October is National Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate connections happening all over the country between schools, early care and adult centers, and local farms! To kick off the month, Virginians celebrate Virginia Farm to School Week during the first full week of October.
Culpeper County Public Schools (CCPS) is joining Virginia Farm to School Week celebration next week. Events will include participating in the Crunch Heard ‘Round the Commonwealth on Thursday, October 5, 2023. During the Crunch, students and staff will crunch into local apples from Thornton River Orchard to make some noise for Virginia farm to school programs.
Farm to School enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and early care settings. Students gain access to healthy, local foods as well as education opportunities such as school gardens, cooking lessons, and farm field trips. Agriculture is Virginia’s largest industry, and supporting local farms increases employment opportunities and community food security.
Over the past decade, the farm to school movement has exploded across the United States, reaching millions of students in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Farm to school is an important tool in the fight against childhood obesity and food insecurity. In addition to improving child health, schools create new markets for local and regional farmers and contribute to vibrant communities when they buy local. A win-win-win scenario!
According to the 2019 USDA Farm to School Census, over 90 school divisions utilize locally grown food in their National School Lunch Programs, and over 50 school divisions across Virginia use school gardens and student farms to educate students.
Virginia Farm to School Week is an opportunity to celebrate farm to school programs throughout the Commonwealth. The largest celebration during the week is the annual Crunch Heard ‘Round the Commonwealth. On the day of the “Crunch,” schools throughout the Commonwealth crunch into Virginia grown apples to make some noise for farm to school programs.
Participants are encouraged to share their celebrations on social media using the hashtag #VACrunch and #VAFarmtoSchool.
For more information about Virginia farm to school programs, visit the VDOE-SNP Farm to School website.