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.
Farm To School Highlights
Denver Public Schools is serving up a local menu! Way to go Denver Public Schools! Check out their headlines below.
- CBS 4: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/09/19/denver-public-schools-vegetable-garden/
- Denver 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft0p4PZ8TlE
- 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 Events: Register Your Crunch Time Event!
- Take a bite into a locally or regionally grown apple on October 24 to help Colorado win the multi-state Crunch Off against Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. The school with the most participants receives a special prize, and by registering your event, you will receive Crunch Time promotional materials.
- Fun fact: apple varieties can range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit. The largest apple ever picked weighed three pounds!
About Farm to School
- 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.
- The Benefits of Farm to School
- Farm to School provides a Win-Win approach, harvesting a life-long impact on kids, farmers and communities.
Colorado Farm to School Task Force
In 2010, the Colorado General Assembly created the Colorado Interagency Farm-to-School Coordination Task Force (HB10-81), most commonly referred to as the Colorado Farm to School Task Force.
The main objectives of the Colorado Farm to School Task Force are:
- Increasing awareness of farm to school opportunities and partnerships.
- Disseminating farm to school resources, materials and toolkits.
- Assessing policy and regulatory opportunities and barriers.
- Identifying and supporting opportunities to further farm to school efforts.
Farm To School and Farm to Summer Resources
Find Local Products
- Colorado Farmer’s Market
- Colorado Market Maker: The Colorado Market Maker is a resource to find local producers, markets, food, and to build local connections.
- Seasonal Food Guide
Procurement
- Farm to School Bid (template)
- Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs
- USDA Procuring Local Foods Resources
- USDA Buying Local Foods Resources
- NFSN Procurement Resources
- Office of School Nutrition Procurement webpage
School Gardens
Education & Curriculum
- Colorado Foundation for Agriculture
- The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture provides a variety of educational materials such as activity sheets, posters, readers and lesson plans.
- Harvest for Healthy Kids
- National Agriculture in the Classroom
- NFSN Education Resources
- Team Nutrition Garden Resources
- USDA Farm to School Education and Curriculum Integration
Fact Sheets
- Colorado Proud Produce Calendar
- Farm to Summer Tip Sheet
- National Farm to School Network Fact Sheets
- USDA Fact Sheets
Safety
- Food Safety Tips for School Gardens
- Fruit and Vegetable Safety
- Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Toolkits and Manuals
- Boulder Valley Farm to School Manua
- Boulder Valley Garden Manual
- USDA Farm to School Planning ToolKit
- USDA Farm to School Planning Presentations
- Garden to Cafeteria Program Guide
- Whole Kids Foundation: Garden to Cafeteria Toolkit
- National School Garden Network: Garden to Cafeteria Webinar
- My Plate, My State
Training
Farm to School Census
- For more information, visit the Farm to School Census webpage.
- 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.
Networks
- Colorado Farm to School Task Force
- Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA)
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Farm to Child Care in Colorado
- Colorado Department of Human Services- USDA Foods and Department of Defense (DOD) Fresh
- Colorado Foundation for Agriculture
- National Farm to School Network (NFSN)
- USDA Community Food Systems- Farm to School
- USDA Community Food Systems- Farm to Summer
- Farm to School LiveWell Colorado
- Chef Ann Foundation
- Slow Food USA
- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
- Vermont FEED: A Farm to School Project
- National Young Farmers Coalition
- Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
Events
- Colorado Proud School Meal Day
- Colorado Agriculture Council- Day at the Capital
- National Farm to School Month
Funding Opportunities
- USDA Farm to School Grant
- National Agriculture in the Classroom Grants and Scholarships
- AmeriCorps Programs
- AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC)
For more information, contact McKenna Pullen.
