Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

Fresh Food Program Promotes Healthy Eating Habits Among Children

Posted in Food, Nutrition and Health, tagged , , on 06/09/2014|

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 3.57.13 PMCommunities across the nation are fighting the increased incidence of childhood obesity and Type II diabetes. With funding from USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), a group in Illinois is promoting environmental sustainability and healthy eating habits in the youngest Americans.

Gary Cuneen founded the advocacy group Seven Generations Ahead (SGA) in 2001, located in Oak Park, Ill., to find local solutions to global environmental problems. The group offers a comprehensive “farm-to-school” program called Fresh from the Farm.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

From Farm to School: Improving Small Farm Viability and School Meals

Posted in Food, Nutrition and Health, tagged , , on 06/09/2014|

Screen shot 2014-06-09 at 3.51.49 PMImproving the nutritional value of school meals is a growing priority among school systems across the United States. In an effort to provide a solution for school administrators, the USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) funded a coalition of school districts and farmers from four states to participate in a new program called “From Farm to School: Improving Small Farm Viability and School Meals.”

Farm to school programs connect schools with local farms to improve the nutrition of school meals, provide agriculture and health education, and support local farmers. The “Farm to School: Improving Small Farm Viability and School Meals” project has been a powerful catalyst to establish farm to school programs as a model to address the diet-related health issues of children while supporting small and medium-scale farmers. The program’s model allows schools to buy and feature farm fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables, eggs, honey, meat and beans on their school lunch menus.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Organic and Integrated Farming Key to Lowering Nitrogen Leaching

Posted in Food, tagged , on 06/09/2014| 3 Comments »

Organic farming has long been touted as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional agriculture. Researchers at the Washington State University have found that organic farming methods can help reduce the amount of nitrogen draining into ground water, which is harmful to the environment and poses a potential health risk.

Conventional farming practices apply synthetic fertilizers, which are the primary source of nitrogen pollution in water systems and the atmosphere. As nitrogen leaches from the farm, ground water transports the nutrient into the surrounding water system. The excess nutrients produce a dense growth of algae and other organisms that reduce oxygen levels in the water, choking out other plants and animals. Nitrogen from farms is also a potential health risk if it leaches into domestic wells.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts