How to Start Farm to Table Programs for Public Schools

Starting a Farm to School program for your local school district is a project that can involve a number of community members. School nutritionists may want better quality, fresh, locally grown food for students. Parents can have a similar interest, and farmers may wish to market their produce locally as well as help the community. Programs take a wide variety of forms. Some communities want their schools to purchase fresh food from local farmers. Others set up programs around a school garden and field trips to local farms. Whatever the form of your farm to table program, it brings together school officials, farmers and community members.

Instructions

1

Contact the Farm to School Team of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for information, support and guidance in setting up your program. The Farm to School Team staff has members from both the Food and Nutrition Service that regulates school lunches and the Agriculture Marketing Service that helps farmers sell their products.

2

Apply for grants or seek out other financial resources if necessary for your project. The USDA has a number of community grants that will support a farm to table program.

3

Learn the guidelines on regulations and rules concerning buying food for schools if your group plans to purchase food.

4

Get your school's nutritional services director's support. While anyone in the community can organize and start a farm to school program, many are spearheaded by local school nutritional services directors. Their support is crucial. The program cannot succeed unless the food service leaders are willing and able to add fresh local food to the school menus.

5

Contact local farmers to find those with an interest in supplying the school with fresh produce. Check with farmers markets or farmers' organizations, such as the Apple Growers Association. Also check with your state department of agriculture or the extension service.

6

Choose someone to act as a liaison between farmers and schools. Often this is the person spearheading the farm to school program, but it could also be someone hired with grant money, someone already employed by the school or by an agricultural organization. A committee or a non-profit group could act in this capacity, but someone needs to match farmers and their products with the needs of schools.

7

Purchase food or contract with farmers for future crops, once the program has been organized. The program often can move forward quickly. A simple school salad bar with local vegetables could be in place in a few weeks, but if there is a shortage of storage or processing facilities,or food service personnel have to be re-trained, it could take much longer.