Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

"Getting Your Boots Dirty": Opportunities For Farm To School In The Southern San Joaquin Valley Of California, Ross Eskridge

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In the past twenty to thirty years, critics-both public and private-have scrutinized the national network of public school nutrition programs and the food they serve in cafeterias. Negative claims particularly voice concerns about the quality of foods available to students. School food items have been characterized as highly processed, lacking in nutritional value, and unappetizing in taste and appearance. Furthermore, industrialized, non-locally sourced public school food has been blamed for contributing to high rates of childhood obesity and associated health risks. In response to these claims, federal, state and local governments have pushed for changes in public school nutrition programs. …