October is National Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate connections happening all over the country between schools and local food! You can participate by sharing the resources with your school.
Farm to school enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and preschools. Students gain access to healthy, local foods as well as education opportunities such as school gardens, cooking lessons and farm field trips.
Over the past decade, the farm to school movement has exploded across the United States, reaching millions of students in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Farm to school is an important tool in the fight against childhood obesity and food insecurity. In addition to improving child health, when schools buy local, they create new markets for local and regional farmers and contribute to vibrant communities, a win-win-win scenario!
Peaches delivered to Two Rivers School District AR from Peach Pickin' Paradise
Whether you are a food service professional, a farmer, a teacher or a food-loving family, there are plenty of ways to celebrate and get involved in National Farm to School Month!
The National Farm to School Network offers a variety of free resources on its website, farmtoschool.org, including posters, stickers and a communications toolkit. Visit the National Farm to School Network blog throughout October for stories of farm to school success happening across the country.
While visiting farmtoschool.org in October, fill out a membership form or share your farm to school story via the “Share Form” and you will be entered to win one of four registrations for the 2016 National Farm to Cafeteria conference.
Learn more about National Farm to School Month, farm to school projects in your community, and how you can get involved by visiting farmtoschool.org.