PROGRAMS :: Farm to School   The Community Alliance with Family Farmers' Farm to School Initiative reconnects children with local food and agriculture in the classroom, on the farm and in the cafeteria.

What is Farm to School?
Farm to School Programs connect farms with school cafeterias and classrooms. These programs can include everything from farm field trips to nutrition education in the school gardens to farm-fresh salad bars. Farm to School programs come in all shapes and sizes, but they fall into two main categories: Farm to School Education and Produce Distribution. A comprehensive Farm to School program puts both elements together: Fresh, locally-grown produce appears on the school menu, while students learn about local agriculture.

Our Farm to School Initiative Since 2001, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) has spearheaded Farm to School projects across California. Our Farm to School Initiative has developed and coordinated on-the-ground programs connecting schools and school children to their local farming communities, while also creating resources, workshops and materials that help further the Farm to School movement in California. CAFF runs Farm to School programs in Monterey, Humboldt, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, and connects local farmers to school cafeterias in Sacramento Valley, Ventura and the Bay Area.

Our Know Your Farmer Education Program

Our Know Your Farmer Program reconnects children and youth with agriculture, coaching a new generation’s interactions with the food system. The program has four core elements that teach kids about food and farming, inspiring them to make healthier choices that support our local farm communities. CAFF staff works with local schools and districts to:

• Host farmer visits to classrooms
• Coordinate farm field trips that are fun, engaging and educational
• Teach kids about where their food comes from with local food systems lessons
• Provide Harvest of the Month Tasting Kits that feature a locally grown fruit or vegetable each month with corresponding activities
• Lead high school youth in our True Farmer Invasion farmer apprenticeship program

Farm to School Produce Distribution
CAFF has pioneered innovative ways to connect family farms to institutions like schools, hospitals and universities. With years of experience consolidating and distributing produce from family farms, CAFF is now focused on working  with the distribution industry in California to open wholesale markets for small and mid-sized farms. The Farm to School Initiative specializes in working hand-in-hand with school food service to bring local produce onto the menu. We understand the challenges and barriers to change school food and strive to create mutually beneficial partnerships with food service  departments, the produce industry and family farmers. We have developed many resources to help facilitate these relationships and also provide technical assistance to school districts.

Policy and Community Organizing: 
CAFF’s Farm to School Initiative uses policy and community organizing to help reshape the way our children eat and learn. We are actively:

• Linking farms that run educational programs through the California Farm Education Network
• Sharing farm to school lessons and resources with parents, farms, food service directors and educators through trainings and farm to school field guides.

Resources and Guides

Farm to School Guide for Parents and Community Members This "how-to" guide to farm to school for parents and community members provides information, resources, and a step by step guide on how to start farm to school programs or plug into existing ones. Download (667 kb) Making the Farm Connection  This manual is designed to let farmers know what to expect when hosting a farm visit. The booklet is also very useful for teachers and classes so that they may get the most out of their farm visit. Download  (677 kb) Download the Guide for Food Service Staff

Great Websites and Other Resources:
National Farm to School Network—www.farmtoschool.org                    
California Farm to School Program—www.cafarmtoschool.org 
Harvest of the Month—www.harvestofthemonth.com
California Foundation for Ag in the Classroom—www.cfaitc.org
California School Garden Network—www.csgn.org (Check out their “curriculum” page!)
UC Cooperative Extension—cemonterey.ucdavis.edu
Life Lab Science Program—www.lifelab.org
The Food Project—www.thefoodproject.org
Rethinking School Lunch Guide--www.centerforecoliteracy.org
Glynwood Center’s “A Guide To Serving Local Food on Your Menu” --www.glynwood.org

Write farmtoschool@caff.org for information about how to bring Farm to School to your district and how to make a donation to help CAFF grow its program and plant a seed of change in California classrooms!