Farm to School and Summer

Farm to School embodies three core elements: Procurement: Purchasing local foods; Education: Education related to agriculture, food, health and nutrition; School Gardens: Support and sustain school gardens to provide hand-on educational experiences and connecting students with their food.

Farm to School is a program focused on connecting communities to healthy, fresh and local food by influencing change within who and how food is purchased, nutrition and agricultural education and supporting schools in establishing school gardens and agricultural programs.

The Benefits of Farm to School (PDF)
- Farm to School provides a Win-Win approach, harvesting a life-long impact on kids, farmers and communities.
Tell Us Your Story
- Your voice, your story and your passion are powerful. Impact and influence Farm to School and Farm to Summer in Colorado by sharing your story.

Farm to School - playing in the dirt

Farm To School Legislative Updates

Local Food Program

With the passage of Colorado HB-1132 during the 2019 legislative session, the Local Food Program will offer selected School Food Authorities (SFAs) a reimbursement for the purchase of Colorado grown, raised, or processed products. This program encourages SFAs to procure local products, foster nutrition education, bolster farm to child nutrition activities, and support Colorado producers and farmers. SFAs that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are eligible to apply for this opportunity. Available funding ($500,000 for SY 20-21) will be distributed as a reimbursement to SFAs that are selected during the application process. CDE will prioritize SFAs that:

Demonstrate a commitment to local purchasing or food and agricultural education;
Have a kitchen with the ability to store, prepare, and serve local food products;
Have greater than 25% of its students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Resources

Important Dates:

Oct. 7: Application Opens
Oct. 22: Informational Webinar
1. Register Today!
Nov. 26: Application Deadline
March 1: SFAs Selected
Aug. 1: SFAs Report to CDE

Upcoming Events

Mountain Plains Crunch Off

Celebrate National Farm to School Month, by participating in the Crunch Off on Wednesday, October 16. States throughout the Mountain Plains Region (CO, MT, MO, KS, NE, UT, ND, SD, WY) are competing to see which state can get the most “crunches” into a local apple! Join students, teachers, farmers, parents, community members, and local food enthusiasts in celebrating the wonderful produce Colorado has to offer. Your crunch efforts will encourage healthy eating and support local agriculture right in your own state.

Create a Crunch Team and register your event! You will receive an official Crunch Off Toolkit upon registration with tips to promote your event and where to find local apples in Colorado. Contact McKenna Pullen for more information.

Colorado Farm to School Task Force

In 2019, HB19-1202 merged the Colorado Farm to School Task Force with the Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council (COFSAC). This will strengthen the work of the Task Force, align priorities with COFSAC and those outlined in the Colorado Blueprint for Food and Agriculture.

Contact Jon Padia for more information.

Farm To School and Farm to Summer Partner Organizations

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Resources

Learn to build a strong farm to school team, learn about food safety, food and nutrition education, and school gardens as well as how to promote the program.

Farm to School Census
Farm to School Census Worksheet (PDF)
- To find your school, start at Find Your School District and then use the search boxes in middle of the webpage to find your district.

National Farm to School Network

Resources for school gardens, trainings, fact sheets, and educational materials.

National Farm to School Network (NFSN)

LiveWell Colorado

LiveWell Colorado is a core partner of the NFSN and offers networking opportunities and webinars related to farm to school initiatives.

Local Procurement Colorado (LoProCO)

Toolkits and Manuals

Implementing a Farm to School Program

Find Local Products

Education and Curriculum

Food Safety

Funding Opportunities

Funding Sources Available for Farm to Cafeteria Programs
AmeriCorps Programs
- Apply here to host an AmeriCorps member at your school to help implement Farm to School and Summer activities.

For more information or if an alternate version of a document is needed, please contact McKenna Pullen.