Farm to School Coordinators Project

Strengthening capacity for farm to school programs at the community level

National Farm to School Network is proud to announce that we have been selected as one of the recipients of the 2023 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program. We are incredibly excited to launch our Farm to School Coordinators Project with support from the USDA and Life Time Foundation.

Our goal with this project is to scale up farm to school implementation nationwide by establishing more dedicated farm to school coordinator positions at school districts. We will be providing unique professional development opportunities, supporting school communities, and developing research-driven resources to help make the case for the farm to school coordinator position. As a result, we envision increased ownership and capacity for farm to school programs at the community level.

We are now excited to announce the first cohorts of the Farm to School Coordinators Community of Practice (CoP) and School District Working Group (WG). The collective impact of the cohorts will be far-reaching—together, the cohort members represent 21 school districts and 433,950 students across the country.

The Farm to School Community of Practice is a two-year collaborative space for eight farm to school coordinators where members will engage in peer-learning and co-develop strategies to navigate farm to school implementation and bring learnings back to their work. NFSN is excited to welcome the farm to school coordinators in the 2024 cohort!

Allison Pfaff Harris
Reap Food Group, WI

Brianna Jackson
‍Chicopee Public Schools, MA

Dory Cooper
Wylde Center, GA

Janelle Manzano
San Diego Unified School District, CA

Jennifer Lynn Lewis
East Jordan Public Schools, MI

Kirsten Weigle
Minneapolis Public Schools, MN

Maryssa Wilson
Sidney Central School District, NY

Rebecca Rodriguez
Cleveland Metropolitan School District, OH

The School District Working Group is a two-year cohort of 10 individuals from school districts across the country. The Working Group will meet with the goal of creating a farm to school coordinator position at their school district, and will help in the creation of resources that will be shared with other school districts also trying to create a farm to school coordinator position. Please join us in welcoming the 2024 Working Group members!