Interview with Ashley Schimke, Farm to School Specialist for Arizona Department of Education


Ashley Schimke is the Farm to School Specialist for the Arizona Department of Education. Her experience working in the Phoenix community gave her an introduction to the struggles of the less fortunate within the Valley. Working with the Arizona Department of Education Ashley had the opportunity to bridge the gap between the education system and local producers. She seeks to give students the nutrition to focus and learn as well as the education to make healthy choices. Understanding food systems become more of an experience for students, which promotes a continual interest. Her work engages the next generation in an effort to change how they understand their environment and their food.