Erin Croom first recognized the disconnect between the school age children in her kindergarten class and the food on their cafeteria plates while living in Birmingham, Ala. nine years ago. Croom also worked on a farm at the time. "I found that the children in my classroom didn't make any connection between the food on their plates and the farm down the road," she said. "They believed the food they ate each day came from the supermarket, the cafeteria line. It was an eye-opening experience."

After this discovery, Croom went on to the University of Vermont on a scholarship to study Farm to School efforts. Several years later, she joined Georgia Organics, a member-supported not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting sustainable foods and local farms in the state, where she first volunteered for a year and a half. Five years later, Croom is the Farm to School Coordinator for Georgia Organics, encouraging and teaching students how to choose and eat fresh, local sustainably grown food, both in the school cafeteria and at home. In addition to her work with the students, Croom and Georgia Organics have trained hundreds of teachers, parents, farmers and cafeteria staff to launch Farm to School Programs around the state.

The Partner Up! for Public Health campaign and the Georgia Department of Public Health have named the next Public Health Hero, Georgia Organics Farm to School Coordinator Erin Croom, who played a pivotal role in jumpstarting and advancing Farm to School efforts in Georgia. Croom closely aided in the launch of the Farm to School Alliance, a coalition of key stakeholders, to foster the development of Farm to School in Georgia. Croom also organized the Farm to School Summit, a successful effort to create and connect a network of key leaders and advocates.

"Our Farm to School Program is an evidence-based strategy. Our goals are to teach nutrition awareness in the classroom and to increase the amount of organically grown food consumed," Croom stated. "We're teaching positive eating habits that will stay with them for a lifetime."
 
Croom also aided in the initiation of the Farm to School Alliance, a network that joins statewide agencies working in food, farming and nutrition to combine resources and support for Farm to School, as well as create a dialogue for building statewide programming. Croom and fellow Farm to School Alliance members came together to create the Farm to School Summit, an annual conference in Georgia. The Summit is open to nutrition staff, teachers, farmers, students, parents, school nurses, community members, state agencies and organizations as well as anyone interested in growing Farm to School in Georgia.  The Farm to School Summit saw a 100% increase in attendance in 2012, hosting 200 attendees.

"Georgia's childhood obesity rates are shocking - ahead of only Mississippi.  Erin Croom's farm to school efforts are not only heroic, but are absolutely necessary at this point in our state's history," Partner Up! campaign manager Charlie Hayslett said."Getting children not only to eat their vegetables - but also to like them; truly the work of a hero."

In addition to her Farm to School Alliance and Farm to School Summit work, Croom has hosted numerous workshops and trainings for teachers, administrators and nutrition staff to start programs at both the school and district-wide level.  She also worked to connect wellness and health policies to Farm to School.  

"Beyond connecting to Georgia Organics, I encourage adults to be a good role model - make healthy choices when it comes to nutrition and get out in the garden with your children," Croom said.

To learn more about Georgia Organics, visit the website www.georgiaorganics.org and sign up for the Farm to School e-newsletter, the eBite.

To learn more about the Partner Up! for Public Health Heroes, visit the Heroes page www.togetherwecandobetter.com.

-Story by Jessica Hayslett, Partner Up! for Public Health