Food for Thought Ojai

Food for Thought (FFT) was organized by a group of concerned parents, educators and growers who first came together in the spring of 2002 to improve the nutritional status and food awareness of children in the Ojai Unified School District (OUSD). With the help of our committed staff, board, volunteers and donors, our program has helped to raise awareness of the importance of healthy childhood nutritional practices, and the integral role of agriculture in our community, encouraging students to reconnect to the land and environment that sustains them. FFT has developed five inter-related program components with associated curricula that integrate California State Academic Standards. These program components are: 1) nutrition education, 2) garden-based learning, 3) agricultural literacy through farm field trips, and 4) advocating for fresh, local, seasonal produce in all school meals. The fifth and newest component, the 5Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle, rot and rethink!) focuses on minimizing