{"id":24059,"date":"2022-02-24T10:02:34","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T17:02:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/?p=24059"},"modified":"2022-02-24T11:03:48","modified_gmt":"2022-02-24T18:03:48","slug":"first-partner-jennifer-siebel-newsom-releases-report-to-expand-access-to-farm-to-school-throughout-california-is-joined-in-effort-by-secretary-ross","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov\/wordpress\/index.php\/2022\/02\/24\/first-partner-jennifer-siebel-newsom-releases-report-to-expand-access-to-farm-to-school-throughout-california-is-joined-in-effort-by-secretary-ross\/","title":{"rendered":"First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom releases report to expand access to Farm to School throughout California — is joined in effort by Secretary Ross"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and CDFA Secretary Karen Ross have toured key Farm to School sites together, including this visit to Three Sisters Gardens in Yolo County. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Building on her commitment to ensuring California children have the best start in life, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom today announced the release of Planting the Seed: Farm to School Roadmap for Success<\/em><\/a>, a report promoting the expansion of farm to school programs across California to advance child well-being, equity, economic growth, and environmental resilience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast year, California made history as the first state to establish permanent universal school meals. Through farm to school programs, we are going one step further to ensure children don\u2019t just have access to free meals in school, but that those meals are healthy, nutritious, and locally-grown,\u201d said Governor Newsom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Access to high-quality, fresh foods can increase students\u2019 consumption of fruits and vegetables and support children\u2019s physical health, while hands-on experiential learning opportunities like gardening and cooking serve to improve educational outcomes and support whole-child development. Farm to school programs allow students to learn about the relationships between food systems and the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSchools play a crucial role in feeding California children and communities, with school meal recipients consuming almost half of their daily caloric intake from school meals alone,\u201d said First Partner Siebel Newsom. \u201cPlanting the Seed<\/em> is a roadmap to strengthen the state\u2019s school food systems, nurture children\u2019s minds and bodies, and cultivate a healthier, more equitable, climate smart California for all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

School meals are crucial sources of nutrition for children and an important tool to improve food access and nutrition security among children and their families, especially in communities of color. During the pandemic, approximately one in four low-income families in the state relied on food from schools to cover food shortages. Nationally, people of color are more likely to experience food insecurity, hunger, childhood obesity, and diabetes in both rural and urban communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCalifornia, which produces over a third of the nation\u2019s vegetables and two-thirds of the country\u2019s fruits and nuts, is well-positioned to improve child health and well-being through the expansion of farm to school programs,\u201d said California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farm to school programs promote economic growth in local communities through local procurement, and incentivize climate smart, regenerative agriculture practices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting the Seed<\/em> outlines specific recommendations to advance the expansion of farm to school programs across the state, including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n