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
- 2022 Farm to School Grant Program Request for Applications (RFA): now available until 11:59 pm ET on January 10, 2022
- 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
- Turnip the Beet in 2021
- 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