Building Longevity in Farm to School Programs

In this episode of Now More Than Ever, Vanessa Herald — Senior Farm to Institution Specialist at University of Wisconsin Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems — discusses solutions to supply chain barriers that will foster a more resilient food system. She also discusses her role as coordinator of the Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch and the critical importance of raising awareness about farm to school initiatives.

This episode includes a phone interview with Kathy O'Brien and Mary Zupke from Mooseheart Child City and School in Mooseheart, IL. They touch upon best practices in their farm to school program, strategies that generate excitement about healthy foods, the community efforts behind their garden program, and more.

This episode features an interview with John Rollins, President and Owner of Central Illinois Produce. He discusses the intricacies and obstacles related to the distribution of fresh, local produce to schools and locations across Illinois as well as the enormous obstacles he overcame throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. John also discusses Central Illinois Produce's freight farm, Mobile Pantry, and productive community partnerships.

This episode of Now More Than Ever features an interview with Allison Brown from Organic Life, a food service company where she is the Senior District Manager for Wheeling School District 21 and Prospect Heights School District 23. Allison shares insights from her wealth of experience in the food service industry and discusses how she’s overcome challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, how she incorporates local food in her menus, her positive experience with the Illinois Farm to School Network, and creative ways she gets students excited about healthy eating.