Seeking deeper sustainability in Farm to School/Preschool & Local Foodsheds
At HCFS, we take a systems approach to Farm to School and Preschool in the effort to gain the greatest benefits for our children, their future, and the communities of which they are a part. The benefits of these programs, if done well, extend beyond our children’s current nutrition and education to life-long good eating habits, a healthy relationship with food and nature, and ultimately to healthier communities, healthier foodsheds, and a better world for them to enjoy.
To us, Digging Deeper means:
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- Food sourced as locally as possible from neighboring family farmers, ranchers, and gardeners familiar to the children. Finding Local Food
- Sustainably produced foods in meals and snacks, wherever the source—environmentally sound production, humane, fair to producers and farm workers, wildlife- and climate-friendly. Choosing Good Food
- Truly nutritious food—real food, whole foods, seasonal eating, optimum freshness, nutritionally superior varieties, wise storage and prep, common sense food safety, and going beyond minimum nutritional requirements. Choosing Good Food
- School gardens prioritized for every child and fully integrated into the whole school and community. No Child Without a Garden
- Deeper ecological learning in school gardens and beyond as exemplified by our Wild School Gardens and Healthy Local Foodsheds work.
- Getting Serious Now and not waiting for budgets to improve, legislatures to act, and things to “catch on” to make a better future for our children. Food, Biodiversity, and Climate Change
