Watermelons have been ordered

DOD Produce  Encourages schools to offer more fresh fruit and vegetable choices  Cuts out the middle man of receiving fresh items through commodity program

More Salad!  For healthier choices  To help meet nutrient requirements  Justify Salad Bars for teachers