Reducing Contaminant Exposure through Organic Procurement and On-Site Farm Integration

Project Abstract Project Title: Reducing Contaminant Exposure through Organic Procurement and On-Site Farm Integration The Academy for Global Citizenship (AGC), a public charter school on Chicago’s Southwest Side, operates as an independent School Food Authority with a self-operated kitchen and full participation in the National School Lunch Program and CACFP. AGC’s culinary team— composed of seven full-time, cross-trained staff—prepares scratch-cooked meals daily for all students, with 75% of offerings anchored in plant proteins and local, humanely raised ingredients. AGC has a demonstrated commitment to nutrition-forward, equity-centered food systems and community-rooted wellness strategies. Through this FDA-funded initiative, AGC will implement two core interventions: (1) the replacement of daily milk and bread with organic, scratch-made alternatives lower in glyphosate, and (2) the integration of produce from AGC’s new on-site 2-acre urban farm—operated in partnership with Urban Growers Collective—into the salad bar and core menu. AGC will partner with Wellness in the Schools (WITS) to deliver professional development for the culinary team via a two-day Cook Camp, implementation consultation, and reporting support. In-house bread production will follow hands-on workshops and will rely on organic flour and updated equipment. Expanded labor support will be directed to farm produce prep and scratch cooking execution. The project includes a robust evaluation component. From 2020–2023, AGC partnered with Lurie Children’s Smith Child Health Catalyst to assess shifts in student nutrition knowledge, behavior, and attitudes. This FDA project builds on that foundation, integrating baseline and post-intervention contaminant sampling, qualitative feedback from stakeholders, and FDA- aligned lab testing protocols. Confidential data will be securely stored and managed by the PI and research team. The goal is to generate a scalable, replicable model of institutional meal transformation that reduces contaminant exposure, increases food literacy, and sustains community buy-in for long- term systems change.