Successes and Challenges Implementing a “Fresh from the Farm” Fundraising Program in Schools

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Jennifer Buccino ◽  
Leslie Whittington-Carter
Keyword(s):  
Local Food ◽  
Fresh Produce ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
School Food ◽  
Financial Model ◽  
High Satisfaction ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Feasible Alternative ◽  
Successes And Challenges

In 2013, 4 partner organizations: Dietitians of Canada (DC); Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association; Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; and Ontario Ministry of Education created “Fresh from the Farm” (FFF), a healthy fundraiser for Ontario Schools. FFF was designed to support the Ontario government’s School Food and Beverage Policy and Local Food Act and to provide a feasible alternative for less healthy fundraising options. This paper outlines the program successes and challenges over the 6 years of DC’s involvement. After 6 years, over 1700 schools successfully participated in FFF and over $2 million has been paid to Ontario farmers for product and distribution. The average participating school has generated $2040 in sales towards their fundraising efforts, equating to 770 kg (1700 lbs) of fresh produce per school. Schools reported high satisfaction with FFF, with over 90% of participating schools enrolling in subsequent years. The main reasons for satisfaction included: easy to implement, profitable, offers a healthy alternative to “traditional” fundraising programs, and provides great value for cost. The main challenges were logistics of sourcing and delivery, higher than anticipated costs that made the financial model less feasible than predicted, and competition from other fundraisers.

scholarly journals Exploring Student Food Behaviour in Relation to Food Retail over the Time of Implementing Ontario’s School Food and Beverage Policy

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (14) ◽  
pp. 2563
Author(s):  
Rhona M. Hanning ◽  
Henry Luan ◽  
Taryn A. Orava ◽  
Renata F. Valaitis ◽  
James K. H. Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Urban Region ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
School Food ◽  
Food Retail ◽  
Food Outlets ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
Access To Food

Background: Canadian provincial policies, like Ontario’s School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150), increasingly mandate standards for food and beverages offered for sale at school. Given concerns regarding students leaving school to purchase less healthy foods, we examined student behaviours and competitive food retail around schools in a large urban region of Southern Ontario. Methods: Using a geographic information system (GIS), we enumerated food outlets (convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants) within 500, 1000 and 1500 m of all 389 regional schools spanning years of policy implementation. Consenting grade 6–10 students within 31 randomly selected schools completed a web-based 24-h diet recall (WEB-Q) and questionnaire. Results: Food outlet numbers increased over time (p < 0.01); post-policy, within 1000 m, they averaged 27.31 outlets, with a maximum of 65 fast-food restaurants around one school. Of WEB-Q respondents (n = 2075, mean age = 13.4 ± 1.6 years), those who ate lunch at a restaurant/take-out (n = 84, 4%) consumed significantly more energy (978 vs. 760 kcal), sodium (1556 vs. 1173 mg), and sugar (44.3 vs. 40.1 g). Of elementary and secondary school respondents, 22.1% and 52.4% reported ever eating at fast food outlets during school days. Conclusions: Students have easy access to food retail in school neighbourhoods. The higher energy, sodium and sugar of these options present a health risk.

scholarly journals Support for healthy eating at schools according to the comprehensive school health framework: evaluation during the early years of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy implementation

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 303-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taryn Orava ◽  
Steve Manske ◽  
Rhona Hanning
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Eating ◽  
School Health ◽  
School Nutrition ◽  
Comprehensive School ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Local Context ◽  
School Food ◽  
Comprehensive School Health ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Time Periods

Introduction Provincial, national and international public health agencies recognize the importance of school nutrition policies that help create healthful environments aligned with healthy eating recommendations for youth. School-wide support for healthy living within the pillars of the comprehensive school health (CSH) framework (social and physical environments; teaching and learning; healthy school policy; and partnerships and services) has been positively associated with fostering improvements to student health behaviours. This study used the CSH framework to classify, compare and describe school support for healthy eating during the implementation of the Ontario School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150). Methods We collected data from consenting elementary and secondary schools in a populous region of Ontario in Time I (2012/13) and Time II (2014). Representatives from the schools completed the Healthy School Planner survey and a food environmental scan (FES), which underwent scoring and content analyses. Each school’s support for healthy eating was classified as either “initiation,” “action” or “maintenance” along the Healthy School Continuum in both time periods, and as “high/increased,” “moderate” or “low/decreased” within individual CSH pillars from Time I to Time II. Results Twenty-five school representatives (8 elementary, 17 secondary) participated. Most schools remained in the “action” category (n = 20) across both time periods, with varying levels of support in the CSH pillars. The physical environment was best supported (100% high/increased support) and the social environment was the least (68% low/decreased support). Only two schools achieved the highest rating (maintenance) in Time II. Supports aligned with P/PM 150 were reportedly influenced by administration buy-in, stakeholder support and relevancy to local context. Conclusion Further assistance is required to sustain comprehensive support for healthy eating in Ontario school food environments.

Co-operatives in chains: institutional restructuring in the Dutch fruit and vegetable industry

2003 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jos Bijman ◽  
en George Hendrikse
Keyword(s):  
Asymmetric Information ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Transaction Costs ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Fresh Produce ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Market Conditions ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Related Transaction

Co-operatives play a major role in the agricultural and food industry. Co-operatives, by their very nature, are producer-oriented firms. As market conditions for food products have changed in recent decades, the question has been raised of whether co-operatives are still efficient organisations for carrying out transactions with agrifood products? This article addresses this question for the fresh produce industry in the Netherlands. Traditionally, fruits and vegetables were sold through auctions organised by grower-owned co-operatives. In the 1990s several auction co-operatives merged, transformed into marketing co-operatives, and vertically integrated into wholesale. In addition, growers set up many new bargaining associations and marketing co-operatives. These new co-operatives have started crop and variety-specific marketing programmes. For reasons of asymmetric information and investment-related transaction costs several of the new co-operative firms have also included the wholesale function.

scholarly journals A workplace farmstand pilot programme in Omaha, Nebraska, USA

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 2402-2406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farryl MW Bertmann ◽  
Hollyanne E Fricke ◽  
Leah R Carpenter ◽  
Daniel J Schober ◽  
Teresa M Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Community Participation ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Food Systems ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Private Company ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
In The Beginning

AbstractObjectiveTo explore the feasibility of a workplace farmstand programme through the utilization of an online ordering system to build awareness for local food systems, encourage community participation, and increase local fruit and vegetable availability.DesignA 4-week pilot to explore feasibility of workplace farmstand programmes through a variety of outcome measures, including survey, mode of sale, weekly sales totals and intercept interviews.SettingA large private company in Sarpy County, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.SubjectsEmployees of the company hosting the farmstand programme.ResultsPre-programme, a majority of employees indicated that quality (95·4 %), variety (94·6 %) and cost of fruits and vegetables (86·4 %) were driving factors in their fruit and vegetable selection when shopping. The availability of locally or regionally produced fruits and vegetables was highly important (78·1 %). Participants varied in their definition of local food, with nearly half (49·2 %) reporting within 80·5 km (50 miles), followed by 160·9 km (100 miles; 29·5 %) and 321·9 km (200 miles; 12·1 %). Weekly farmstand purchases (both walk-ups and online orders) ranged from twenty-eight to thirty-nine employees, with weekly sales ranging from $US 257·95 to 436·90 for the producer. The mode of purchase changed throughout the pilot, with higher use of online ordering in the beginning and higher use of walk-up purchasing at the end.ConclusionsThe workplace farmstand pilot study revealed initial interest by both employees and a producer in this type of programme, helped to establish a sustained producer–employer relationship and led to additional opportunities for both the producer and employer.

scholarly journals Disparities in the availability of fruits and vegetables between racially segregated urban neighbourhoods

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1481-1489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Morland ◽  
Susan Filomena
Keyword(s):  
Predominantly White ◽  
Census Tract ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Fresh Produce ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Predominantly Black ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Urban Neighbourhoods ◽  
Fresh Vegetables

AbstractObjectivePublic health professionals continue to see the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption on population health. While studies that evaluate the availability of produce are sparse in the medical literature, disparities in availability may explain the disproportional intake of produce for some people. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the availability and variety of produce located in two racially and economically diverse urban neighbourhoods.DesignA cross-sectional study was conducted in which 50% of the supermarkets, small grocery stores, delicatessens, and fruit and vegetable markets located in specific neighbourhoods were randomly sampled and surveyed between September 2004 and July 2005. Food stores were evaluated for the availability of 20 types of fresh fruits and 19 types of fresh vegetables, as well as their varieties and whether they were canned, frozen or previously prepared. 2000 US Census information was used to determine characteristics of the geo-coded census tracts where the food stores were located.SettingBrooklyn, New York.ResultsA supermarket was located in approximately every third census tract in predominantly white areas (prevalence = 0.33) and every fourth census tract in racially mixed areas (prevalence = 0.27). There were no supermarkets located in the predominantly black areas. With the exception of bananas, potatoes, okra and yucca, a lower proportion of predominantly black area stores carried fresh produce, while supermarkets carried the largest variety of produce types. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables were found in the majority of stores, whereas prepared and organic produce was limited to predominantly white area stores.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate that the availability and variety of fresh produce is associated with neighbourhood racial composition and may be a factor contributing to differences in intake among residents.

Limited Evidence That Competitive Food and Beverage Practices Affect Adolescent Consumption Behaviors

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy C. Vericker
Keyword(s):  
Food Policy ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Limited Evidence ◽  
School Food ◽  
Intervention Point ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Policy Lever

Childhood obesity is emerging as a considerable public health problem with no clear antidote. The school food environment is a potential intervention point for policy makers, with competitive food and beverage regulation as a possible policy lever. This research examines the link between competitive food and beverage availability in school and adolescent consumption patterns using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999. Results from value-added multivariate regression models reveal limited evidence that competitive food policy affects fruit and vegetable consumption. Findings suggest a stronger link between competitive beverage policy and consumption of sweetened beverages for population subgroups.

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