Farm to Institution

Willamette Farm & Food Coalition (WFFC) works with Lane County school districts to incorporate locally grown produce into school meals. Our Farm to Institution Coordinator facilitates relationships between local growers/processors and nutrition services staff to procure and promote local food. We also host Tasting Tables for students in four schools in Lane County. During lunch time in the cafeteria, WFFC offers samples of fresh, locally grown fruits or vegetables from nearby farms, or locally processed products, in conjunction with the districts’ Harvest of the Month Program.

During the 2015-16 school year, Lane County school districts purchased Lane County grown and processed products valued at $422,891, including 60,170 pounds of produce from Lane County farms. These same schools purchased Oregon-grown and processed products valued at $1.3 million. To read a full report, click here.

Attention Farmers: There is an opportunity to get the food that you grow into the mouths of school children in Lane County! School districts can be a new market for your crops and help connect kids with the source of their food. To get started, contact us or click here.

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Support Farm to School Activities in Lane County!

When you buy Farm to School apples at participating retailers in the Eugene area–including Sundance, The Kiva, Red Barn, and New Frontier–profits from the sale will support Willamette Farm and Food Coalition’s Farm to Institution activities. When you buy Farm to School apples at Capella or Friendly Street Market the proceeds support the School Garden Project. WFFC thanks these local retailers and Organically Grown Company for sponsoring this program!

Community Outreach

Through school and community settings, we are increasing low-income families’ exposure and access to fresh, locally grown foods. WFFC co-hosts family-friendly events at the FOOD for Lane County Youth Farm, the Bethel Farm, and the Lane County Farmers Market with tours, kids’ activities, and family-friendly cooking demonstrations.

At these events, families may receive:

nutrition incentive coupons for use at nearby farmers markets or farm stands,
food boxes with produce grown by market vendors or on-site at the farm,
flyers educating families about the opportunity to use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at these sites,
information about Double Up Food Bucks and other SNAP Match programs, and
Oregon Harvest for Schools Family Newsletters, which encourage consumption of Oregon-grown fruits and vegetables at home.

Farm Field Trips

Willamette Farm and Food Coalition no longer coordinates farm field trips in Lane County schools. With our support, School Garden Project of Lane County (SGP), a long-time partner, began offering field trips for students at several schools in Fall 2016.

WFFC has created a Farm Field Trip Toolkit for teachers, a step-by-step guide for implementing successful farm field trips. The Toolkit also includes a list of recommended local farms in Lane County, funding sources, and supplemental classroom lessons. This project was made possible with funding from the Gray Family Foundation.

A visit to the FOOD for Lane County Youth Farm, Bethel School District’s Oregon Harvest Day Lunch at Prairie Mountain School, and school garden sessions at River Road.