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Have an interest in sustainably grown food and all that it entails? Apply now for a summer 2012 internship with DF2S:

• Who can apply? Decatur High School students who will be Juniors or Seniors in Fall 2012.

• Deadline: Tuesday, May 8, 2012

You'll have the chance to work with local farmers, chefs and restaurant managers for a total of six (6) weeks for ten (10) hours per week learning what it takes to grow, sell, procure and prepare fresh produce and other foods.

Plus, you'll work at two or three locations during the summer at sites such as Love is Love Farms, The Wylde Center and Farm Burger restaurant.

If you are selected for this program, we will schedule your hours and work sites based on your needs and interests and those of our participating businesses.

Decatur Farm to School will:

• Provide $500 stipend to each grantee
• Provide support from a Decatur Farm to School program coordinator throughout the summer
• If desired, review any oral or written work you create as part of the research grant
• Assist you in preparing a resume bullet describing the research grant

If selected, you will:

• Complete tasks and projects as assigned by your on-site supervisors at each placement location
• After completion of the program, give a brief oral presentation to the Wylde Center Board of Trustees
• After completion of the program, draft an article suitable for publication in the Decatur High School magazine and/or a Wylde Center or Decatur Farm to School newsletter
• Get involved behind-the-scenes at some outstanding local businesses and have a great summer!

Your application may be submitted either electronically as a pdf or in hard copy: Apply now!

• Electronic submission: Please email to the Wylde Center (formerly the Oakhurst Community Garden Center) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Include “DF2S Research Grant Application” in the subject line.

• Hard copy submission: Please mail or hand deliver your application to:

Decatur Farm to School
c/o The Wylde Center
435 Oakview Road  Decatur, GA 30030

The Decatur Farm to School Executive Committee expects to select one or two grant recipients on or about May 15, 2012. All applicants will be notified of the Committee’s decision.

Questions? Please contact Caroline Branch, member of the Decatur Farm to School Executive Committee, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 404.697.7644.

We were recently named as one of the first “Partner Up! for Public Health Heroes” as part of a new recognition program sponsored by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Partner Up! for Public Health Campaign.

The joint DPH/Partner Up! for Public Health program is aimed at recognizing Georgia organizations and individuals who make important contributions to the health of their communities. DF2S was selected for effectively addressing the public health challenge of student nutrition in the community.

Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, the state’s Commissioner of Public Health, said: “The energy and the effectiveness exhibited by these Partner Up! for Public Health Heroes is exciting and inspiring to those of us who work in public health.  The Department is pleased to join the Partner Up! campaign in recognizing these honorees and hope that their efforts will inspire leaders in other communities to follow their examples.  Local leadership and engagement is vital to protecting, promoting and advancing public health at a community level.”

Thanks for your support as we continue to address the growing concerns of childhood obesity, viability of the American family farm, and environmental impact of food consumption patterns. We strive to connect parents, teachers, school administrators, local farms, and chefs in Decatur to improve the lives of kids, their families and the community.

We continue to make strides in changing the cafeteria environment by adding more fresh produce to the menus while decreasing unhealthy lunch line choices.  Much of our success is as a result of the planning, building and upkeep of our Decatur school gardens, thanks to the support of our teachers by using the school gardens as “outdoor classrooms.”

“Six of the eight schools in our district have gardens and we are reaching more than 3,200 students. Equality is an important part of our mission here at DF2S; we want to impact every student. For many of the students, lunch may be their best meal of the day, and for some, it may be their only. There is still room to grow and we want to make it truly sustainable,” says Myriam Dormer, Youth Programs Manager of The Wylde Center, formerly Oakhurst Community Garden Project, of which DF2S is a branch.

“The outdoor classroom model involves this idea of ‘plant-pick-cook-interpret’ and has an environmental education component,” Dormer adds.

The Decatur Farm to School Initiative is a grassroots effort led by parents, teachers, school administrators, community members and organizations.  Farm to School programs connect schools with local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime, and supporting local farmers. The Initiative team was given an initial approval to explore the program’s potential by the City Schools of Decatur (CSD) Board in April 2009.

The Decatur Farm to School Initiative has subsequently held a town-hall meeting in May 2009 and established a set of committees to provide recommendations on a comprehensive initiative plan.  The Steering Committee developed the Initiative Logic Model and compiled the Initiative Plan, both of which will be presented to the CSD Board in November 2009.  Initial plans for the Farm to School Program include...

Farm to School is a natural response to growing concerns over childhood obesity, the viability of the American family farm, and the environmental impact of our consumption patterns.  Farm to School connects these concerns with a solution that can have benefits for students, farmers, schools, and communities.

Farm to School programs are not only about sourcing locally, but also about sourcing fresh and nutritious foods, providing educational opportunities for students about food choices and about where their food comes from, and helping to reinvigorate local economies.