Welcome to our Santa Maria Joint Unified High School District (SMJUHSD) Farm to School (F2S) Planning Project. For one year, CAPSLO, in partnership with the district, will work with key stakeholders and constituents (students, farmers, teachers, parents, community members) to develop a Farm to School Plan that addresses three main areas: the school food program, school gardens, and agricultural education. We are using principles of Human-Centered Design (HCD) to develop this plan. HCD uses a set of tools and techniques to creatively solve complex issues, engaging end-users all along the way.

Our first step at engaging end-users and understanding the problem was to interview and survey our key stakeholders. Nearly 100 students, teachers, parents, farmers, and community members shared their perspectives related to Farm to School. USDA categorizes F2S approaches in three categories:

1) School Food Program,
2) School Gardens, and
3) Agriculture Education

Now, we are in the process of creating statements that capture the essence of the feedback. We are reframing the insights into statements, called "How Might We" (HMW) statements which turn challenges into opportunities for design. We use the "How Might We" format because it suggests that a solution is possible and because they offer you the chance to answer them in a variety of ways.

We need your help choosing 3 "How Might We" statements...1 statement per category that best addresses the core principles of the Farm to School Plan for Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. Please take the next 10 minutes to vote on your favorite HMW statements and/or perhaps create your own!

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact Jenna Miller, Program Supervisor, at jmiller@capslo.org or (805) 602- 2883.