Canada’s long-awaited national food policy is getting $134.4 million over five years, on a cash basis, starting next year, the Trudeau government says. The policy, outlined in Budget 2019, will focus on tackling food waste, improving community access to healthy food, shining a spotlight on Canadian food both at home and abroad, and increasing food...Read More

Farm to School programs bring healthy, local food into schools, from pre-schools to campuses, providing opportunities for hands-on learning that enhances food literacy while strengthening local food systems and school and community connectedness. The Benefits of Farm to School: Evidence from Canada demonstrates the impacts of Farm to School activities, which include public health, education and learning,...Read More

2018 US National Farm to Early Care and Education Survey The National Farm to School Network, in partnership with Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems, launched the 2018 National Farm to Early Care and Education Survey in the spring of 2018. We heard from 2,030 respondents serving 255,257 children in 46 states about current farm to ECE initiatives, including...Read More

A “farm-to-school” movement is growing fast across Canada. More than 40,000 students were eating local fruits and vegetables at 150 Ontario schools during 2017-18, via the Tasty Ontario Tuesdays program. Led by the southwest branch of the Ontario Student Nutrition Program (OSNP), supported by the Greenbelt Foundation and Foodland Ontario, this program has purchased and delivered over $55,000 of local...Read More

Research out of the US is suggesting that school gardens could lead to healthier lifestyles in students. Below are stories on two such studies. We here in Canada are starting to see the same evidence emerge but it’s going to be important to capture this in Canadian schools. Gardens at School Might Boost Availability of Vegetables...Read More

Photo: Students at St. Bon’s in St. John’s got money from the Farm to School program last year and are already enjoying the fruits of their labour. (Food First NL) Funding will teach students about where their food comes from Three Newfoundland and Labrador schools are getting federal money to set up salad bars and composting programs,...Read More

School gardens are a great way to get children to learn about nutrition. FAO encourages and supports countries to promote school gardens with educational goals to help students, school staff and families make the connection between growing food and good diets, develop life skills and increase environmental awareness. FAO recognizes that schools are an ideal...Read More

ON March 21, the CDN government released a report outlining  proposed guiding principles and recommendations to inform the development of a new Food Guide, based on data gathered through a pan-Canadian public consultation process. As expected there was strong support for tools to help Canadians increase their intake of water, and fruits and vegetables and...Read More

Photo: Lynda Dixon started growing organic, islands-grown produce at Maude Island Farm in 1994. (Jason Shafto/Love Haida Gwaii) Celebrating women’s efforts as foragers, farmers, and pillars of food security on Haida Gwaii How are women working to harvest local foods, feed community, and promote food security on Haida Gwaii – one of the most remote island...Read More

Schools in the Headwaters Region are signing up for backpacks of Local Food—if you’re in the area, you can too! “I championed bringing Local Food Club to my children’s school because I want to support sustainable local food and farming,” Lisa Mychajluk tells us, “and create as many opportunities as possible to talk about food issues...Read More