The Farm to School Podcast

Stories from the frontlines of food, farming, and education—where young minds grow and agriculture takes root. Join co-hosts Michelle Markesteyn and Rick Sherman as they explore what it means to bring local food into the school cafeteria and teach kids about where their food comes from with guests from around the world!

UPDATE: Show notes, contact information and more at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/podcast/farm-school-podcast

Please stop by to say hello and to suggest a show topic!

Contributors

Co-host

Michelle Markesteyn

Michelle currently serves as an Associate Professor of Practice at Oregon State University where she is the Extension Farm to School and School Garden Specialist. For over 25 years Michelle has been instrumental in establishing Oregon's Farm to School Agency positions and policies.

Michelle earned a Ph.D. in Agriculture, Food, and the Environment from Tufts University, a Master of Environmental Law and Policy focused on Agriculture and Biotechnology from Vermont Law School, and a Bachelor of Science in Resource Conservation with a minor in Wilderness and Civilization from the University of Montana. She lives in the heart of the Willamette Valley with her two growing boys and her favorite vegetable to grow is eggplant.

Co-host

Rick Sherman

Rick was hired by the Oregon Department of Education in 2012 as the Farm to School Analyst after working for 32 years as a Nutrition Services Director.

Rick Graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Education. He was a runner for forty years, competing at the national level in the Steeplechase, and was a high school track and cross country coach for 20 years. Rick is a Master Gardener, loves home brewing, & riding dirt bikes. He spends his spare time in his backyard garden and raising chickens.

WEBSITE: bit.ly/f2sor

Guests

Guest

Alice Waters

Alice is the founder of Chez Panisse in Berkely California and one of the people that started the Farm to Table movement. She is an author of many farm to table books and cookbooks.

https://edibleschoolyard.org

Guest appearance on:

School-Supported Agriculture: Alice Waters Reimagines Farm to School

Guest

Andony Melanthopolous

Associate Professor, Pollinator Health, Oregon State University Extension Horticulture

Guest appearance on:

What’s the Buzz in School Gardens (Part 1)?

What’s the Buzz in School Gardens (Part 2)?

Guest appearance on:

Guest

Andrew Tuttle

Lead Developer, Edge Perma and Redtail Edge Design

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 4

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 4

Guest

Anupama Joshi

Co Founder and former Executive Director of National Farm to School Network

PhD Cal State University Dominguez Hills

VP of Programs for Center for Science in the Public Interest

Executive Director, Blue Sky funders Forum

Guest appearance on:

Starting a National Farm to School Movement

Guest appearance on:

Starting a National Farm to School Movement: Anupama Joshi

Guest

Asher Guile

Asher is a Student Leader for the School Garden in Mapleton School District in Mapleton, OR.

Guest appearance on:

Planting the Future: From Seedlings to Systems – Inside One State’s Farm to School Institute

Guest

Bertrand Weber

Director, Culinary and Wellness Services Minneapolis Public Schools, MN

Director of Operations, Royal Cuisine Hopkins School District 270

Guest appearance on:

It’s not School Lunch, It’s Lunch at School

Guest appearance on:

It's not "School Lunch".. It's "Lunch at School!"

Guest

Beth Horkman

Beth is the Director of the NOYO Food Forest's Learning Garden, in Ft. Bragg, CA.

Guest appearance on:

NOYO FOOD FOREST

https://noyofoodforest.org/

Guest appearance on:

NOYO Food Forest

Guest

Casey Cavanaugh

Casey is the National Nutrition Consultant for Indian Affairs, which is located in the Department of Interior. So that means that she works with both the Bureau of Indian Affairs, who overseas about 80 to 90 detention centers and jails throughout the US and then the Bureau of Indian Education who overseas 183 schools in 23 States and two post-secondary institutions.

https://www.bia.gov/bia

Guest appearance on:

First Foods, Lasting Legacy: Indigenous Foodways at Chemawa Indian School

Guest

Chef Asata Reid

Chef, Small Bites Adventure Club, Atlanta GA

Impact and Partnership Lead, FoodCorps

Guest appearance on:

Small Bites Adventure Club

Guest appearance on:

Small Bites Adventure Club

Guest

Ciara Byrne

Co-founder, Co-Director Green Our Planet, Las Vegas, NV

Producer, Discovery Channel

Executive Director, Lion Television

Guest appearance on:

Changing the World by Being the Change at Home (part 1)

Changing the World by Being the Change at Home (part 2)

Guest appearance on:

Guest

Cindy Long

Deputy Undersecretary, USDA Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services

Administrator, USDA

Director, USDA Child Nutrition Division

Guest appearance on:

Does Local Food Make School Lunches Healthier?

Guest appearance on:

Does Local Food Make School Lunches Healthier? A Discussion With USDA FNS Administrator Cindy Long

Guest

Daniel Barrera Ortega

Lead Teacher, Fresh Farm Foodprints

Program Specialist, School Garden Support Organization Network

Lead Teacher at Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School, Washington, DC

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 1

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 1

Guest

Danielle Russell

Green Schoolyards Program Manager, Openlands, Chicago, IL

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 3

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 3

Guest

Doug Greenfield

Doug is one of the four members of the Banana Slug String Band out of Santa Cruz, CA. The band has played in front of over 2 million kids over the past 40 years!

Episodes heard on: Education Kids through Music: The Banana Slug String Band Part 1 & Part 2.

https://www.bananaslugstringband.com/

Guest appearance on:

Guest

Emilia Miguel

Food Services Director, Pacific Elementary School, Davenport CA
Guest appearance on: Food Lab: A small school where the kids scratch-cook their own meals.

https://www.pacificesd.org/friends-of-foodlab.html

Guest appearance on:

Food Lab: A small school where the kids scratch-cook their own meals

Guest

Erin Croom

Founder, Small Bites Club, Atlanta GA

Farm to School Director, Georgia Organics

Program Manager, Atlanta Recycles

Education Director, Association of Vermont Recyclers

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 3

Small Bites Adventure Club

Guest appearance on:

Guest

Hashim Bennett

Biology Teacher, Weequahic High School, Newark NJ

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 1

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 1

Guest

Helena Killstrom

School Garden Coordinator, West Linn-Wilsonville School District, Oregon

Guest appearance on:

The Cafeteria and School Garden in Harmony

Guest appearance on:

The Cafeteria and School Garden in Harmony

Guest

Jade Davidson

Jade is the Executive Director for Oregon AG in the Classroom

https://oregonaitc.org/about/staff/

Guest appearance on:

Cultivating Curiosity- Digging into real stories of how farm to school is changing classrooms—and communities—from the ground up. A conversation with Jade Davidson

Guest

Jared Hibbard-Swanson, PhD

Oregon State University, Program Manager for Food Security and Safety
Director, Marion Polk FoodShare
Guest appearance on: So You Have a School Garden.. Now What To Do With That Food? The Master Food Preserver Episode.

Guest appearance on:

So You Have a School Garden.. Now What To Do With That Food? The Master Food Preserver Episode.

Guest

Jennie Devine

Jennie is the Manager of the National Farmer's Union in Coventry, England

https://www.nfuonline.com/

Guest appearance on:

Farm to School Across the Pond: Lessons From England

Guest

Jennie Kolpak

Jennie Kolpak, RD LD

is a Specialist at the Oregon Department of Education and former Nutrition Service Director at a school district in Oregon.

Guest appearance on:

The Luck of the Lunch Tray: Gaelic Greens & Garden Dreams

Guest

Jennifer Young

MPH, EdD, RDN, School Wellness Policy Coordinator, Oregon Department of Education

Adjunct Professor, Portland State University

Policy Analyst, Oregon Health Authority

Nutrition and Physical Activity Coordinator, Office of Family Health/Adolescent Health

Guest appearance on:

Bringing Health & Wellness into School Gardens

Guest appearance on:

Bringing Health & Wellness into School Gardens

Guest

Jessica Eves

Teacher, Darnall Charter School, San Diego CA

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 1

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 1

Guest

John Fisher

Garden Classroom Project Director, Life Lab Science Program

Director of Programs and Partnerships, Life Lab

Guest appearance on:

Bringing Learning to Life in the School Garden

Guest appearance on:

Bringing Learning to Life In the School Garden: Special Guest John Fisher

Guest

Joshua Miller

Joshua is the Founder and Principal Consultant for Remarkable Academic Foods

Episode: Remarkable Academic Foods

https://www.rfoodsolutions.com/

Guest appearance on:

Remarkable Academic Foods

Guest

Julie Burton

Julie oversees the development and expansion of on-site facilities, district farm-to-school efforts, the regenerative organic farm, community partnerships, and the DREAMS Campus educational programming (Design, Research, Engineering, Art, Math, and Science). She is inspired to provide real-world, project, and place-based learning opportunities at Farm Lab that deepen student understanding of health and wellness, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.
Guest appearance on: Farm Lab-DREAMS Campus; Julie Burton

Guest appearance on:

Farm Lab-DREAMS Campus; Julie Burton

Guest

Kaitlyn Scheuermann

MPP-D, RDN, LD Waukee Community School District, IA

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 2

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit - Part 2

Guest

Katherine Pryor

Katherine Pryor is an award-winning children’s book author and good food advocate who has worked to create better food choices at institutions, large corporations, and food banks. She was born in Berkeley and grew up in California and Arizona before moving to Seattle to study food and farming. Her books are widely used in school garden curriculum, nutrition education, and anti-hunger initiatives. She lives with her family on Washington’s Whidbey Island.

Guest appearance on:

Student Ecoliteracy, the Author

https://katherinepryor.com/

Guest appearance on:

Student Ecoliteracy: The Author

Guest

Kelly Douglas

Director of the Superintendent’s Office, West Linn Wilsonville School District

Motivational Speaker

School Garden Coordinator, Molalla High School, Oregon

Guest appearance on:

School Garden Sustainability

Guest appearance on:

School Garden Sustainability: Kelly Douglas

Guest

Kim MacQuarrie

Co-founder, Co-Director Green Our Planet, Las Vegas, NV

Writer, Speaker, Documentary Filmmaker

Guest appearance on:

Changing the World by Being the Change at Home (part 1)

Changing the World by Being the Change at Home (part 2)

Guest appearance on:

Guest

Krishna Bhattarai

Krishna is the owner of Happy Curry Foods, a family-operated company that specializes in producing a variety of delicious and easy-to-use curry spices. With a focus on small batches and a two-step preparation process, we offer a range of healthy and satisfying options to customers throughout the Northwest.

https://happycurryfoods.com/

Guest appearance on:

Curries, Culture & Cafeteria: Bringing Bold Flavors to Schools.. Happy Curry Foods & the Power of Cultural Cuisine!

Guest

Larry McGrath

Larry is one of the four members of the Banana Slug String Band out of Santa Cruz, CA. The band has played in front of over 2 million kids over the past 40 years!

Episodes heard on: Education Kids through Music: The Banana Slug String Band Part 1 & Part 2.

https://www.bananaslugstringband.com/

Guest appearance on:

Guest

Leona Vrbanac

Culinary Teacher, Newark HS, Newark, OH

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 4

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 4

Guest

Lindsey Flores

Nutrition Services Coordinator, West Linn-Wilsonville School District, Oregon

Guest appearance on:

The Cafeteria and School Garden in Harmony

Guest appearance on:

The Cafeteria and School Garden in Harmony

Guest

Lua Siegel

Bilingual Elementary School Teacher and Farm to School Coordinator, Luckiamute Valley Charter School, Oregon

Gardening Instructor, Kings Valley Charter School, Oregon

Teacher, Corvallis School District, Oregon

Program Coordinator, Strengthening Rural Families, Philomath Oregon

Guest appearance on:

Teeny School: No Kitchen? No Problem.

Guest appearance on:

Teeny School? No Kitchen? No problem! Find out how Lua Siegel transformed a very rural charter school into an edible landscape.

Guest

Lucy DeLeon

food entrepreneur and owner of Salsas Locas, a Mexican eatery in Portland, Oregon.

https://salsaslocas.com/

Guest appearance on:

Cooking up Change: How Local Tamales are Transforming School Lunch

Guest

Matt Sablan

Farm to School Coordinator, Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs, Guam

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 4

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 4

Guest

Matt Supronowicz

Matt is C-Founder and Executive Director of SustainEd Farms in Denver, CO.

Guest on episode:

Who Knew Broccoli Didn't Grow on Trees? School Garden Education in Colorado

https://www.sustainedfarms.org/

Guest appearance on:

Who Knew Broccoli Didn't Grow on Trees? School Garden Education in Colorado

Guest

Maya McDowell

Maya is the Operations & Program Manager of SustainED Farms in Denver, CO.

Guest on episode:

Who Knew Broccoli Didn't Grow on Trees? School Garden Education in Colorado

https://www.sustainedfarms.org/

Guest appearance on:

Who Knew Broccoli Didn't Grow on Trees? School Garden Education in Colorado

Guest

Melina Barker

Melina is the Director of the Oregon Farm to School Network. Melina has been active in the farm to school and school garden movement for many years. She helped to found Rogue Valley Farm to School in southern Oregon where she served as Program Director for 12 years. Melina holds a MS in Environmental Education and lives on a small homestead in southern Oregon with her husband and two children. She enjoys hiking, gardening, pottery and cooking with her family.

https://oregonfarmtoschool.org/about-us/staff/

Guest appearance on:

Planting the Future: From Seedlings to Systems – Inside One State’s Farm to School Institute

Guest

Miguel Villareal

Interim Co-Executive Director, National Farm to School Network

Director, TRiGroup, Inc

Food Consultant, Plant Based Foods Association

Director of Child Nutrition San Ramon Valley Unified School District, CA

Guest appearance on:

Developer/Leader in Farm to School

Guest appearance on:

Developer/Leader in Farm to School: Spotlight on Miguel Villareal, National Farm to School Network

Guest

Pam Hosimer

Senior Agent Associate, Maryland SNAP Ed, University of Maryland Extension

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 2

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit - Part 2

Guest

Paul Davis

Paul and his wife Toni are owners of the Alvord Ranch in Eastern Oregon

https://www.alvordbeefcompany.com/

Guest appearance on:

Ranch to School

Guest

Philip Lee

Philip Lee is the Publisher from Readers to Eaters, a children's book publisher that specializes in children's nutrition.

Guest Appearance On:

Student Ecoliteracy: The Publisher

https://www.readerstoeaters.com/

Guest appearance on:

Student Ecoliteracy: The Publisher

Guest

Pilar Gray

Pilar is the Nutrition Services Director at Ft. Bragg School District, in Ft. Bragg, CA.

Guest on episode:

NOYO Food Forest

https://sites.google.com/fbusd.us/nutrition

Guest appearance on:

NOYO Food Forest

Guest

Randy Seagraves

Extension Program Specialist & Curriculum Coordinator, International Master Gardener Program, Texas A&M

Guest appearance on:

Junior Master Gardeners

Guest appearance on:

Junior Master Gardeners: Texas A&M's Randy Seagraves

Guest

Regi Jones

National Curriculum and Training Specialist, LifeLab

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 3

Guest appearance on:

Growing School Gardens Summit Part 3

Guest

Rikkilyn Starliper

Nutrition Service Director, Umatilla School District, Oregon

Guest appearance on:

Farm to School in Remote Areas

Guest appearance on:

Farm to School in Remote Areas; Rikkilyn Starliper

Guest

Rose Hayden-Smith

https://www.rosehaydensmith.com/

Sowing the Seeds of Victory: American Gardening Programs of World War 1

Dan Desmond story

Library of Congress: US School garden army
Guest appearance on: The History of School Gardens: A Conversation With Author Rose Hayden-Smith

https://www.rosehaydensmith.com/

Guest appearance on:

The History of School Gardens: A Conversation With Author Rose Hayden-Smith

Guest

Sam Koentopp

Experienced Director of Programs with a demonstrated history of working in education to build teachers' and students' interest and skills in growing food through school and home garden programs and that build food literacy. Leader in the real food movement, with a personal and professional background growing food. Accomplished home cook with an infectious passion for real food. Background in music performance and education imbue all work with creativity, intensity, perceptiveness, and joy.
Guest appearance on: Growing Food Changes Lives: A Discussion With Big Green's Sam Koentopp