More about the Fertile Crescent Network

by Sara Marcellino, Center for Ecoliteracy

Where do curriculum coordinators, nutritionists, school garden educators, farmers, health educators, chefs, food service directors, state education staff, and community activists interested in the growing farm to school movement come together in Northern California?

These innovators are part of the Fertile Crescent Network, a cluster of Center for Ecoliteracy (CEL) grantees and their allies convened by CEL's Food Systems Project. The network consists of leadership groups in school districts working with community organizations throughout Northern California to widen the circle of learning and establish curriculum links—through school gardens—to school lunchrooms and small family farms engaged in sustainable farming practices. These leadership groups share a common goal: to provide a context in which to integrate their school's curriculum while increasing the nutritional quality of food served in school lunch programs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and to link schools to regional agriculture. Each group represents diverse strategies emerging out of their local communities.

Participants in the Fertile Crescent Network come from six contiguous counties in Northern California—Alameda, Marin, Contra Costa, Mendocino, Yolo, and Sonoma—selected as part of a bioregional food system including farms needing markets and school children needing fresh food from farms. They meet quarterly for one full day in an informal, relaxed setting to discuss activities that further the goals of the linking farm to school movement. Whether they discuss what logistical steps are needed for a school district to integrate classroom activities, purchase fresh produce, or promote public policy initiatives, the Network is developing a shared vision and language to build momentum within and across counties for their respective farm to school programs.

Advocates of farm to school initiatives believe that meals prepared from fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and healthy sources of protein improve the health and learning outcomes of students and provide a foundation for healthy eating habits. Meals that are coupled with the addition of physical activity make children less susceptible to diet-related diseases and more likely to do better in school.

For more information or questions, please contact Sara Marcellino, Center for Ecoliteracy Communications Coordinator, at sara@ecoliteracy.org or 510-289-3004