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Northern Panhandle School Districts Consider ‘Farm to School’ Program

Photo Provided John Howard, 3, helps his parents take care of their grass-fed chickens at Howard Family Farms, near Moundsville.

WHEELING — West Virginia has $92,000 to help feed school students food fresh from local farms, but how much farmers can help — and how much schools are willing to spend — depends on balancing the supply and demand.

“Farm to School is a big national initiative,” said Renee Griffin, child nutrition director for Ohio County Schools, about the program through which the state received the grant money. “It is hard to find a farm that has the capabilities to continuously supply what we need every day, but we would be open to using them.”

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture received money as a part of a larger initiative to which the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service gave $5.2 million nationwide. The USDA gave the state a $69,000 grant. Crest Gallagher, WVDA’s communications director, said the state added $23,000 to that for the program.

“The WVDA is going to use the funding to develop a strategic plan to increase the quality of nutrition in the school systems, and leverage resources to create new opportunities for farmers to help them economically in the state” said Gallagher.

He said the WVDA plans to do this by “developing state-wide resources and hosting trainings throughout the state.”

Gallagher said he views the role of the WVDA as a facilitator to help put more local food on the school menu.

“The department is a facilitator that helps encourage new and existing partnerships to connect supply and demand with the school system” he said.

Some districts are already using local farms to feed students. Marshall County Schools buys eggs from two local farmers. One of the farmers, Shar Miller from Buchanan Farms, said she sold eggs every week to the school system while students were in session.

“I sold 57-59 dozen eggs at holiday time and six to eight dozen each week to most schools in Marshall County, and I never canceled an order,” said Miller. “I had 89-100 chickens to make sure I could fill the orders.

“Kids are getting something made from fresh eggs from the area,” she said.

The district also purchases milk from United Dairy and bread from Nickles Bakery.

“We wish we could do more,” said Debbie Derico, nutrition director for Marshall County Schools.

The Farm to School effort is maintained by the West Virginia Farm To School Community Development Group that is made up of a panel of representatives from the West Virginia Department of Education, the WVDA, The West Virginia University Extension Small Farm Center, New Appalachian Farm and Research Center and the Collaborative for the 21st Century Appalachia.

However, whether the school purchases food from local farmers is up to the school.

Griffin said that Ohio County Schools also has purchased milk from United Dairy and bread from Nickles Bakery, and at times have used produce from the school’s gardens for their salad bars.

Meanwhile, farmers in the Ohio Valley said they could help meet the school districts’ demand for the initiative.

Katie and Kevin Howard own Howard Family Farms near Moundsville. They produce grass-fed meat, handmade soap, eggs and maple syrup to sell at the Wheeling’s Farmer’s Market. They have been in business for five years, doing cuts of meat for three and half years.

But, so far, they have not sold to the school systems.

Katie Howard said the quality of meat that Howard Family Farms offers is different from the meat the schools purchase at lower price points.

“Our beef is 100 percent non-genetically modified organisms (non-GMO), 100 percent grass-fed and only receive organic minerals,” said Katie Howard. “The pigs, chickens, turkey and ducks are grass-fed, get organic minerals and is supplemented with non-GMO grain. The animals do not receive antibiotics, hormones, or vaccinations. When is an animal is sick, we treat them with minerals and essential oils.”

Katie Howard said consumers don’t understand why their meat costs more than what they can purchase at Kroger, Save A Lot or other grocery stores.

“They don’t consider time, labor, hauling and processing,” she said. “Processing is a big deal. We have to travel to Friendsville, Maryland, to the USDA-approved facility and pay double what other producers pay for their processing, without state or USDA approval.”

In order to sell to the public, the slaughter houses must be state- or USDA-approved.

Katie Howard said the “(WVDA) keeps talking about (the importance of providing) local food, and there have been numerous times when we are in danger of going under, and they tell us, ‘we know it is an issue,’ but we have no plans for a processing place in your area.”

She said schools also only want one particular cut of meat, which makes it difficult for farmers to supply.

“Let’s say they want bacon, that is only 20-30 pounds on pig,” said Katie Howard. “But, we are nose to tail, so what do I do with the sausage, the ham steak, everything else?”

Gallagher also said he recognizes that issue and said that school nutritionists will have to work with the farmer at least a year to plan their crops and that working together is the answer.

“Farmers get the most when they work together, whether that be sharing equipment, land, skills and knowledge,” he said. This is how they can meet larger orders and expand their businesses.”

Gallagher said, for example, the schools might want 1,000 pounds of lettuce, and one producer probably can’t meet that demand.

“So, several local farmers are going to have to come together, as a community, to fill that order,” he said.

Some initiatives are already working toward that goal. Gallagher cited the recent success of the Wetzel County’s Farmacy program.

“Wetzel County’s Farmacy program is five farms who have came together and are growing together to scale up and open new markets,” Gallagher said.

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