Farm-to-School: Bringing Produce-Power to the Table
As the seasons shift across the U.S. and school nutrition programs settle into a rhythm—against a COVID-19 backdrop—the potential for Farm-to-School partnerships is only growing.
Pro•Team works closely with the school nutrition team at Bowling Green ISD, Kentucky, to plan USDA compliant menus that incorporate local produce. The team there has made great strides in building partnerships with local farmers to bring locally-grown produce into the schools. This in turn provides access to fresh and local foods to students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to try such a wide range of fruits and vegetables.
The Bowling Green team graciously agreed to share a few tips and resources to help other teams launch Farm-to-School programs in their area. See below for some answers to frequently asked questions, and contact us if you’d like to learn more.
Bowling Green Independent School District—Farm to School
Dalla Emerson, Director of Food Service Operations
Miranda Pierce, Child Nutrition Coordinator
Q: How did you get started?
A: Our Farm to School efforts started in 2012 with the previous director, but since 2018, it has really taken off. Grants have been crucial to our efforts. We utilize the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program and the Kentucky-Grown Vegetable Incentive Grant to name a few, but there are a variety of grants available at the local, state and national levels.
Q: What do you do to keep the program growing?
A: Our farm to school program has grown thanks to the strong relationships we have developed with our farmers. We met our farmers through the local farmer’s market and by word of mouth, and we are now happy to be working with nine different local farmers:Need More Acres, KY Hydro Farm, ATP Greenhouse, Sunny Point Farms, Jackson’s Orchard, etc. They all have the KY Proud certification and GAP certification for food safety practices, which was important for us bringing in food to feed thousands of students. We clearly communicate our needs by letting farmers know how much produce we want for the season prior to planting, and during harvest, we order a week ahead of time to ensure what we need is available.
Q: Why is it important to you?
A: We want to expose every student in our district to fresh, local fruits and vegetables. We have food deserts in our community, and we don’t want that to keep students from experiencing what delicious, flavorful food tastes like. We’re building our future leaders, after all; they need healthy, nutritious food to fuel their learning.
“We want to expose every student in our district to fresh, local fruits and vegetables. We have food deserts in our community, and we don’t want that to keep students from experiencing what delicious, flavorful food tastes like. We’re building our future leaders, after all; they need healthy, nutritious food to fuel their learning.”
Farm to school also gives us the opportunity to educate our students on nutrition and where food comes from. One of our farms, Need More Acres, allows students to take a field trip to the farm. It has been so beneficial for students to experience this interactive learning environment. In fact, I had a second grade teacher tell me that one of her students actually understood germination in class thanks to the field trip.
Q: What types of foods are you able to get locally?
A: We get pears, peaches, apples, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, watermelon, snacking peppers, cucumbers, blueberries, parsnips, rutabaga, purple cabbage, purple cauliflower, persimmons and pawpaws. This past summer we actually ordered 2,000 watermelons and gave out whole watermelons to families picking up their curbside meals, and we ran out of watermelons before the day was over.
Q: With COVID, did your efforts change?
A: Our service model changed due to COVID, but we still maintained our commitment to farm to school. We were not running a robust salad bar like usual, so we were ordering less lettuce, but we shifted to needing more whole fruits with the grab and go meals we were offering.
Q: Do you have any tips for schools looking to incorporate Farm to School?
A: Just go for it. Start small by incorporating one local food item one day per week. Build relationships with farmers, and your community will support you for giving back to the local economy. Also, don’t be afraid to let people know what you are doing—the public, school board, administration, etc. Present at a school board meeting and share what you are doing on social media.
RESOURCES
USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (Elementary Schools eligible, priority given to highest percentage of free and reduced students)
Farm to School Network
A ton of resources on getting started, grants and partners in your state available to help.
Check with state agencies for Farm to School grants available at the local level.