California Involved Groups and Organizations
The following organizations have resources and information to help with your local Farm to School program.
Center for Food & Justice
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Community Alliance with Family Farmers
CAFF seeks to build a movement of rural and urban people to foster family-scale agriculture that cares for the land, sustains local economies and promotes social justice. They support farm to school programs in various regions – Ventura, Yolo, Santa Cruz, Fresno, Sonoma and the North Coast.
Center for Ecoliteracy
The Center for Ecoliteracy is a public foundation that supports a grant making program for educational organizations and school communities in the Bay Area. It's grant programs have supported and helped shape Farm to School programs in Berkeley, Sonoma, Yolo, Mendocino.
Tierra Miguel Foundation Farm
The Tierra Miguel Farm and Foundation was created to enhance farmers’ and consumers’ connection to the food they eat, and the earth on which it grows. They have a thriving Community Support Agriculture (CSA) program, and provide the produce for Farm-to-School and CSA in the Classroom programs in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. Tierra Miguel welcomes school groups to tour their farm and offers youth internship opportunities. They are located in Northern San Diego County.
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
SAREP, University of California, Davis has been involved in community food systems and farm to school for several years. SAREP staff are also the leaders in conducting comprehensive evaluations of farm to school programs across California – Davis, Winters, Berkeley and Compton.
California Food and Justice Coalition
The Southern California-based CFJC, which represents dozens of statewide policy groups, has been one of the most vocal advocates of community food security. They are dedicated to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for all people at all times. CFJC offers support to Farm to School programs nationwide.
The California Farm to School Taskforce
The California Farm to School Taskforce is a group of farm to school stakeholders including food service staff, community based organizations, farmers, farmer organizations, and state agencies including the CA Department of Health, the CA Department of Education, and the CA Department of Food & Agriculture.
Network for a Healthy California
The mission of the California Nutrition Network for Healthy, Active Families is to create innovative partnerships so that low-income Californians are enabled to adopt healthy eating and physical activity patterns as part of a healthy lifestyle.
California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division
The UC Cooperative Extension of Alameda County
Harvest of the Month
After several years of varied local implementations, Harvest of the Month is being introduced and made available statewide with this tool kit. The overall goal of the tool kit is to provide knowledge- and skill-based strategies that are standardized, cost-effective, replicable, convenient
These strategies are designed to motivate and empower students to increase consumption and enjoyment of a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables and to engage in physical activity every day. This How to Grow Healthy Students booklet will help guide you to use the materials in this tool kit and implement a successful Harvest of the Month program.
Ripple Riley Thomas
Ripple Riley Thomas, long-time growers, packers and shippers of fresh pears, began developing a market to distribute small fresh pears directly to California School Districts. RRT now contracts with many growers in California ahead of their growing season ensuring consistent pricing for both growers and school food service programs. An additional benefit is the cost savings that school programs experience by working directly with the grower.
Organic Consumers Association (OCA)
The OCA is a grassroots non-profit public interest organization which deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, corporate accountability, and environmental sustainability. We are the only organization in the US focused exclusively on representing the views and interests of the nation's estimated ten million organic consumers.
Food For Thought: The Ojai Healthy Schools Program
Food For Thought: The Ojai Healthy Schools Program is a grassroots, community-driven effort, working in partnership with the Ojai Unified School District (OUSD), to bring locally grown fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and agricultural literacy to the children of the Ojai Unified School District.
F.o.C.u.S--A Foothill Collaborative for Sustainability
F.o.C.u.S is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to facilitate and cultivate the growth of sustainable systems within Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. The group is currently working to assist local school districts in changing their school food program.
Public Health Law and Policy: Planning for Healthy Places
Planning for Healthy Places at Public Health Law & Policy works to engage public health advocates in the land-use decision-making process throughout California. We develop tools for training advocates in the relationship between the built environment and public health, and provide technical assistance for creating and implementing land use policies that support healthier communities.
Sustainable Community Gardens - Full Circle Farm
Sustainable Community Gardens is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the renewal of local, sustainable food systems throughout Silicon Valley. The garden provides affordable access to locally produced food, as well as education in environmental living, sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and gardening. We seek diverse means to engage our community at all ages and stages, encouraging and assisting individuals from all walks of life in their active support of a sustainable future. We run two projects - The Charles Street Gardens, a 92-plot organic community garden, and Full Circle Farm, an educational, 11-acre farm at Peterson Middle School in Sunnyvale.