It all started with a small group of educators and a big idea: “What if our high school could grow its own food? What if we could create a state-of-the-art facility and a place for community learning?” recalls Jessica Mella, Plymouth School District’s Nutrition and Wellness Coordinator.

Farm to school typically conjures images of a young child tasting their first cherry tomato, excitedly digging up a carrot, or squeamishly holding a red wriggler worm. But farm to school can also involve high school agriculture students engaged in hands-on soil science experiments, talented culinary students developing new recipes, and creative entrepreneurs selling produce grown at their schools.

As farm to school grows in both popularity and maturity in Wisconsin, schools are looking for ways to develop increasingly comprehensive programs that will thrive for years to come. In order to accomplish this goal, student involvement and community engagement are essential.

Farmer involvement is an essential component of comprehensive farm to school programs. Core farm to school concepts such as local, fresh, healthy and community come alive for students through interactions with the farmers who grow the food found on the cafeteria tray.

In several schools within the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), Farm to School AmeriCorps members are introducing elementary school students to their new garden bars.

This report, published by the Wisconsin Clearinghouse, captures and communicates many of the valuable lessons learned throughout a project that increased access to healthy food in fourteen communities across Wisconsin.

In the fall of 2013, Wausau crossing guards went home with fresh-made pickles, and local residents opened their doors to bags full of vegetables following […]

Increasing access to fruits and vegetables in schools is one way to address nutritional and diet-related health concerns among children.

With the 2014-15 school year right around the corner, CIAS has updated two popular farm to school resources. The Wisconsin Farm to School Toolkits for school nutrition programs and producers can help you create a successful farm to school program in your community.

Are you a food service director interested in sourcing and serving locally grown produce in your lunchroom? Are you a farmer interested in selling your fresh produce to a local school district? Wisconsin Farm to School has created two directories that can help build connections between farms and schools.