Title
To recognize October as National Farm to School Month and to celebrate Columbus City Schools’ Farm to School efforts in 2020.
Body
WHEREAS, In 2010, Congress designated October as National Farm to School Month to demonstrate the importance of farm to school programs as a way of encouraging child nutrition, stimulating local food economies, and teaching children about the origins of food; and,
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council adopted the City of Columbus and Franklin County Local Food Action Plan in November 2016, demonstrating the City’s ongoing commitment to ensuring all residents have improved access to and education about healthy, affordable, and local food; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus recognizes that it is vital for children and adults to consume the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day to prevent obesity and related chronic illnesses, moreover the city supports Columbus City Schools efforts to teach children about the origins of food as well as the importance of healthy eating; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Schools’ Food Service Director launched the Ohio Days menu program in 2017, increasing the purchase of food grown, raised and/or processed in Ohio - the director also hired a Farm to School Coordinator specifically dedicated to building a nationally recognized farm to school program in Columbus; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Schools Nutrition Education/Farm to School Coordinator, since 2018, has implemented school gardens and supported a curriculum in 63 school buildings; and
WHEREAS, in 2020, Linden McKinley STEM Academy’s Agriculture Teacher turned 3 vacant City of Columbus Land Bank properties into an outdoor learning space for the more than 130 students that are enrolled in the school’s Agriculture Career Pathway program; and
WHEREAS, the city of Columbus recognizes that learning opportunities, like those provided by Columbus City Schools which engage children in the growing of food and the preparation of students for ST...
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