FARM TO SCHOOL

Core Elements of Farm to School

Description of F2S network.
Description of F2S network.

44% of Pennsylvania school districts report participation in Farm to School

268 school districts
1,116 schools
612,687 students
At least 133 school gardens

Kids Win

Farm to school provides all kids access to nutritious, high quality, local food so they are ready to learn and grow. Farm to school activities enhance classroom education through hands-on learning related to food, health, agriculture and nutrition.

FARMERS WIN

Farm to school can serve as a significant financial opportunity for farmers, fishers, ranchers, food processors and food manufacturers by opening the doors to an institutional market worth billions of dollars.

COMMUNITIES WIN

Farm to school benefits everyone from students, teachers and administrators to parents and farmers, providing opportunities to build family and community engagement. Buying from local producers and processors creates new jobs and strengthens the local economy.

Starting a Farm to School program is easy.  It can be as simple as procuring one local product for your cafeteria and telling you students all about it.  Why not start with apples?  Pennsylvania produces more than enough apples every year to feed every student at every meal!

HOW TO GET STARTED

  • Talk with farmers in your community. A good place to start is to attend a local farmers’ market. 
  • Join the Pennsylvania Farm to School Network.
  • Do a simple tasting with local produce.
  • Take a field trip to a local farm.

RESOURCES