2. Why Farm to School?
Perry County Farm to School Task Force was formed in
2010 with the following goals:
Increase access to fresh, locally grown produce to students
Provide classroom education on sound nutrition practices,
food systems, and agricultural sustainability
Stimulate community-wide interest in school nutrition,
local food systems, and using agriculture as a means to
economic development
Encourage increased consumption of fruits and vegetables
Ultimately improve the health of Perry County citizens
Decrease prevalence of chronic diseases such as obesity and
diabetes.
Prevent morbidity and early mortality.
3. Schools Open a New
Market for Producers
In 2014, Perry County Schools served:
• 3612 lunches
• 2708 breakfasts
• 850 suppers
Our food budget is ~1.4 million
• In 2014, 13% our food dollars were spent within
Kentucky ranking Perry County 7th in the state
USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant
• Seven of our schools are offered fresh fruits and
vegetables for snacks throughout the day
4. Barriers
Time
Purchasing from multiple local sources involves more
paperwork and takes more time finding local farmers
Distribution
Perry County has 10 schools
The two farthest schools are 108 miles apart
Delivering to each school is not feasible when
delivering a single product at a time
Procurement Procedures
USDA and State regulations
5. How to Deal with Barriers
Seek Help!
Partnering with community organizations
The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, UK
Extension Agency, Eastern Kentucky University, and
many more.
Perry County Schools applied for and received a
USDA planning grant for 1 year
Able to hire two project interns (Karyn Knecht and Jason
Brashear) and an AmeriCorps VISTA (Rachel
Ackerman) to work full time on the Farm to School
program.
6. • In 2014, locally grown apples, corn,
tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, green beans,
watermelon, and milk were served in all 10
cafeterias
• A Farm Field Day was held at Holliday
Farms, were 320 second and third graders
rotated through stations learning about grain,
vegetable, livestock, dairy, chicken/egg, and
bees/pollination.
• In class cooking and nutrition education took
place around the county, reaching 364
elementary students.
• Chef Jim Whaley visited a Perry County
kitchen to share his tricks with the cooks when
cooking with fresh, local ingredients
Farm to School
2014
7. Moving Forward
Perry County is committed to continuing Farm to
School in order to:
Provide fresh, great tasting food to students so they
are well nourished and ready to learn.
Make students aware of where their food comes from
and why fresh food is important to their health.
Improve the community and local economy by
providing a market for Kentucky farmers.