Alice Waters Institute and the Henry Ford Partner to Celebrate Farm to School

AWI recently partnered with The Henry Ford to host an evening highlighting the Farm to School movement, beginning with a farm-to-table dinner at LULU, Alice Waters’ Los Angeles restaurant. The seasonal menu featured produce from Dickinson Family Farms in Fallbrook, California, and brought together community members, food system leaders, and supporters interested in learning more about this work.

After dinner, guests gathered at the Hammer Museum for a panel discussion ahead of a screening of The Henry Ford’s documentary Farm to School Lunch Across America, which highlights school districts across the country working to transform their food programs through partnerships with regional farmers. Panelists included Florence Simpson, Deputy Food Services Director for Los Angeles Unified School District; Andrew Dickinson of Dickinson Family Farms, a local grower and food hub supplying produce to the district; Yael Cypers Kotick of the Alice Waters Institute; and Ben Lucas Thomas, Founder and CEO of Shared Plate Strategies. The panel was moderated by Alan Shannon of The Henry Ford and formerly the US Department of Agriculture.

During the discussion, panelists shared how LAUSD’s Farm to School grant has successfully expanded direct purchasing from local farmers, with AWI and Shared Plate Strategies providing technical assistance to help the district and regional producers strengthen procurement relationships and integrate more local produce into school meal programs. Simpson noted that so far this school year, LAUSD has spent $4.7 million with local farmers and food hubs—directing millions of food dollars back into the local agricultural economy. Following the documentary screening, panelists returned to the stage for audience Q&A to close out the evening.

For more information about the Henry Ford Foundation and the Farm to School Across America documentary, please check out their website: Farm to School Lunch Across America.