The Food Trust

ENSURING EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE NUTRITIOUS FOOD AND INFORMATION TO MAKE HEALTHY DECISIONS

NUTRITION EDUCATION - THE FOOD TRUST (TFT) WORKS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD IN UNDERSERVED AREAS, ALONG WITH PROVIDING NUTRITION EDUCATION TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. IN THE PAST YEAR, THE FOOD TRUST'S TEAM OF EDUCATORS CONDUCTED THE SCHOOL NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM IN NEARLY 40 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS OF PHILADELPHIA, NORRISTOWN AND READING, PA, AS WELL AS CAMDEN, NJ. THE PROGRAM'S GOAL IS TO ENGAGE AND COLLABORATE WITH SCHOOL COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT THEIR VISION OF A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT AND TO INCREASE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES AT AN EXISTING COMMUNITY HUB.THE PROGRAM INCLUDES IN-CLASSROOM NUTRITION EDUCATION, SCHOOL FARM STANDS, ADULT/CAREGIVER COOKING WORKSHOPS, FINANCIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, SCHOOL GARDENS, SCHOOL WELLNESS PROGRAMS, AND RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS.IN ADDITION, TFT PROVIDES ADAPTABLE, COMMUNITY-LEVEL NUTRITION EDUCATION AND FOOD ACCESS FOR ADULTS IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES OF PHILADELPHIA, NORRISTOWN AND READING, PA, AS WELL AS CAMDEN, NJ. HELD IN CHURCHES, LIBRARIES, FOOD STORES, AND OTHER COMMUNITY SITES, THESE ADULT NUTRITION EDUCATION LESSONS AND WORKSHOPS INTRODUCE PARTICIPANTS TO NEW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, TAUGHT THEM HOW TO PREPARE HEALTHY MEALS, AND PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL TOURS OF NEARBY SUPERMARKETS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND HEALTHY CORNER STORES TO TEACH THEM HOW TO PURCHASE NUTRITIOUS FOOD IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS ON A BUDGET.

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS - THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS WORKS ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS TO IMPROVE NUTRITION, HEALTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN UNDERSERVED AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THROUGH COLLABORATIONS WITH A VARIETY OF CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERS, THE CAMPAIGN IS WORKING TO STRENGTHEN FEDERAL NUTRITION PROGRAMS, SUCH AS SNAP, SNAP-ED AND HFFI. THE CAMPAIGN HAS WORKED AT THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL ON HFFI, IN AN EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY FOOD RETAIL DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN HOSTS THE ANNUAL HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS CONVENING IN WASHINGTON TO FACILITATE A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE AMONG ORGANIZATIONS WITH SIMILAR GOALS.BY CONVENING THE SNAP-ED STRATEGY GROUP, THE CAMPAIGN WORKED TO SUPPORT THE SNAP-ED PROGRAM AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL DURING THE RECENT PASSAGE OF THE FARM BILL. THE CAMPAIGN IS WORKING WITH BUSINESSES TO FOCUS MARKETING EFFORTS ON HEALTHIER CHOICES AND IS EXPANDING SNAP-INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE SUPPORT TO MAKE HEALTHIER FOOD MORE AFFORDABLE FOR THOSE ON FOOD STAMPS. THE CAMPAIGN ALSO PROMOTES THE HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS PORTAL SO ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES CAN SHARE SUCCESSES WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND PROVIDES RESOURCES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH SHARED GOALS.

FARM TO SCHOOL AND FARM TO EARLY CARE - TFT PROVIDES TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SCHOOLS, EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION CENTERS, FARMERS, AND OTHER GROUPS WORKING TO IMPLEMENT AND SUSTAIN FARM TO INSTITUTION PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES. IN ADDITION TO HELPING CENTERS BUILD THEIR CAPACITY FOR FARM TO EARLY CARE ACTIVITIES, TFT LED A MULTI-PARTNERED STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN TO INCREASE PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT FOR FARM TO EARLY CARE PROGRAMS IN DIVERSE CHILDCARE SETTINGS, ESPECIALLY IN UNDERSERVED URBAN AND RURAL AREAS. TFT RELEASED A NEW REPORT, READY SET GROW: EMERGING STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT FARM TO EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION IN PENNSYLVANIA, WHICH DESCRIBES FARM TO ECE, SHOWCASES PROVIDERS ADOPTING FARM TO ECE PRACTICES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH, AND DESCRIBES WHY ACCESS TO GOOD FOOD AND HIGH-QUALITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS ARE CRITICAL FOR EVERY CHILD IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE NEED FOR EQUITABLE, RESILIENT, RESPONSIVE ECE AND FOOD SYSTEMS PERSISTS IN PENNSYLVANIA, AND THIS REPORT HIGHLIGHTS EXAMPLES OF HOW EXISTING STATE-LEVEL SYSTEMS CAN HELP ADVANCE FARM TO ECE IN EVERY COMMUNITY. AS A CORE PARTNER TO THE NATIONAL FARM TO SCHOOL NETWORK, TFT ALSO COORDINATED, PROMOTED AND EXPANDED THE FARM TO SCHOOL MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE STATES OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. TFT CONTINUED WORK TO BETTER SERVE THE SUPPLY SIDE OF THE FARM TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY THROUGH DEVELOPING STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS WITH FARMERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AND OTHER VENDORS. TFT ALSO DEVELOPED A RACIAL EQUITY FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT MORE EQUITABLE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTCOMES IN COMMUNITY FOOD SYSTEMS AND SHARED IT ACROSS THE AGENCY.