Farm to School Project Finds a Home at Farm Fresh Rhode Island

Rhode Island Farm to School is pleased to announce that it has found a home at Farm Fresh Rhode Island at the end of June when Kids First closes. With Farm Fresh's ever-expanding community of growers, network of local food advocates and complimentary local food programs, the transition will create the opportunity for great synergy and impact.

Future goals will be to expand the work into preschools, colleges/universities and institutional food service providers.

 

 

Kids First Celebrates the Completion of a
15-Year Mission in June


TO: The Thousands of RI Friends and Partners of Kids First:

Thank you for your work with me and with the dedicated staff members of Kids First during the past 15 years. Together (and I mean TOGETHER!), we have transformed the nutrition environments in all of our public schools, a feat most thought impossible (or unimportant) when we started our work in 1997. In fifteen years of service to Rhode Island children, Kids First spearheaded major nutrition changes in our greatest and most influential public institution for children, our schools.

Given Michelle Obama’s recent announcement of new USDA nutrition requirements for school meals, which mirror those that RI implemented nearly 3 years ago, we can all feel incredibly innovative for having figured our own way -- ahead of the USDA -- through developing, testing and cost-effectively implementing superior nutrition standards for Rhode Island’s school children.

Fifteen years ago, when I visited schools across RI, I saw vending machines filled with sugary beverages and junk food lining the halls and locker rooms of many middle and high schools. High schools sometimes had over 100 fundraisers centered around selling junk food in a single 180-day school year. Elementary students were offered tator tots, chicken nuggets and ice cream for lunch, birthday sweets in the afternoon and candy as a reward for good work - all in a single school day. There was very little in the way of fresh fruits and vegetables and none were grown in RI. All grains were highly processed and high in sugar and sodium. This was no one’s fault – it had simply become the norm for schools and in fact, unfortunately, this is still the norm for many schools across America.

read the entire letter
read the press release about Kids First completing it's mission
read about current Kids First project - Healthier US Schools Challenge

 

The US Departments of Agriculture and
Health & Human Services
2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

(Executive Summary, Full Guidelines & more info)

 

 

What's Great About Rhode Island School Meals? RINR!
RINR (Rhode Island Nutrition Requirements) are mandates for school food that surpass the current federal nutrition criteria. In combination with RI school vending, a la carte and beverage requirements, Little Rhody regulations regarding school food are some of the healthiest in the nation!

Visit a school cafeteria to see and taste the changes for yourself.
more

 

MENU of SERVICES: For School Districts &
School Cafeterias

Kids First is committed to supporting nutrition education and healthy food delivery. We offer professional chef, education and communications services to school districts and cafeterias. Please refer to the
Kids First Menu of Services for details.

Join the conversation!

 

LOCAL FOODS IN LOCAL SCHOOLS

Is RI Grown Served in Your School?
more

READ:
2012 Farm Bill Commodities Position Paper
Cash-In-Lieu Option for Smaller School Districts

MEDIA RELEASE about position paper from Kids First

 

READ:
FINE DoD Fresh Program
REPORT
(33 pages)

FINE DoD Fresh Program
Appendices
(131 pages)

 

 

Rhode Island
Health & Wellness Committees Page

 

 

RECIPE CARDS

 

 

Workshop Schedule

 

May 2012

 

 

 

Approved Lists & Nutrition Criteria


The RI State Approved Product List

Guidelines for the Snack List

RINR Approved Whole Grain Products

RINR Criteria

 

 

Kids First Awards
more