Summary Report on Farm to School Program

Posted by on August 01, 2011

The USDA Farm to School Team was established late in 2009 as a result of discussions within the Department-wide Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative. These discussions focused on the need to develop strategies to enhance market opportunities for local farmers as well as the need to better connect farmers with consumers and thereby increase public understanding of American agriculture. Very quickly, Farm to School was identified as a strategy that could potentially contribute to both goals. The USDA Farm to School Team was appointed and tasked with surveying Farm to School efforts and providing USDA leadership with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by Farm to School efforts.

During 2010, the Team visited 15 school districts across the country that were involved in farm to school related activities in varying capacities, reviewed resource materials, participated in national and regional conferences, and consulted with other organizations that worked with the farm to school community. This report summarizes the observations of these activities. This report also provides suggestions for further action by USDA to support schools in obtaining fresh and healthy food from their local and regional food systems.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/F2S/pdf/2010_summary-report.pdf