Blog
Food Waste Reduction through Farm to School Programs
October is Farm to School Month! The USDA Farm to School Program helps schools incorporate local foods into meal programs and supports local food and agriculture education through grants, research, and technical assistance. Less plate waste may be a benefit for schools implementing farm to school.
10/27/2022
Blog
Farm to School Champions Needed! Apply for a Grant Today
October is Farm to School Month, when USDA joins schools, farms, and community organizations across the country to celebrate the role of farm to school programs in getting healthy, locally grown foods onto children’s trays through child nutrition programs, including school breakfast and lunch.
10/20/2022
Blog
Pilot Light: Collaborating with Educators to Teach Students about Food
With a desire to create healthy relationships between American children and food, a group of chefs created Pilot Light in 2010. This program partners with Pre K–12 teachers to make food education a part of everyday classroom lessons. Through holistic food education, students learn about the cultivation and preparation of food and the connection to our culture, relationships, history, and the environment.
10/19/2022
Blog
School Lunch is Nutritious and Delicious
USDA’s Farm to School Program awards grants to help connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for school meals. Schools and other eligible organizations can apply for a Farm to School Grant between now and Jan. 6, 2023.
10/14/2022
Blog
Farm to School to Future!
We joined Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester at a school to celebrate National Nutrition Month, and learn about its innovative farm-to-school program developed with support from two USDA Farm to School grants. Program curriculum is integrated into many of the school’s 24 different tracks that students can take to build their future careers.
04/11/2022
Blog
USDA Advances Market Opportunities through Farm to School Program
It's no secret that supply chain issues experienced across the country have created challenges with food accessibility. Rising COVID-19 cases along with severe weather complicated the flow of goods and services, yet USDA programs have responded with creative solutions to ensure Americans had access to healthy foods.
01/19/2022
Blog
Farms and Schools – A Critical Link for a Healthy Future
One of my fondest childhood memories was helping my grandma tend to the fresh fruits and vegetables in her garden. After a morning’s work outside in the sunshine, the fresh-picked corn was a feast for the taste buds and a sweet reward for our hard work. Working alongside my grandma taught me many important lessons – notably, that food on the table across the nation is a result of the dedication and effort of America’s farmers.
10/30/2019
Subscriber Updates
New Rule to Enhance Customer Service and Link Farms to Food Banks in TEFAP
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost through food banks and pantries. In recent years, a number of states have recognized the value of supporting donations from local farmers to their food bank networks – commonly known as Farm to Food Bank Projects.
10/04/2019
Blog
Seven Ways Farm to School Can Make You ‘Cool’
As we celebrate Farm to School Month this October, we can all feel the temperatures cooling down with the fall season. Here are seven ways USDA’s Farm to School Program can make your school and community ‘cooler’ throughout the year!
10/03/2019
Page updated: February 09, 2021