An Introduction to Farm to Fork & Farm to School Procurement

1. An Introduction to Farm to Fork & Farm to School Procurement Presented by: California Farm to School Network www.cafarmtoschool.org July 15, 2014 Diana Abellera, Community Alliance with Family Farmers Sharon Cech, Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College Erin Derden-Little, Community Alliance with Family Farmers

2. Overview • Overview of Farm to Fork Procurement • City and County Initiatives • Farm to School Models • How to Start a Worksite CSA • Marketing & Community Awareness

3. What is Farm to Fork? Any effort that enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers. Farm to Fork may include: • Products that are source-identified (by location or farm) • Education about local food • Access to local food / procurement Resources can be found at: http://cafarmtofork.com/

4. What is Procurement? • The purchasing of goods and services • Government / institutions vs. retail / worksite / other • The procurement process involves: Procurement Principles Resources can be found at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/

5. How do I start? • Gather stakeholders • Define your program goals, for example: • Support local growers or family farmers • Marketing to increase meal participation • Comply with policy • Set targets, for example: • Define “local” (250mi radius? State of CA?) • Identify desired percent of local product (5%? 25%?) • Create implementation and evaluation plan ?

6. City and County Initiatives A public commitment to “local” can be an important first step! City of Santa Cruz Humboldt County City of Los Angeles “With this pledge, I declare my commitment to the Good Food movement and join with other concerned eaters to provide lasting support for Good Food within our 200-mile foodshed.” “The County Board of Supervisors … urges all community members to join in a month-long celebration of local agriculture, farmers, and producers who provide our food.“

7. Los Angeles Food Policy Council Los Angeles Food Policy Council’s Good Food Purchasing Program is the most comprehensive and metric-based food purchasing policy of its kind in the nation. Resources can be found at: http://goodfoodla.org/policymaking/good-food-procurement/

8. Farm to School - Core Elements Resources can be found at: www.farmtoschool.org OR www.cafarmtoschool.org

9. Farm to School – USDA Census • 625/860 school districts completed survey • 56% said they are doing Farm to School • Of $274 million spent on school food, $51 million was spent on local food • Citrus, apples, lettuce, berries, carrots Resources can be found at: www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/census#/

10. California Farm to School Network California Farm to School Network • Regular blog updates / stories • FoodCorps • Monthly activities • Listserv • Resources • Webinars • Calendars • Find out who else is in your region with the CFSN! Resources can be found at: www.cafarmtoschool.org/

11. F2S Procurement – Farmer Direct The Farmer Direct strategy means that school food services buy directly from farmers. This strategy works particularly well for small districts in rural areas. Examples: • Eureka City Schools • Santa Rosa City Schools • Ventura Unified School District

12. F2S Procurement: Conventional Distributor Conventional distributors offering local products can be a straightforward strategy for Farm to School sourcing, particularly for large districts. Example: • Oakland Unified School District — Oakland, CA

13. F2S Procurement: Food Hubs Food hubs help small-scale farmers reach wholesale markets that they could not access on their own, and usually function like small distributors. Example: • Old Grove Orange / Inland Orange Conservancy — Redlands, CA Resources can be found at: http://oldgrovefarmshare.com/portfolio-item/bob/

14. Farm to Preschool Institutional-scale Setting Family Childcare Setting PROCUREMENT STRATEGY: Distributor PROCUREMENT STRATEGY: Farmers’ Market Resources can be found at: www.farmtopreschool.org

15. Farm to School Policy • Local School District Policies: • Berkeley Unified: $450K school garden and nutrition program • Davis Joint Unified: $70K/year parcel tax • Oakland Unified: Measure J $40 million for facilities and farm • School Wellness Councils / Policies Resources can be found at: http://www.farmtoschool.org/policy

16. Oakland Unified School District

17. Farm to Hospital • How-to Guide by Healthcare without Harm and Community Alliance with Family Farmers Resources can be found at: www.caff.org

18. Farm to Worksite – through CSA Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) • Members purchase a “share” of the harvest • Farmer provides members with weekly shares of fresh, seasonal produce for a specified time frame • Payment is usually upfront

19. Farm to Worksite – through CSA Worksite CSA Model • Weekly shares are delivered directly to the workplace Imagine not having to stop at the grocery store on your way home from work…

20. Farm to Worksite – through CSA Workplace Wellness • Help employees access fresh, local food • Promote a healthier and more productive workplace For every dollar spent on wellness programs, the average employer saves $3.27 in medical costs. “Health Policy Brief: Workplace Wellness Programs,” Health Affairs, May 10, 2011

21. Farm to Worksite – through CSA • How to Get Started: A) Identify a point person • One point of contact • Bridge to decision makers in the workplace • Main coordinator of logistics and communication… …YOU!

22. Farm to Worksite – through CSA • How to Get Started: B) Find CSA(s) near you and what they offer • Delivery • Cost • Payment options • Share sizes (full, half) • Minimum number of members Search for CSAs through: • Buy Fresh Buy Local Search Bar at caff.org • Local Farmers Market Associations • UCCE and other Farmer Support Organizations

23. Farm to Worksite – through CSA • How to Get Started: C) Build Participation • Determine whether workplace can provide financial support • Recruit members, secure commitment • Collect payment

24. Farm to Worksite – through CSA • How to Get Started: D) Finalize Delivery Site and Systems • Secure location for boxes • System for unclaimed boxes/box return • Communication system

25. Farm to Worksite – through CSA Other Factors to Consider • Timing • Low-income Access

26. Farm to Worksite – through CSA Types of Worksites • Hospital • Senior Resource Center • School • Public Health • Office Building • Retail • Many more!

27. Farm to Worksite – through CSA Benefits Beyond Employee Health • Creates educational opportunity • Builds Community • Helps farmers reach new audience • Can open the door for procurement in worksite cafeterias

28. Farm to Worksite – through CSA Resources • Outreach flier from CAFF • Worksite Program California Fit Business Kit: Ordering Produce for the Worksite • erin@caff.org Resources can be found at: www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cpns/Pages/WorksiteFitBusinessKit.aspx#produce

29. F2F Retail: Whole Foods Markets What is Farm to Fork Retail? #1) Sourcing Local #2) Marketing Local #3) Transparency Resources can be found at: www.wholefoods.com

30. F2F Retail: WIC-Only Stores #1) Sourcing Local #2) Marketing Local #3) Transparency Farm to WIC Pilot (2009-2012) • 3 chains serving 9 stores • 4 primary products • Over 340,000 lbs of fresh local produce to WIC consumers • Over $200K to local farmers Resources can be found at: www.uepi.oxy.edu

31. Marketing Campaigns

32. Upcoming Events • September – Local Food Month www.localfoodmonth.org (Humboldt Co.) • October – Farm to School Month www.farmtoschoolmonth.org • October 24 – Food Day www.foodday.org

33. Thank You! For more information: Diana Abellera Statewide Food Systems Director Community Alliance with Family Farmers www.cafarmtoschool.org farmtoschool@caff.org 510-832-4625 x14 Sharon Cech Regional Food Systems Program Manager Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College www.uepi.oxy.edu cech@oxy.edu 323-341-5091