Gardens to Caf Evaluation Team

Garden to Caf Evaluation Team
Trisha Bowker . Daniel Clason-Hook . Klara K Ibarra

The Garden to Caf Pilot
Garden to School Caf is a collaboration of NYC Department of Education, SchoolFood, New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets, and more than 20 community based organizations to incorporate student-grown food into the school menu.

Why?

50% of our Nations children between ages 2 and 15 have fatty streaks in their arteries. 33% of children born in 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes. This number rises to 40-50% for African American and Latino children17% of our Nations children are obese.35% of cancer deaths are caused by diet.

Garden to Caf Pilot Objectives
Increase students healthful eating by promoting consumption of more plant-based menu items. Connecting kids to local food and farming. Increase awareness of the benefits of school gardening. Demonstrate the learning opportunity of integrating school gardening and school lunch.

Team Goal
To conduct a process evaluation for New York State Department of Ags and Markets of their Garden to Cafe Pilot project

Team Objectives
1: Evaluate the process designed for schools to participate in the Pilot

2: Evaluate the working relationship between school garden teams and State Department of Ags. and Markets.

3: Present analytical report with recommendations for future programming.

Methodology
Background research on farm to school initiatives 15 InterviewsOnline survey

12 Observational school site visits3 Focus groups

Garden to Caf Implementation Structure

School Gardens
Earth Boxes
Onsite School Garden

School Gardens
Farm/ Farm Partnership
Community Gardens

Harvest Days

The Harvest Day event was the culmination of the Garden to Caf Pilot. It celebrated the cooperative work of garden coordinators, student gardeners and SchoolFood staff.

Harvest Days

Garden Coordinator and SchoolFood Successes

Garden Coordinators:

Introduction of new food

New relationships were built

Inspired new menu options SchoolFood:

Student response to new foods

Demonstrated cafeteria as extension of classroom

Increased involvement of cafeteria staff

Garden Coordinator and SchoolFood Challenges

Garden Coordinators:

Administrative support

First time gardeners with little experience

TimingSchoolFood:

Daunting task for food service staff

Not enough produce from schools at events

Linking all schools with gardens

Garden Coordinator and SchoolFood Future Visions

Garden Coordinators:

Access to gardens for all schools and students

Student infuence on school cafeteria menu

Integration of Garden into school curriculum SchoolFood:

Every school child in the NYC with access to gardens

Integrated training program for garden coordinators

Harvest day more than once a year

Project Conclusions
Project was a first step in addressing some of the nutrition and health problems previously identified New relationships between NYS Ags and Markets, SchoolFood and participating public schools were formed.Project is an integral step to bringing locally grown foods into school cafeterias. Demonstrated a great willingness and demand for change

PIA Project Conclusions
Reinforces program development and project management skills.Opportunity for professional field evaluation experience.Data analysis and compilation of comprehensive analytical report.Managing client relations and group dynamics.

Dont need all names, highlight main focus of students growing food, talk about history of state ags?
Blow up picture, give stories
Explain why this important, how it relates to the evaluation
Make pics bigger, 2 slides,
Make pics bigger, 2 slides,
Make pics bigger, 2 slides,
Make chart bigger, guest speaker??Add slide with bullet points explaining/ defining HDs
Bigger fonts, add graphics??

Anecdotal info? Shorter text
- First point- fix it
More specifics on each point
More specifics on each point