Farm to School

The goal of Farm to School is to get more locally grown product into the school cafeterias.  Farm to school programs can be as big as serving up locally grown fruit, vegetable or other item once a day or as little as once a school year.  Large or small, each program is important and supports the health and well being of students and farmers.

Research carried out by the National Farm to School Network shows that Farm to School programs can result in:

• Students consuming more fruits and vegetables and having greater knowledge of agriculture and healthy eating;
• School food service operations increasing both the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables served and increasing their revenues from adult and student participation in school meal programs;
• Farmers diversifying their markets, securing contracts for their products and establishing grower collaborative's and cooperatives.

Resources

• Regional Farm to School Meeting flyer: you are invited to attend one of our regional in-person meetings, during which we will have interactive sessions to discuss how we can move forward with Farm to School/ECE in Missouri. Of special note, local snacks will be available, and attendees will be entered to win door prizes (see flyer). To find the dates, times, locations, and registration information, please see the flyer. There are multiple sessions just to break it up geographically; there is no need to attend more than one session. Feel free to pick the one that works best for your schedule and location.
• Specialty Crops in Missouri Schools
• Missouri Farm to School Census
• Missouri Extension Farm to School
• National Farm to School Network
• Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs
• Selling Local Food to Schools: A Resource for Producers
• USDA Farm to School Site
• USDA Foods: A Resource for Buying Local

Produce Safety Materials

• Best Practices for Handling Fresh Produce in Schools
• Handling Fresh Produce in Classrooms
• Handling Fresh Produce on Salad Bars
• Verifying On-Farm Food Safety
• Ensuring Traceability of Fresh Produce
• Food Safety Tips for School Gardens
• Storing Fresh Produce

USDA Memos

SP-48-2016     Using Federal Funds to Support FoodCorps Service Members

SP-06-2015     Farm to School and School Garden Expenses

SP-03-2013     Procurement Geographic Preference O&As - Part II

SP-01-2013     Federal Small Purchase Threshold Adjustment

SP-18-2011     Procurement Geographic Preference Q&As

SP-13-2010     Farm to School Activities

SP-32-2009     School Garden Q&As

SP-08-2009     Procurement Questions