Farm to School programs: is there a connection to the implementation of wellness policies at the elementary school building level?

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 mandated all schools districts with federal meal programs to establish school local wellness policies (LWP), to be implemented in the 2006-07 school year, in order to provide standards for nutrition education, physical activity, a plan to measure implementation and the assurance that all foods in the school environment were not less restrictive than the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Farm to School is a program that has broad appeal and a growing record of success to introduce healthy nutrition information and healthy food choices through curriculum and many different types of hands-on activities. The question in this research project is whether the Iowa elementary schools that have a Farm to School program find them to be a part of their strategy to meet the objectives of the school LWP. A survey was sent to all Iowa elementary school principals to: confirm the presence of a school LWP and their compliance with all the objectives, to ask about Farm to School participation and its impact on the school LWP, questions about the school environment and culture, and demographic information. The data received from respondents who have a Farm to School program in their school confirm they believe it positively impacts compliance and implementation of their school LWP