Mission: Creating healthy bodies, minds & communities through local food.
Vision: Coulee Region Farm2School strives to offer all Coulee Region students access to fresh, locally grown foods and educational experiences that foster understanding of where their food comes from and how their food choices impact their bodies, the environment and their community. Farm2School links lunchrooms, classrooms, farms and gardens to benefit students, schools, local farmers and our community.
Coulee Region Farm2School is a partnership between La Crosse County Health Department, Mayo Clinic Health System – Franciscan Healthcare, Gundersen Health System, and the School Districts of Bangor, Holmen, La Crescent-Hokah, La Crosse, Onalaska, and West Salem.
Farm2School helps connect local farmers with area schools so that fresh, locally grown foods can be served at school meals. In addition, Farm2School encourages children to try new foods & provides opportunities for hands-on nutrition education both in the cafeteria and in school gardens. Each month, one local food is selected as the Harvest of the Month. This food is then featured on promotional signage throughout the school, sampled in taste tests (click here for a video!), featured at cooking classes with area chefs and farmers (click here to see Chef Thomas in action), and of course, served at mealtime! The Harvest of the Month is also promoted in grocery stores, worksites and other community locations.
Farm2School helps children understand where their food comes from and how their food choices impact their bodies, the environment and their community. When kids learn first-hand that fruits and vegetables can be delicious in addition to being good for them, that knowledge will make it more likely that they make smart food choices their whole lives.
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Karie Johnson – Nutrition Coordinator 212 6th Street N, Suite 2200 La Crosse, WI 54601 Phone: (608) 785-9620 Email: karie.johnson@wisc.edu |
