Getting Started

There are multiple strategies to improve the health of children and communities. These simple first steps will help you develop a plan and decide the best plan for your school(s).

• Assess where you are and where you’d like to be. Are your goals centered on:
  • Procurement of local food to be served in school?
  • Establishing a school garden?
  • Integration of farm to school in the curriculum?
  • All of the above?
• Form a team and collaborate. School food service staff, teachers, administrators, school nurses, local farmers, students, Master Gardeners, County Extension Agents, parents and community organizations each have an important role in establishing a sustainable farm to school program.
• Establish one or two attainable goals to get started. Some ideas include:
  • Learn from others. If you are running into an obstacle, there is likely someone who has run into it before. Connect and learn from others through:
  • Promote farm to school in your school and community.
  • Identify menu items that you would like to transition to local products.
  • Find a farmer or distributor to connect you to local items.
  • Plan a local meal event.
  • Determine training needs to assist food service staff with incorporating farm fresh items in meals.
  • Bring a school garden planning team together.
  • Identify curricular opportunities to connect to a school garden.
  • Bring a chef into the classroom.
  • Plan a farm field trip or host a tasting event featuring local produce.
  • The National Farm to School Network (farmtoschool.org). Find abundant resources and contact information for people in your state and region who are working on farm to school.
  • Your state’s School Nutrition Association. Learn how others in your state are approaching farm to school in their school/district.
  • The Louisiana Farm to School Website or Louisiana Fit Kids website.
  • Signage or posters in the cafeteria or classroom
  • Bulletin boards throughout the school
  • School newsletters (print and electronic)
  • School website
  • School events and parent teachers associations
  • Local media
• Get Started - a resource from the National Farm to School Network
• USDA Farm to School resources guide
  • Assemble a Team - a resource from Minnesota
  • Resource Sheet for Farms & Food Producers

 

Farm to School as a Wellness Policy Tool

• Norris Intermediate School in Firth, NE- a rural model for success when the health of the students is made a district wide priority.
• Local School Wellness Policy- Resources from Louisiana Fit Kids
• Wellness Policy Tool- Action for Healthy Kids developed 7 steps to success to access wellness policy work.

 

Take the Local Procurement Assessment

Use the form below to assess where you are and where you’d like to be.

Local Procurement Assessmentpdf