SEPTEMBER 2007: AROUND THE STATE
Schools ripe for farmers
STATEWIDE With 77
million breakfasts and lunches served to Oregon students each
year, introducing local foods to schools could equal big
business for Oregon farmers. Several efforts are helping bring
schools and farms together. Portland-based nonprofit Ecotrust
is leading the charge to get local foods into school
cafeterias. The effort, dubbed Oregon Farmers Feeding Oregon
Kids, successfully lobbied to add a farm-to-school position in
the Oregon Department of Agriculture during the past
legislative session. The Department of Agriculture also is
surveying producers, processors and schools in Oregon to
identify the top 10 foods that schools want, and will work with
the Portland-based Food Innovation Center to create, test and
package school food using local ingredients.
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