1. • 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

2. • 11,000 students, K-12
• Six public school districts: Auburndale, Marshfield, Nekoosa, Pittsville,
Port Edwards, Wisconsin Rapids
• County model

3. Harvest of the Month (HoM) as:
F2S implementation strategy F2S promotional/educational strategy

4. HoM as a F2S program implementation strategy
Sue Anderson, Food Procurement Coordinator
sue.eric.anderson@gmail.com

5. 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 $)

6. 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 $)

7. 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 $)

8. 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

10. HoM as a F2S promotional/education strategy
Michelle Goetsch, Media/Communications Specialist
mgoetsch@co.wood.wi.us

11. • Cafeteria taste tests
YEAR ONE: How we started

12. • 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

15. • 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

16. • 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

17. Sue Anderson, Food Procurement Coordinator
sue.eric.anderson@gmail.com
Michelle Goetsch, Media/Communications Specialist
mgoetsch@co.wood.wi.us
Getactivewoodcounty.org
Facebook.com/getactivewoodcounty