Farm to School encompasses efforts that bring locally or regionally produced foods into school cafeterias, hands-on learning activities such as school gardening, farm visits, and culinary classes, and integrating food-related education into the regular, standards-based classroom curriculum.

General Resources

Resources as you look to develop a Farm to School partnership:

• National Farm To School Network
• National Farm to School Network: Delaware
• The Food Trust
• USDA Grants and Loans that Support Farm to School Activities
• USDA Farm to School Grant
• USDA Farm to School Census
• Healthy Food for Healthy Kids

Online resources for consumers about fresh produce, eating healthy, and helping children get on the move:

• Delaware Grown Produce Availability Chart
• Delaware Grown
• Farm to School Recipes
• Choose My Plate: Information on nutrition and healthy eating for families, parents, educators, and health care providers.
• USDA Food and Nutrition Service

For Farmers

One of the biggest hurdles for Delaware’s Farm to School program is finding enough producers. According to the 2019 Farm to School Census, Delaware schools spent $2,423,040 on local food, only 8% of total food spending! If you are interested in getting involved in Farm to School or would like to learn more, see below for additional resources.

For Schools

Farm to School has many shapes and sizes and will vary among districts. No matter what you are looking to do or accomplish, starting a farm-to-school program can be a daunting task. Below are some resources that can help you get started.