Farm to School
Foodcorps
FoodCorps is a national nonprofit service organization that describes its purpose as connecting “kids to healthy food in school, so they can lead healthier lives and reach their full potential.” Focused on high-needs schools, members serve where 50% or more of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Your involvement enables this essential program to continue.
In 2011, Groundwork became a founding service site for FoodCorps, and today we remain a FoodCorps service site, with a service member active in schools in Boyne Falls, Pellston, Alanson and East Jordan. Through FoodCorps, our staff and service members work directly with school administrators to prepare hands-on lessons, improve the health of meals and create a healthy food culture.
Please contact Jen Schaap for more information about how FoodCorps programming can help your school’s children establish lifelong healthy food skills.
- Take action!
- Offer to volunteer to assist FoodCorps Service members.
- During school board public comment periods, express support for FoodCorps work.
- Join or form a committee to update your school's healthy food policy.
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?
Foodcorps News
New Farm to School Jobs Boosting Local Food Culture
ABOVE PHOTO: Some school food jobs now involve helping manage and teach classes in hoop houses. Pellston schools hoop house shown under construction. My first job in northwest Michigan was at a Montessori school. It was 2006, and I saw how four- and five-year-olds...
School Food Services Face Force of Nature
ABOVE PHOTO: Lunches for Detroit students packed for home delivery in early days of COVID. I remember a blizzardy day nine years ago when area farmers packed the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station in Leelanau County to hear area school food service...
Petoskey Schools Ramp Up Purchases From Local Farms!
Public Schools of Petoskey offers a shining example of how schools — and children — are becoming fans of the produce that local farms grow, providing increased sales. Consider this: in 2015 Petoskey Food Service Director Beth Kavanaugh tried farm-to-school...