Farm to School: Its Importance and How to Get Involved

Remi’s Answer

Farm to School connects local agriculture, schools, and partners to benefit students, educators, farmers, families, and communities. These programs support local food procurement, school gardens, and nutrition education.

School nutrition professionals, teachers, administrators, school nurses, school health coordinators, local farmers, students, families, policymakers, and community organizations each have an important role in building capacity for and establishing a sustainable farm to school program.

For more information visit CEFS Farm to School.

Tracey’s Answer

Farm to School can vary across settings, but it always includes one or more of the following: purchasing, promoting, and serving local food as part of school meals, snacks or taste tests, interactive learning through gardening, and/or engaging educational activities related to agriculture, food, health, or nutrition.

Remi’s Answer

NC Cooperative Extension Farm to School Coordinator and Co-Lead of Cooperative Extension Local Food Farm to School Working Team.

Tracey’s Answer

Farm to school is woven into my work as a School Nutrition Promotion Specialist with the Office of School Nutrition, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. In this role, I develop resources and identify best practices to assist local education agencies (LEAs) in implementing, expanding, or enhancing farm to school activities and programming. This includes agriculture, nutrition and health place‐based education, school gardens, procurement of local agricultural products, and incorporation of local agricultural products into school menus.

I also have the honor of serving as Co-Chair for the Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina, which is dedicated to connecting local agriculture with schools, engaging with students and communities, and advancing a more equitable and just food system.

Remi’s Answer

Farm to School helps to support a healthier food system across North Carolina. This community driven effort is at the heart of improving both health and wellness for children and the school communities’ they are connected to.

F2School Programing Examples:

• School nutrition professionals and farmers can work together to increase the procurement of local food for school meals and snacks. This also helps tell the story of local food systems.
• Teachers and school nutrition professionals can teach and promote farm to school to students and their families to increase the consumption of healthy foods.
• Students, families, and community organizations can advocate for farm to school programming in their local school districts.
• School administrators and policymakers can establish policies and practices in support of farm to school.

Tracey’s Answer

Farm to School connects local agriculture, schools, and partners to benefit students, educators, farmers, families, and communities.

Experiential education offered through farm to school activities improves academic performance, supports social emotional learning, and helps students, school staff, and their families learn more about and appreciate how food is grown, harvested, distributed, prepared, and served. This knowledge can help kids and adults to make more informed food choices to support not only their health but also their local communities.

Purchasing of local food by schools for meals, snacks, and taste tests provide additional market opportunities for farmers.

Remi’s Answer

In the upcoming year, we are developing an online training course – The NC Farm to School Training Initiative (NCFSTI). This initiative has three significant project goals.

First, is to develop an online educational training platform for individuals, groups, and entities seeking to implement and support more resilient food systems for our school communities. This goal is supported through an online certificate program featuring a diverse range of educational modules. Modules will include an introduction to farm to school, how to build farm to school teams, how to establish a school garden classroom, incorporating cooking in the classroom, racial equity, strengthening local food procurement, farm field trips, improving student engagement, and program evaluation. Participants can take all modules of this online training for course certification, or by choosing training modules of interest.

A second goal of the NCFSTI is to create free and easily accessible online tools for continuing education and outreach.

Last, the NCFSTI will work to provide partners mechanisms for developing communities of praxis and sharing in the advancement of farm to school in NC.

The North Carolina Farm to School Training Initiative is supported by the National Institution of Food and Agriculture Grant. We hope to launch this training in 2023.

Tracey’s Answer

Farm to School and Early Care and Education Month is celebrated in October. The North Carolina Crunch, hosted by the Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina and the N.C. Farm to Preschool Network, is an opportunity for kids and adults to taste and learn about North Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables and honor all those involved in feeding our kids and communities.

The Farm to School Coalition of NC is currently offering a Racial Equity in Farm to School virtual workshop series that will run through the fall. Everyone can look forward to these and other professional development opportunities from the F2SCNC and our partners. Through the NC Jr. Chef Competition, high school students can work with their teachers and local School Nutrition Programs to create a school lunch entrée recipe that appeals to students, features North Carolina-grown ingredients, and adheres to federal nutrition regulations for a chance to win scholarships. Be on the lookout for the timeline, guidelines, and other details for the 2022-23 competition.

Tracey’s Answer

Schools, early care and education centers, agencies, organizations, businesses, individuals, and families can participate in the N.C. Crunch. Folks can sign up to receive a free guide with tips, resources, and templates to promote farm to school and early care and education and celebrate the N.C. Crunch. Learn more and sign up for the N.C. Crunch.

Everyone can be involved with the Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina. Check out our website at
https://www.farmtoschoolcoalitionnc.org to learn more, follow us on social media at @F2SCoalitionNC, and sign up for our listserv to receive the latest info on events, professional development opportunities, grants, resources, and more.

Remi’s Answer

Websites to connect with F2S activities, trainings, and events:

• • Farm to School Coalition NC
  • NCSU Farm to School
  • CEFS Farm to School Link