1. Programs

Farm to School

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Research and Evaluation

Research shows that farm to school and school garden activities may improve:

  • Access: Increase participation in the school meal program to improve access to nutritious meals.
  • Nutrition: Increase consumption of vegetables and fruits, whole grains and dairy to improve nutrition and health outcomes; Improve knowledge and attitudes about agriculture, food, nutrition and the environment.
  • Environment: Promote environmental stewardship and connection to place.
  • Equity: Promote food justice by supporting healthy and equitable community food systems.
  • Economy: Support economic development by increasing market opportunities for farmers, ranchers, fishers, hunter, gatherers, food processors and distributors.

Farm to School Research about Oregon

In Oregon, Farm to School is generating over $21 million for local communities, 100+ jobs, and feeding over 249,000 kids.

Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Policy Approach

Analyzed by Chapel Hill’s Center for Training and Research translation whose efforts focus on providing practitioners with the best available evidence and approaches related to the prevention and control of obesity.

Farm to School

Farm to School counts

Find more aggregated Farm to School data about Oregon and the evaluation framework. Data sources look at health, economy, education and the envrionment.

Farm to School

Farm-to-School Grant Funding Increases Children’s Access to Local Fruits and Vegetables in Oregon

This study measures the reach of Oregon’s legislated farm-to-school grant program among school districts and children, and examines changes in local purchasing, and the use of produce from school gardens in school meals.

Farm to School

State Policy Development for Oregon’s Farm to School Grant Program: Successes and Lessons Learned

The purpose of this technical report is to describe Oregon’s legislative process with regard to farm to school and identify Oregon’s farm to school state policy design attributes that have successfully leveraged limited state resources to improve farm to school participation among school districts. Farm to school policy advocates in other states can learn from these findings and apply the lessons learned to their contexts.

Farm to School

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Photo: Image by Oregon State University

National Farm to School Network’s Resources

Find out more about farm to school and school garden research and evaluation nationally.

Browse the database

Farm to School and School Garden research by Oregon State University faculty, staff and students

Joshi, A., Henderson, T., Ratcliffe, M.M., Feenstra, G. (2014) Evaluation for Transformation: A Cross-Sectoral Evaluation Framework for Farm to School, National Farm to School Network. Available online.

Ratcliffe, M.M. A Sample Theory-based Logic Model to Improve Program Development, Implementation, and Sustainability of Farm to School Programs. Child Obesity 2012; 8:315-322.

Joshi A., and Ratcliffe M.M. Causal Pathways Linking Farm to School to Childhood Obesity Prevention. Child Obesity 2012;8:305-314.

Ratcliffe, M.M., Merrigan, K., Rogers, B. and Goldberg, J. (2011) The Effects of School Garden Experiences on Middle School-Aged Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors Associated with Vegetable Consumption. Health Promotion Practice. Vol. 12, No.1, 36-43.

Henderson, T., Rader, M., Sorte, B., Lawrence, A., Ratcliffe, M.M., Lucky, J., and Harris, C. (2011). Health Impact Assessment; Farm to School and School Garden Policy, House Bill 2800, Upstream Public Health and the Health Impact Project. Available online.

Kane, D., Krise, S., Ratcliffe, M.M., Sobell, S., and Tessman, N. (2011). The Impact of Seven Cents Examining the Effects of a $.07 per Meal Investment on Local Economic Development, Lunch Participation Rates, and Student Preferences for Fruits and Vegetables in Two Oregon School Districts. Available online at ecotrust.org.

M.M. Ratcliffe (2007). Garden-based education in school settings: The Effects on children’s vegetable consumption, vegetable preferences, and ecoliteracy. (PhD dissertation, Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Boston, MA).

MM Ratcliffe, HC Smith (2007). Results from the 2007 survey of school food service providers in Oregon. Presented to the Oregon State Legislature House Committee on Education 2007.

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