Ensuring that every child has access to healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food is tied to broader struggles over economic opportunity, food system change, public health, and community well-being. In West Virginia, schools are not only sites of learning but also one of the largest food provisioners in the state, shaping the diets of more than 100,000 children and setting patterns of nutrition that can last a lifetime. Connecting schools more directly to local farms represents one pathway for strengthening both community health and rural economies. In addition, talking about food systems in schools - linking questions of access, livelihoods, and regional development - can introduce young people to the complexities of building resilient food systems in regions marked by economic transition and resource constraints. How can we combine education and food provisioning in new ways in our schools?
The promise of sourcing local produce for school meals or integrating farm-based education into curricula depends on the dedication of teachers, nutrition directors, farmers, and community partners who are already stretched thin. These efforts show both the possibilities and the tensions of scaling up farm to school initiatives tied to local food economies: they demonstrate how schools can become foundational for food justice and community resilience, while also underscoring the structural challenges—funding volatility, bureaucratic hurdles, and uneven capacities—that shape whether these initiatives endure.
Are you interested in this area of inquiry and action? Contact Dylan Upperman - dpu0001@mix.wvu.edu