1. “What it Takes to Make a Healthy Community”
Weld County School District 6
Nutrition Services
Natalie Leffler Rehurek
Food Hub Manager
Self-intro, role at D6
Presentation will cover: farm to school at a national level and at D6; current state of school food (national and D6); school gardens; and our future goals/plans and vision

2. Farm to School: A (Growing) National Movement
USDA Farm to School Consensus (2015)
42% of districts surveyed say they participate in Farm to School activities
$790 million in local purchases
Several studies estimate that buying local food has a multiplier effect of 1.4 to 2.6 throughout the local economy; for every dollar spent locally, another $0.40 to $1.60 of economic activity is generated. (USDA)
USDA Support
Regional Farm to School Staff Members
Grant Programs
Toolkits and Technical Assistance/Support
Colorado F2S Task Force
In 2010, the Colorado General Assembly created the Task Force to study, develop, and recommend policies and methods to best implement a Farm to School program.  In 2013, the Assembly reauthorized the Task Force, to be continued indefinitely.
Colorado Proud School Meal Day – CO Dpt. of Ag
Governor Proclamation (annual)
Farm to School is embedded and widespread; not a fad or something that will fade away
Good nutrition = good learners (highlight importance)
What does it take to make a healthy community? Collaboration, leveraging assets, persistence, vision, foundations to be built upon

3. School Food Reform: A Progress Report
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA)
More than 96% of schools report they are successfully meeting the nutritional standards (USDA, 2015)
Required to serve fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, along with reduced calories, sodium, sugar, and fat content
Let’s Move: Salad Bars to Cafeterias
Applies to Vending as well as Meal Service
D6’s Approach: Nourishing Students, Creating Success!
School Food Renaissance – began in 2010
From-Scratch Cooking
Centralized Meal Production
80% of main and side dishes are prepared from-scratch
Trained Workforce
Seasonal, rotating menus
Upwards of 14,000 meals prepared daily
Let’s Move: Chefs to Schools
Local Procurement: milk, produce, meat
Salad Bars: every school, every day
Soda-Free Zones
Student Wellness Initiatives
HHFKA: First (positively impactful) updates to NSLP in 30 years!
Locally produced sunflower cooking oil
Connections and access to healthy food

4. School Gardens Gardens at elementary, middle, and high schools
Future gardens to come
Garden to Cafeteria Program
Financial support
Ownership and empowerment
Food safety is critical
Acceptance/willingness towards fruits and vegetables
Reinforced and project based/experiential learning
Access to play and healthy food
Where, how many, when?
Garden to Cafeteria program: helping NS bottom line
Why school gardens?

5. Future Plans Food Hub Development
Developing an aggregate, re-packing, processing, and re-distribution system
Offer locally sourced and from-scratch prepared foods to other institutions
13 school districts within a 30 mile radius of Greeley-Evans
Ag Literacy and Foodsense
Reinforced, experiential learning opportunities
Bringing Urban Gardens to Schools – B.U.G.S. garden-based curriculum
Aligned with state academic standards
Chef in the Classroom
Farmer in the Classroom
Farm Field Trips
Food Waste: Prevention and Productive Management
Prevention is #1
Love School Food Hate Waste awareness campaign
Hierarchy (per EPA)
Share Tables
Food Donations and Supper Program
Collection for animal feed
Composting (pre-consumer) food waste at central production kitchen
After one year, 1,000 gallons of food scraps have been diverted
Food Hub: full development plan
Ag Literacy/Foodsense: making the connection to food production/systems
Food waste: focused efforts; CSU Pre-consumer food waste audit; under development – many opportunities