Maryland Profile |
 Farm to School programs come in many shapes and sizes unique to the communities that build them. After exploring the resources and existing programs on the left, contact your state Farm to School lead for additional information and assistance specific to Maryland:
What is Farm to School? Sponsored by the Maryland Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education, the Farm to School program works to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches with the aim of educating students about where their food comes from, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet. In Maryland, over 70 million lunches and 24 million breakfasts are served in our public school systems annually. What if just one local item was included in the school lunch of all the 950,000 Maryland public school students? Farmers would have additional income, thereby strengthening the local economy and keeping farm land open and productive. Our children would receive the nutritional benefits of fresh, local products as well as the knowledge of why this matters. Also, the financial, environmental, and nutritional costs of transporting food would decrease. We encourage students and parents to continue asking for fresh, local produce in school lunches. Maryland is the only state in the country in which all of its public school systems have participated in the program according to the National Farm to School Network. The program also had the support of more than 30 different Maryland farms providing fresh product to the schools. It is true example of a successful federal, state, local and private collaboration that is working. Check out our Farm to School Facebook page- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maryland-Farm-to-School/135831876430648?ref=ts |
| Farm to School Programs profiled on this site | 27 | |
| Number of Schools Involved | 400 | |
| Number of Districts Involved | 4 | |
| Farm to School programs in this state (estimated)* | 1 | |