PROGRAMS :: Farm to School   Our 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 combines both elements: Fresh, locally grown produce appears on the school menu, while students learn about local agriculture. Download CAFF's Farm to School brochure.

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 schoolchildren 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. Download our Year at a Glance report for a snapshot of our 2009 programs.

Know Your Farmer Education Program

CAFF's 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. Download more information about the program. *Our Harvest of the Month program is currently only running in four central cost counties (Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties) but is aiming to expand soon.
• 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.

CAFF's Farm to School staff also provides technical assistance to school food service departments:

Local Produce Distributor Partnerships

CAFF has been working closely with local produce distribution companies to assure that food service directors can find local produce on their availability lists.

Farm to School Support

Districts who are interested in designing or strengthening Farm to School programs can now work with CAFF to convene district stakeholders and get local produce procurement and bidding language advice. Download our recent report produced for Oakland Unified School District for an example of this assistance.

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. Visit www.farmbasededucation.org to reach our CFEN groups page and join.
• Sharing farm to school lessons and resources with parents, farms, food service directors and educators through trainings and farm to school field guides.

• Read our policy memos about how farm to school programs can be strengthened with the upcoming Childhood Nutrition Reauthorization Act, and read CAFF’s take on "What Works" in farm to school programs. Download CAFF's policy memo.

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 Farm to School Guide for Food Service Staff This "how-to" guide to farm to school for school food service, provides information, resources, and a step by step guide on how to start a farm to school purchasing program and connect with important stakeholders. Download Tips for Farmers: How to plug into the growing farm to school movement and connect with school cafeterias. Download 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

Current Partner Schools and Districts:

Monterey County--Alisal Union SD (11 schools), Salinas City Elementary SD (2 schools), Monterey County Head Start (13 sites), Pacific Grove Unified SD (1 school), Monterey Peninsula Unified SD (1 school), North Monterey County Unified SD (1 school)

Santa Cruz County--Pajaro Valley Unified SD (3 schools), Santa Cruz City Schools (3 schools), Pacific Elementary SD (1 school)

San Benito County--Hollister Dual Language Academy, YMCA, Hollister Montessori, Hollister MOMS Club, and almost all of the third grade classes in the county.

Santa Clara County--Santa Clara Unified SD (5 schools)

Humboldt County--Loleta SD, Arcata SD, Trillium Charter, Costal Grove Charter, Peninsula Union SD, Eureka City Schools, South Bay SD, Blue Lake SD, Klamath Trinity Unified SD, Southern Humboldt SD, McKinleyville Union SD, South Fortuna SD, Bridgeville SD, Cutten SD, Hydesville SD, Pacific Union SD, Trinidad SD, Fieldbrook SD, Redwood Christian.

Del Norte County--Del Norte Unified SD, Point Arena SD

Current Farm to School Produce Distribution Work: Davis Unified School District, Esparto Unified School District, Ventura Unified School District, Oakland Unified School District, Revolution Foods.

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!