Abstract
Children in the United States consume too few vegetables and fruits, consistent with the diets of adults and the foods available in the food supply. The farm-to-school movement seeks to improve both the supply of fruits and vegetables available to children and children’s diets. The State of South Carolina (SC) piloted a farm-to-school program with 4 program components including a partnership with local producers, SC-grown foods in the cafeteria, promotion of SC-grown foods, and a school garden. We used a quasi-experimental design to compare whether children in participating schools consumed more fruits and vegetables than children in matched comparison schools. In matched-controlled analyses children tasted and consumed more vegetables in farm-to-school schools than in comparison schools (0.11 servings, P < .10) but ate fewer fruits (−0.07 servings, P < .05). Parents reported that children asked more for fruits and vegetables at home after being exposed to farm-to-school programs. Farm-to-school programs may be a positive way to promote better diet as well as support regional food system development.
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