• 2010-12 Communities Putting Prevention to Work grantee

• 2013-15 Community Transformation grantee

• HPWC coalition, coordinated by Wood County Health Department

• 2010-11 start…next school year will be our fourth year

BACKGROUND

• 11,000 students, K-12

• Six public school districts: Auburndale, Marshfield, Nekoosa, Pittsville, Port Edwards, Wisconsin Rapids

• County model

Harvest of the Month (HoM) as:

F2S implementation strategy F2S promotional/educational strategy

HoM as a F2S program implementation strategySue Anderson, Food Procurement Coordinator

sue.eric.anderson@gmail.com

YEAR ONE: How we started•California model - Wisconsin products (apples, potatoes)•Taste tests then lunch line?•Grant paid for product, F2S team prepared and served in school cafeteria•3rd – 5th grade F2S education•School gardens and greenhouse start ups

STRUGGLES: Safety and legal issues of farm fresh product, finding farmers, delivery

SUCCESSES:Steep learning curve! (delivery, packaging, pricing)

750# local food purchased with $650 (all grant $)

YEAR TWO: Growing the program• Increased school base (2 to 27 schools).• Grant paid for product once ($500 ave/month) AND schools often purchased product again• Served in lunch line, food service prep, F2S staff promote• Positives and negatives of ordering at a county level• School gardens and greenhouse products are used in lunch line• 3 – 5th grade education• Food service starts sourcing products• Explored processed products: carrots and sweet potatoes

16,500# local food purchased with $6,250 (half grant $)

YEAR THREE: Processed product, weather extremes• Expanded fresh-cut products, two processors •Slices/sticks - carrots, watermelon, winter squash, sweet potatoes•Shredded - carrots, zucchini, cabbage•Diced - winter squash, sweet potatoes•Puree - winter squash, sweet potato• Frost and drought affected fall produce• All product paid for by schools (process product prices subsidized by grant), prep by food service staff and served in lunch lines, no F2S staff

•29,000# local food purchased with $21,400 (mostly school $)

NEXT YEAR

• More cafeteria promotion (taste tests make a comeback)• Multiple HoM products for flexibility• Continue exploration of processed product costs• Schools will need to pay true cost of processed product

HoM as a F2S promotional/education strategyMichelle Goetsch, Media/Communications Specialist

mgoetsch@co.wood.wi.us

• Cafeteria taste tests

YEAR ONE: How we started

• Cafeteria taste tests

YEAR TWO & THREE: Growing the program

• Elementary school morning announcements

• Family newsletter - sent home to all elementary students, approx. 7,000 newsletters

• School building/district newsletter articles

• School menu promotion• F2S apparel for food service staff

• Special in-school events

• Paid media• Earned media: monthly newspaper articles

• Social media

• Coordinate messaging with food procurement calendar

Things to keep in mind

• Constant communication with FSDs and/or school F2S champion

• Reality: Dedicated communications staff member a plus

• Take advantage of NO COST promotion

• Messaging strategy: think school, home, community

• Transition some promotional efforts to the schools

Next Year

• English, marketing, yearbook, art/design students can lead some of these efforts

• Quarterly family newsletter that highlights multiple HoM products/producers

• Increase cafeteria promotion (colored ladles, clings on serving bar areas, signage

Sue Anderson, Food Procurement Coordinatorsue.eric.anderson@gmail.com

Michelle Goetsch, Media/Communications Specialistmgoetsch@co.wood.wi.us

Getactivewoodcounty.org

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