Our Food Leaders have been hard at work sharing ideas, offering feedback and helping make real changes to their school meals. Each month brings a new theme, ensuring our farm to school work grows alongside student interests and ideas. Throughout their input, students don’t just share opinions- they will help shape what ends up on their lunch trays.
September: Farm to School Introduction
We kicked off the year by digging into what farm to school is and why it matters, and how students can directly influence and improve their school meals. Food Leaders reviewed the yearlong plan, shared feedback and pitched ideas for events they wanted to host. Every topic explores a difference piece of Feed Our Future programming, empowering students to make meaningful changes in their schools while moving our work forward.
October: Harvest of the Month
Students’ voices took the spotlight as Food Leaders reviewed our Harvest of the Month materials. Their thoughtful feedback helped us understand what sparks interest- and what could use a refresh.
November: Grateful for Our Growers
In November, we celebrated the local growers feeding our schools and explored ways to connect with new farmers. Food Leaders also weighted in our Grower Storytelling Toolkits to keep them engaging and relevant.
December: New Year, New FOF Gear?
Food Leaders shared their thoughts on current Feed Our Future gear- and what they’d love to see next. Stay tuned for updates!
Farm to School Events:
November was packed with farm to school fun!
At Crestwood Intermediate School, Food Leaders hosted an all-local lunch featuring a fully sourced local menu, including pork raised by a Crestwood Student. Food Leaders, Nora and Brian, introduced the foods during each lunch period and gathered student votes on their favorite part of the lunch.
At Marion Seltzer, Food Leaders helped host a Cleveland Grower Panel for 6th-8th graders. Four local growers shared their stories, answered student-created questions, and connected directly with students about where their food comes from.
Huge thanks to the growers who joined us and shared their experiences- we couldn’t do this without you.
If you’re interested in bringing Food Leaders Alliance to your school, send us an email at ohiofeedourfuture@gmail.com.