By Mariane Hernandez, NFSN Communications Intern

Every child deserves the chance to grow, learn, and thrive in a healthy environment. When nourishing food and hands-on food education are woven into the school day, children don't just eat better, they build healthy habits, strengthen curiosity, and gain skills that last a lifetime. Farm to school is public health prevention in practice: they equip young people with the tools to care for their health now, while setting the foundation for healthier futures and stronger communities. Many public health groups, including the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, treat food as preventive care, right alongside vaccines and screenings (Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, 2015).

Healthy, Welcoming Spaces

Farm to school programs transform schools into environments where wellness becomes part of everyday life. Participation has been shown to increase students’ fruit and vegetable intake by 1–1.3 servings per day, reduce sugary food consumption, and encourage more physical activity—each meal served and each garden planted representing a small act of prevention (National Farm to School Network, 2020). Teachers consistently notice the difference. When students eat nourishing foods, they are more alert, focused, and ready to learn. Schools that integrate farm to school programming often report better attendance, steadier behavior, and stronger academic performance, proving what we all know—that good food supports learning. 

Beyond the cafeteria, these programs cultivate curiosity and joy through school gardens, cooking lessons, and taste tests that connect learning to life. Younger children develop an understanding of where their food comes from, while older students begin to see how nutrition, science, and culture intersect. 

Youth Empowerment Through Food

Growing, cooking, and sharing food give students real agency and an understanding that their choices and contributions matter. Research shows that these experiences build confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills that extend far beyond school (JAFSCD, 2025).

In California, FoodWhat?! offers a model for what this looks like in action. The organization’s “FoodWhat Crew” combines farming and cooking with paid job training, emotional support, and leadership development. In 2024, FoodWhat?! worked with 96 youth across 12 schools and distributed more than 6,900 pounds of fresh food. Ninety-four percent of participants said they gained useful job skills; 85% felt more connected to their community; and 75% reported better mental health after working outdoors.

Many alumni stay in the work, managing organic farms, leading kitchen teams, and mentoring younger crews. Their stories show that when young people are given meaningful opportunities, they carry those lessons forward into adulthood, shaping healthier communities from within.

Farm to school programs across the country hold this same promise. These programs invite students to co-create change, growing confidence, curiosity, and care for the people and places that feed them.

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Another example of this kind of youth leadership can be found in New Orleans. Grow Dat Youth Farm is a youth-led farm where students don’t just grow food, they build community. Participants talk about the pride of planting and eating what they’ve grown, but the work goes far beyond farming. The program uses an anti-oppression curriculum that encourages youth to understand how issues like food insecurity, food deserts, and systemic inequities shape access to healthy food. For many, it’s their first time having regular access to fresh produce or learning how to cultivate it themselves. The farm has become a space where young people learn, reflect, and organize together across differences, growing both food and shared power.

Public Health in Action: New Mexico Example

New Mexico Department of Health’s Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Program (ONAPA) partners with state and local organizations and community coalitions in seven counties and one Tribal community across New Mexico to expand healthy eating and physical activity opportunities where children and adults live, learn, play, work, eat, and shop. In our conversation, Dr. Alexana Hickmott shared how evaluations help tell the story of New Mexico's growing farm to institution movement. “ONAPA partners with the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association on the New Mexico Grown Program, which focuses on farm to institution and integrating locally grown produce into snacks and meals for early childhood programs, school food authorities, and senior center providers. In evaluating the New Mexico Grown’s programmatic reach, we have created a map that helps to visualize and quantify the early childhood programs, school food authorities, and senior center providers that participate in farm to institution around the state of New Mexico,” says Alexana Hickmott, PhD (she/her/ella), Epidemiologist/Evaluator, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Program (ONAPA), New Mexico Department of Health. 

We are thrilled to be hosting our farm to school and early care community in-person in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this December—as one of the nine states with a universal school meals policy and a vibrant food culture and heritage, New Mexico is a meaningful location for our 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference. Experts like Alexana Hickmott will be joining us as speakers, bringing valuable insights into how programs like New Mexico Grown expands access to fresh, local food for communities. 

Cultural Connections and Community Ripple Effects

Food is more than just fuel. It is memory, identity, and community. By procuring food directly from small farmers in the community and investing in elements like scratch cooking and staff training, many farm to school programs around the country are serving culturally diverse meals in the cafeteria. Addressing food insecurity through dignified, culturally relevant meals is central to reducing health disparities and advancing equity (Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, 2015). When schools commit to serving meals that celebrate their unique student body, they affirm dignity, honor family traditions, and create spaces of belonging.

Many of National Farm to School Network's Partners are leaders in creating culturally relevant food experiences for students. In Massachusetts, the Tasting History Project in Lowell Public Schools brings immigrant family recipes—like maharagwe, caldo de mariscos, and bombom de travessa—into cafeterias, transforming tradition into shared experience. Roseville Area Schools in Minnesota sources from local farmers to serve delicious meals like pho, pork carnitas, tamarind-glazed chicken, and purple sticky rice.

Programs like the Teaching Kitchen® at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House expand this connection beyond the lunch line. Their bilingual cookbooks and free lesson plans teach students to prepare fresh, seasonal meals from spaghetti squash marinara to blueberry cornmeal muffins, bridging school, home, and culture.

To help schools replicate these successes, Massachusetts Farm to School and FoodCorps developed Serving Up Tradition: A Guide for School Food in Culturally Diverse Communities. It offers strategies, case studies, and recipes such as Chicken Biryani, Pollo Guisado, and Doro Wat, showing how food service teams can celebrate culture while meeting nutrition standards.

From Cafeterias to Communities: Building Health Together

The impact of farm to school doesn’t end when lunch is over. When children bring recipes and stories home, families cook together, taste new ingredients, and start conversations about health. Farmers benefit too—each partnership strengthens local economies by providing producers with market opportunities. For every dollar invested in farm to school, an estimated $0.60 to $2.16 circulates back into local economic activity (National Farm to School Network, 2020).

These programs also nurture community wellness in deeper ways. The Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis, a professional kitchen and training hub, works to reintroduce Native foods and food sovereignty into tribal communities across North America. Through traditional agriculture, ethnobotany, and cooking education, the lab reconnects health with heritage.

Together, efforts like these show that farm to school is a powerful and promising nationwide movement restoring the relationship between food, culture, and health. Each garden, each partnership, and each shared meal helps cultivate well-being that reaches far beyond the classroom.

Celebrating Farm to School: A Growing Movement

Food is prevention, empowerment, and connection. Farm to school programs embody all of these values. By supporting them, we invest in healthier habits, empowered youth, stronger families, and resilient communities.

We’re already seeing what’s possible when prevention is prioritized. In California, the state’s 2025–2026 budget invests over $2 billion in school nutrition, including School Meals for All, Farm to School, and Kitchen Infrastructure and Training programs. This historic commitment is reducing food insecurity, expanding access to fresh and locally sourced meals, and strengthening regional food systems (read more here). It’s proof that when we treat food as prevention, policy can fuel healthier futures.

Arkansas offers another strong example of how statewide organizations can drive real change. The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and the Arkansas No Kid Hungry campaign is a network of hundreds of partners working to reduce hunger through school meal expansion, nutrition education, and policy advocacy. Their leadership helped grow Breakfast After the Bell models and their advocacy laid the groundwork for broader statewide commitments like the expansion of universal breakfast, ensuring more children start their day nourished and ready to learn. In February 2025, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed Senate Bill 59 into law, which guarantees each student free breakfast regardless of income, starting in the 2025/26 school year. 

Currently, nine states offer free universal school meals in the U.S.—California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and most recently, New York. These state-wide school meals for all policies are mutually beneficial with farm to school, because it provides school nutrition directors the stable revenue and streamlined administration that lets them focus on building connections with local producers (National Farm to School Network, 2022). 

Every October, Farm to School Month brings together the people who make this movement real: students, farmers, families, and educators. Farm to school is proof that prevention doesn’t just happen in clinics. It starts when a child plants a seed, tries a new recipe, or learns the story behind the food on their plate. That’s the power of farm to school. It grows when students learn with their hands, when families see their cultures reflected in the lunch line, and when communities fight for healthier futures together. Farm to School Month reminds us that this movement is built by many hands and fueled by real change on the ground. Whether it’s planting a seed, pushing for better policy, or simply choosing local food, every action adds up. And when we keep showing up collectively, we’re not just serving meals. We’re shaping a healthier, more connected future for every child.

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References 

Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. (2025). Programs & advocacy. https://www.arhungeralliance.org

FoodWhat?! Youth Empowerment Program. (2025). Programs & impact. https://www.foodwhat.org

Grow Dat Youth Farm. (2025). About, programs, and impact. https://www.growdatyouthfarm.org

Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. (2025). Empowering teens through food justice: Youth leadership in community food systems. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development.

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. (n.d.). Teaching Kitchen® lesson plans & bilingual cookbooks.https://www.lenoxhill.org/teaching-kitchen

Massachusetts Farm to School & FoodCorps. (n.d.). Serving up tradition: A guide for school food in culturally diverse communities. https://www.massfarmtoschool.org

National Farm to School Network. (2020). The benefits of farm to school. Farm to School Network. https://www.farmtoschool.org

National Farm to School Network. (2022). Universal Meals Policies Can Strengthen a Just and Resilient Local Food System. https://www.farmtoschool.org/resources-main/universal-meals-policies-can-strengthen-a-just-and-resilient-local-food-system

NĀTIFS (North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems). (n.d.). Indigenous Food Lab. https://www.natifs.org

New Mexico Department of Health. (2025). Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity (ONAPA) Program.https://www.nmhealth.org

By Nourish Colorado and National Farm to School Network

Three years ago, Colorado voters did something no other state had ever done and came together across party lines to pass Proposition FF, guaranteeing healthy school meals for all Colorado students. That victory made Colorado the only state to secure both school meals for all and farm to school procurement incentives through a ballot initiative, sending a clear signal: Feeding kids while supporting local farmers and ranchers is a Colorado value. 

Now, many across the country are watching as Coloradans face another historic choice. On November 4, voters will decide on Propositions LL and MM, two measures that will keep the popular Healthy School Meals for All going after 2025. Without them, many Colorado students will lose this essential program, jeopardizing children’s nutrition and learning, and small family farms' access to sell to our schools. With an ever-shifting federal landscape, the stakes couldn’t be higher. What happens here shapes not only Colorado’s future, but also the national conversation about school meals, local food, and community health.

LL and MM mean more fresh, local food on kids’ plates. A few years ago, proposition FF earmarked a continuation of funds for schools to purchase fresh, nutritious foods directly from small family farmers and ranchers in Colorado by supporting the Colorado Local Food Program pilot. Since the inception of the pilot in 2019, 37 school districts have purchased $2.47 million in local food from 136 different local farmers and food hubs, and schools have received over $750,000 worth of culinary training and technical assistance, helping to bring local food in school meals. Passing LL and MM will allow this local food program to expand across the state, investing in local farmers, circulating food dollars in communities, and strengthening rural economies. 

LL and MM also invest in the school nutrition professionals who show up before the sun rises to prepare meals for students. These measures will provide training and support for cafeterias to shift from processed, packaged food to more fresh, from-scratch cooking using locally grown and raised Colorado ingredients. They’ll also increase compensation for the frontline workers who make it all possible. As one district participant in the pilot put it, “Being part of this has changed the dynamic in our community and school. We have a closer connection with one another, and the community is very invested in helping our program out.” Passing both LL and MM will expand this pilot program statewide, increase these partnerships between our schools and with our farming communities, and support school nutrition professionals. If this pilot were a TV show, it's obvious that the first season was a hit, and it’s clear that the show must go on! 

To be sure, Colorado voters weigh spending choices very carefully. But the reality is clear: making intentional investments in kids and farmers is not wasteful, it’s essential. Propositions LL and MM are a chance to make sure that Colorado kids, farmers and ranchers, and schools all win. These measures will make sure kids don’t go hungry in school while incentivizing schools to purchase locally sourced food from Colorado farmers and ranchers. That’s not just a good return on investment, it’s common sense.

Colorado is the only state in the nation where voters themselves passed Healthy School Meals for All by ballot initiative. It was the first and now just one of two school meals for all states in the U.S. that bundles dedicated funds to support small farmers through local purchasing. These are incredibly popular and impactful programs in America, and now, all eyes are once again on Colorado. 

On November 4, vote Yes on Propositions LL and MM so every child in Colorado can continue to get a healthy, farm fresh meal at school. It’s a chance to make sure kids win, farmers win, and Colorado and the country win, together.

By Hawthorn McCracken, NFSN Farm to ECE Program Associate

One of the most rewarding aspects of farm to early care and education (ECE) is the interconnectedness it fosters within communities. From the joy of sharing a family recipe to the broad regional networks meant to support local food infrastructure, farm to ECE programming is loaded with opportunities for making human connection and building avenues for mutual support. 

Connecting with local farmers has uncountable benefits for your ECE program. Beyond the kitchen, nurturing a relationship with a farmer can provide opportunities for field trips, classroom visits, or community events, which allow your students to experience agriculture hands-on and develop a true sense of place in their food system. And now, when federal policy threatens to remove support from both small farmers and ECE professionals, these connections can be a vital economic lifeline. 

Many caregivers and ECE providers are excited about the prospect of purchasing local foods, but often struggle knowing where to start. While there are a good number of resources available on local procurement, every ECE program, farm, and food system are different. Farmers and ECE professionals are also very busy, hard-working people, and building these connections may require more flexible communication. If you’re interested in direct purchasing from a local farmer, read on for some tips on building farmer connections. 

The first step is finding your ‘why’.

‍Knowing the motivations and goals your site wants to accomplish helps shape your purchasing decisions, and guides your search for a farmer that fits all of your needs. Your ideal meal service may include organic or sustainable farming practices, or culturally relevant foods. You may want to focus on supporting historically underserved farmers, or buying from farms of a certain size. All of these considerations will shape your search for a procurement partner. See our Values-Aligned Purchasing resources for more information.  

Next, you’ll need to identify which purchasing method best fits your needs.

‍ECE programs range from small, in-home care providers with fewer than eight children, all the way to multiple large group sites managed by one organization. Some may have access to a full kitchen, while others receive food service from an outside caterer. No matter what scale you work at, there are options for including local foods in your meal pattern. 

> Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): 

Best for: smaller childcare centers, in-home care, or programs looking to start small

Some farmers offer weekly or monthly subscription boxes, often called CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares. CSA boxes are an excellent option for smaller childcare centers, in-home care, or programs who are looking to start small by using fresh produce in taste tests and classroom activities. These may be delivered right to your site, or picked up at a designated location in the area. Each farm business is unique – it never hurts to ask how you can help promote their products in exchange for a reduced cost. For example, some ECE programs have collaborated with local farmers to allow families and community members to pick up their CSA boxes on site, and receive their share at a discount. 

> Finding local food at grocery stores and your food service provider: 

For those who rely on grocery stores for their food service needs, there are still options for supporting local farmers. Many states have local labeling programs, such as the Colorado Proud, Minnesota Grown, or Virginia’s Best initiatives. You can easily find locally-produced items at your usual grocery store by looking for these tags. If your grocer doesn’t currently use them, that’s a great opportunity to encourage them to do so! 

Similarly, food service providers have begun including local tags in their databases. If your provider doesn’t yet have that option, you can contact them and let them know you’re interested in supporting your region’s farmers. If you participate in CACFP (also known as the Food Program) you can learn more about including geographic preference in your purchases here.

> Farmers markets: 

If you want to get closer to the source, farmers markets can be a great opportunity to purchase local produce and to build stronger relationships with farmers and small businesses. Many ECE professionals use farmers markets for both procurement and for class field trips. Quite a few markets have begun including children’s activities, including sticker passports or scavenger hunts, to encourage little ones to explore the full extent of the market’s offerings. 

This guide from Healthy Harvest of North Iowa provides some activities and field trip ideas for incorporating the farmers market in your curriculum.

And, for those purchasing through CACFP, here’s a handy template for documenting your farmer’s market orders.

If you have any questions about best practices for using direct-purchased produce in your meal pattern, reach out to your CACFP sponsor, or refer to the NCA’s resource library.

> Ordering wholesale from farmers:  

There are also farmers who grow at mid-to-large scale who are able to fulfill wholesale orders. The best way to know what volume a producer is comfortable with is to contact them. When ordering wholesale, it may be necessary to speak with a producer before their growing season begins so they’re able to have enough seed, feed, and materials to fill your order. In most regions of the US, farmers plan their next season in winter. Reaching out around November-January is a good bet, but if you’re open to a longer wait, you can also start discussing next year’s crops in the summer and fall. 

> Food hubs: 

Best for: Mid- to large-sized orders or for sites that want to try products from multiple farmers

Food hubs are another wonderful way to support local producers. In many regions, these businesses have taken on the work of aggregating, marketing, and distributing farm products from many growers. Purchasing from a food hub is a great option for those looking for medium to large size orders, or for sites who want to try products from multiple farmers. Food hubs make purchasing easy by combining all of your local food needs into one order, and they often support local agriculture in other ways, such as through technical assistance and business development programs. Check out this directory of food hubs to see if there’s one near you. This list is not exhaustive, so ask around at your local food co-op or business center to see if there is a new or unlisted hub in your area. 

If you need a bit more guidance on determining which purchasing method is best for your program, check out these great resources from Ohio and North Carolina: 

• Ohio’s Guide to Buying Local Foods for Early Care and Education 

• Farm to ECE Local Food Purchasing Guide by NC State Extension 

If you decide you’d like to purchase foods directly from a local farmer or processor, whether through CSA, markets, or wholesale, your next step is to find out what’s available in your area. A good number of states have created local food maps or directories, which are updated annually. Some of these are specifically geared toward ECE sites, such as North Carolina’s Farm to ECE Connections Map, and some include farmers who work with K-12 institutions, such as Wisconsin’s Local Food Database, but many are created for use by any interested customer. For a list of state local food directories, check out the “Maps” tab on this handy sheet by ASPHN. If you don’t see your area on this list, you can also try searching the USDA’s Local Food Directories, which includes food hubs, farmers markets, direct sales producers, and agritourism businesses who may be open to field trips. 

Tips for making your first farm-direct purchase:

‍Start small. While it’s exciting to browse all of the amazing foods available in your area – from fresh produce to sustainable meats to artisan grains and legumes – it can be overwhelming to both your kitchen and your kiddos to overhaul your entire menu. Instead, find a simple substitution in your meal service, such as switching out canned carrots for fresh ones. This will help you figure out if you need infrastructure changes, such as more prep equipment for whole veggies, or if you need to adjust your purchasing and delivery methods to better suit your staff. It will also ease the change for your students, providing them an opportunity to try new foods along with more familiar staples. 

Taste tests are another great way to introduce your students to the wide variety of fresh foods in your area while minimizing purchase costs. Many ECE programs will purchase small amounts of one item in different varieties and let the children explore, taste, and compare them. For example, one might buy a bag each of Granny Smith, Red Delicious, and Gala apples from a local orchard, then include a taste test at snack time. Students can compare how the varieties are different in shape, size, color, texture, and taste, and may even vote for their favorite with sticker charts. This is a handy method for choosing which variety you might include in your regular food service purchases, or for trying out unique and rare products you might not be able to source year-round. 

Plan ahead for both purchasing and classroom activities. As discussed above, it’s beneficial for farmers to start planning their produce orders before they even purchase seeds. This helps them know how to organize their planting area, which methods they’ll be using in the coming year, and how much time they’ll need to devote to each order. It’s also very helpful to a small or beginning farmer to have a guaranteed market for the coming season, so they can feel more secure in their financial plan. 

For meal service and curricula, planning ahead can help both children and staff adjust to changes in their routine. Having supporting activities, books, lesson plans, and imaginary play props also serves to really integrate new foods into their learning. Some programs may create an entire themed season, such as reading a book about growing greens, starting seeds in their classroom, trying new varieties of greens each week, and preparing a salad together. There are so many wonderful children’s books available about food, gardening, and cultural cooking, and ECE providers can often find related activities for each title online. Some great book suggestions can be found here:

• Farm to ECE Book List 
• Oakland Library - Farm to ECE 
• Farm to ECE Children’s Book List 

Another handy resource for integrating local foods into your classroom are Harvest of the Month programs. Many states have created curricula that highlight local produce from their region and include history lessons and activities about each month’s item. A few examples include the Menominee Nation’s Harvest of the Moon materials, and the Alabama Foods A to Z Toolkit. Our partners at ASPHN have put together a list of many other Harvest of the Month kits here. If you don’t see your state listed, you might look at resources from neighboring states who have similar climates and agricultural practices. You can also find related activities in the Seasonal Produce Guide from SNAP-Ed and Fresh Farm’s Produce 101 Guide.

Go local for your whole plate. When we hear the phrase ‘local food,’ many of us may think of big, bountiful boxes of colorful fruits and vegetables at the farmer’s market. These are, of course, a valuable, delicious, and nutritious part of our meal service, but they’re not the entirety of our diet. Investigate local options for dairy, grains, beans, meat, and more. Depending on your climate, you may have a specialty product that you can feature in your meals, such as fresh seafood or unique grains. Most regions of the United States have dairy and meat producers, and many small farmers in this industry would appreciate new market opportunities. Local grains and legumes are becoming more popular, and there are quite a few options for locally produced tortillas, breads, crackers, or dips. Value-added products, such as salsa, jam, kimchi, or maple syrup, are another wonderful way to support small local businesses and add color and flavor to your plate. 

Looking to native plants and Indigenous foodways can serve to diversify your food service and allow children to explore the history of food production in your area. From meat production to grain processing to unique fruits like serviceberries, see if there are regionally-specific food products that can help your students connect to the land they live on and the history of the peoples there. 

Be flexible. One of the most important lessons we learn in growing and preparing food with young children is that accidents happen, and even the best laid plans must be adjusted. Whether it’s a smushed plant in the garden, splattered flour in the kitchen, or a dropped cup during meal times, there are so many opportunities for “oops!” moments that teach us patience, flexibility, and grace. 

That same grace can be applied to our local growers, who routinely deal with issues from shifting climate, dramatic weather events, plant pests and disease, and mechanical failure. For new and experienced farmers alike, sometimes certain crops just don’t work out in a given season. Some crops may not look as picture-perfect as their grocery store counterparts, but will be just as delicious. Having a customer who understands this and is open to flexible fulfillment of orders can be a huge relief. This may be as simple as substituting one variety of radish for another, or renegotiating a box of broccoli to be replaced by a case of cabbage. Make sure any contacts or agreements include the possibility of substitutions. When working with farmers, who must navigate the forces of nature, policy, and human labor, being able to be flexible keeps many doors open for your food service. 

Give your farmer feedback. Especially for beginning farmers, it can be useful to know which crops are best received by their customers, which had issues, and if there are any new varieties they can include in next season’s rotation. Aside from the practical, it’s also vital to let your farmers, ranchers, fishers, food service workers, and local store employees know how much you appreciate their work! At the end of a long, difficult growing season, a special thank you card from your classroom or a short video showing their excitement over local foods can mean the world to a small farmer trying to make a living doing what they love. 

Invite your farmer in. Their food is a huge part of your meal service, snack time, and classroom activities. Food becomes part of us, and is a vessel for cultural and personal values. By inviting your farmer to be a bigger part of your classroom community, you can honor their role in our complex food system and shine a spotlight on their efforts. Farmer visits or field trips are also a great way to inspire young children to be more active in their ecosystem and food system, and to nurture their future interests in becoming food system professionals themselves. 

This is especially true for farmers who might fall outside of mainstream narratives about who is responsible for growing food and stewarding land. For a young Black, Indigenous, or child of color, it is immeasurably impactful for them to meet a farmer who looks like them and grows foods that their family eats. In this way, they see themselves reflected in their food system and their local community, and they see value being placed on their family’s cultural foodways. The same is true for young girls, who are often underrepresented in agriculture, as well as children with disabilities. 

Share photos of your locally purchased meals with families, as well as highlights of the farmers and producers you’re buying from. Consider asking if your producer is interested in hosting a field trip at their farm business, or if they would be open to coming to your classroom for storytime. You can also feature their products in a community event, such as a harvest party, and invite them as a guest of honor. By working with the real, diverse people in our communities who steward our soil and food, children can develop a much more holistic understanding of how food is grown, transported, and enjoyed by people of many different backgrounds. 

You can stay connected with NFSN’s Farm to ECE community by joining our Farm to ECE listserv – let our Farm to ECE Program Associate, Hawthorn McCracken (hawthorn@farmtoschool.org) know if you’d like to be added. We also invite you to explore upcoming events and opportunities shared in our Newsletter. Wherever you are in your Farm to ECE journey, NFSN is here to support you. Hawthorn is also available to facilitate webinars or collaborate on workshops around this topic, and other farm to ECE and outdoor learning subjects. 

Additional resources:

https://www.fns.usda.gov/f2s/farm-cacfp 

https://www.farmtoschool.org/our-work/early-care-and-education 

https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/farmer-workshop-bringing-the-farm-to-early-care-and-education 

https://www.canr.msu.edu/foodsystems/uploads/files/Local-Food-for-Little-Eaters-CACFP-Guide-2022.pdf 

The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program has had an incredible reach, providing $100 million in awards to 1,275 projects since 2013. On September 10, USDA announced it was opening applications for the FY 2026 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program. National Farm to School Network applauds USDA for this new launch, especially after two key farm to school programs were canceled in March: the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program and the $660 million Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) program. LFSCC, which directly funded food purchases from local farmers, has not returned. The Patrick Leahy Program supports farm to school efforts broadly but offers little funding for local ingredients.

We would like to thank all the legislators who expressed concern and asked questions to USDA Secretary Rollins through a joint letter and through multiple hearings. We also want to thank our local and state partners who shared their stories about the impact of the recent cut and advocated for its continuation.

We are also incredibly grateful to USDA for making farm to school a priority, which was featured in the agency’s recent Small Family Farms Policy Agenda. We urge USDA to continue to find ways to bolster local procurement, school gardens, and agriculture education. Farm to school is truly a triple win for our nation’s farmers, kids, and communities.

The Good News: 

There’s ample time to submit gather and submit an application
Farm to school champions have just under three months – until December 5th – to submit applications. 

There’s up to $18 million on the table
USDA has shared it will award up to $18 million, subject to availability of funds. While this amount is less than what we hoped given the cancellation of the $10 million FY 2025 cycle, if fully awarded, this would be the largest annual round of awards since the program began in 2013!

USDA is providing more technical assistance that ever
This technical assistance takes the form of a webinar and several office hours:

*Edit: The government shutdown on October 1 will most likely affect USDA's office hours—it is TBD whether they will be postponed or cancelled.

• Webinar: October 1, 2-3pm ET [register here] *cancelled due to the Oct 1 government shutdown. Please stay tuned for updates.
• Office Hours: All sessions will be held from 2:00-3:00 PM Eastern Time on:
  · October 8, 2025 (Click Here to Join)
  · October 21, 2025 (Click Here to Join)
  · November 5, 2025 (Click Here to Join)
  · November 18, 2025 (Click Here to Join)
  · December 2, 2025 (Click Here to Join)

Major Changes in the Request for Applications (RFA):

Partnerships are now required (with some exceptions)

While project partnerships were common in previous award cycles, the FY 2026 RFA now requires applicants other than State agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) to apply as a partnership. A partnership is a group of three or more entities, including a coordinating entity, that will participate in the proposed grant project. All projects must include at least one child nutrition program (CNP) as a partner.

We’re glad to see USDA affirm that strong partnerships are the foundation of successful farm to school programs. However, the new mandatory CNP partner regulation may cause some hardship for some. Projects not specific to CNPs, such as research or solving broader problems, will now have to shift. For example, work that focuses on food supply chain innovations or providing training to farmers may be constrained. In addition to producers, the CNP partnership requirement may also present difficulties for early childcare sites that do not participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) due to burdensome paperwork or regulations. If these sites want to submit a proposal, they will need to adjust their project ideas to include an official CNP partner and then secure one, even though they already feed children every day. That feels like a tall ask for two groups that are already stretched thin.

Finding partners and ensuring proposals meet these guidelines may require extra time and intentionality. Please refer to NFSN’s state partner map or connect with your own state’s farm to school network if you need assistance finding project partners.

NFSN is also excited to work with our partners on joint proposals, ranging from a main partner to a small consulting role. If you are interested in teaming up with NFSN for a project, please email one of our staff members or email info@farmtoschool.org.

Projects must be at least $100,000‍

Increasing the project proposal floor to $100,000 marks a truly dramatic change. Since 2013, 97% of previous grant awards representing 88% of funding have been for under $100,000. Before this, there was no project request floor and the award cap was increased from $100,000 to $500,000 just in 2022 for multi-state or multi-Tribal projects. The award cap for the Turnkey Grant track, which spanned 2021-2024, was even smaller, at $50,000. ‍

The Match: Providing a 25% match has always been a barrier to participation. As the cost of a project increases, so does the match. Page 15 of the RFA explains the formula: If the federal grant request is $100,000 (the new minimum), this means applicants will have to provide a match amount of $33,334, bringing the total project cost to $133,334. 

While creating high-award and high-impact grant projects makes sense to streamline operations at USDA, it is likely that many small-scale projects and smaller-size applicants will be excluded from this grant opportunity. Many rural schools may not want to request $100,000 for a project, even if they could afford the match. Additionally, there are less than ten states that have established and funded similar competitive farm to school grant programs at the state-level. This will leave a large gap for funds to seed farm to school programs, especially for the Southeast, Mountain Plains, Southwest, and Midwest regions.

Therefore, applicants must be more intentional about project partners for their applications this cycle. Multiple small projects can team up to form larger cohesive proposals, and applicants with greater capacity can reflect on how they are able to step up for grassroots partners through regranting or partnership.

Equity scoring criteria is removed

The FY 2025 cycle was canceled because the grant’s scoring criteria added bonus points related to equity. Therefore, it’s no surprise that this was removed from the FY 2026 cycle.

Specifically, the previous RFA added up to seven bonus points for racial equity priorities, including tribal organizations, and organizations led or staffed by people of color and serving communities of color. This scoring boost wasn't limited to racial equity. Up to three bonus points went toward small-to mid-size producers and producer groups, child nutrition programs in rural areas, and projects that serve high proportions (40%+) of students that are eligible for free and reduced breakfast.

While NFSN recognizes that diversity, equity, and inclusion measures are explicitly not part of the Trump Administration, these bonus points helped level the playing field for many different kinds of communities that have historically faced discrimination. ‍

Removal of grant tracks

Previous cycles included multiple grant tracks: State Agency, Implementation, and Turnkey (further subdivided into Agriculture Education, Edible Garden, and Planning tracks). This RFA removes all grant tracks.

While this ‘streamlining’ may have some benefits such as giving more freedom to applicants, it also may come with some unintended consequences. With multiple tracks, it is easier for grantors to earmark certain funds for specific purposes or groups to ensure fair or strategic distribution. The Turnkey track (which allowed awards of up to $50,000) was also designed to be more plug-and-play for applicants new to farm to school or looking to engage in small projects. The elimination of the Turnkey grant track and the increased award minimum will make it harder for these applicants to apply. 

To Wrap It Up:

National Farm to School Network is thrilled at the launch of the FY 2026 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Cycle. This funding is critical to support the growth of farm to school programs across the country. With three months to develop proposals and additional technical assistance from USDA staff, we are looking forward to seeing how the up to $18 million will get awarded. 

The key changes this round include: (1) requirement for partnerships for non-state agency and Indian Tribal Organization applicants, (2) new request minimum of $100,000, and (3) removal of equity bonus point scoring criteria, (4) removal of grant tracks.  

The new FY 2026 structure has the potential to support large-scale, ambitious projects that can transform farm to school. However, it also risks leaving out smaller initiatives that have long been the backbone of this movement. Ensuring project proposals meet the new partnership requirements and navigating partnerships thoughtfully and equitably will be key to ensuring that all communities have a chance to benefit from this funding.

Our organization has created a dashboard with visualizations and descriptions of the 1,275 grant projects awarded thus far – $100M since 2013! While there are significant changes in this grant cycle, our dashboard can help you learn more about successful projects and find out who was awarded in your area.

‍Collaborate with NFSN On Your Project:

‍NFSN is excited to work with our partners on joint proposals, ranging from a main partner to a small consulting role. If you are interested in teaming up with NFSN for a project, please email one of our staff members or email info@farmtoschool.org.

By Evyn Appel, NFSN Policy Intern

With federal cuts putting the future of school meals at risk, stories from the farm to the lunch line remind us what we need to protect. In 2022, National Farm to School Network and our partner organizations launched the “Who’s at the Table” campaign to raise awareness about the importance of values-aligned school meals for all policies (also referred to as universal meals). This interview series features the stories of real individuals who play a role getting food from the farm to school cafeterias. We looked into the lives of people who identify as a policymaker, principal, school nutrition supervisor, teacher, parent, student, and food producer from states with universal meals policies or states with strong coalitions still advocating for a policy. Roz’s story underscores what we hear again and again: when every student has access to healthy, nourishing meals, schools and communities thrive.

Roz O’Reilly

Roz is a recent graduate of Orono High School in Maine. In addition to eating school lunch every day, Roz is on the Maine Youth Food Council where she helps to bridge the gap between climate justice and food systems. In the fall of 2026, Roz will be attending Macalester College in Minnesota to study data science.

Q: What is your relationship with the food system?

Roz: I interact with food and the food systems in a couple different ways. First and foremost as a direct consumer, directly. I eat school lunch. But I’m also looking at how to improve access to food for students through the school food system and that happens through my work on the Main Youth Food Council. This is my second year on the Council and the second year it's running. Climate justice and food insecurity, food sovereignty, all of the issues that relate to food are so closely connected. I am a part of a working group that is a collaboration between the Maine Food Convergence and Maine Youth for Climate Justice that is working to bridge the gap between the climate and food systems and sectors in Maine. 

Q: What meals do you eat at school? And has that changed at all since school meals have been provided for free?

Roz: I now get lunch every day at school, but growing up, I never got school lunch. But when I realized that the school lunch was free, I was like, “Oh, why wouldn't I eat school lunch?” Another barrier is that I'm gluten free. And before universal meals, I didn't know that they made school lunch accessible for people who are gluten free. When I had those two realizations I thought, “Why haven't I been doing this sooner?”

 Q: What is your favorite school meal?

Roz: There are so many good meals, oh my gosh! Well, a favorite is the chicken bacon ranch flatbread, that is a staple. We have a chef as our school nutrition director, and so that definitely comes into play because he gets really creative. But my favorite, honestly, is the comfort food, like the chicken penne pasta. He just does it so well, and it's gluten free, which is so exciting!

Q: Did your friends and peers have a similar experience? Did you notice a difference in school meal participation once meals were free to everyone?

Roz: There was a huge switch. Before, all of my friends would get to the lunch table and bring their lunchboxes out. Suddenly, everyone started getting school lunch when it became free. I think part of the reason that I also started getting lunch at school is because I realized, well, everyone else is doing it. If I look around in the cafeteria, I would say it’s probably at least maybe 60-75% of people get lunch from school. Before, when I think back, it might have been like 30-40%. And everyone talks about lunch now, lunch is a hot topic. “What's on the menu today?”

Q: Before the change, did you ever notice a negative connotation or stigma with getting a school lunch? Why wasn’t it as popular?

Roz: In my elementary school, the culture was: if you got school lunch, you weren't cool. You needed it, your parents didn't pack you the fruit roll-ups and the gummy bears—that was what getting a school lunch meant. There was a very sharp distinction between the two, but now, eating school lunch has become so much more normalized.

I do think there was an increase in breakfast participation. Now, there are a considerable amount of kids who will go and get breakfast during the first block, which is really nice. We also have breakfast after the bell, and so people will go and get breakfast when they're hungry during the first and second block classes. Because, again, if I'm hungry and there's an option to satiate my needs, why wouldn't I go eat? But I would not say school breakfast participation increased to the extreme that the lunch participation has increased.

Q: Does your school buy food from local farms?

Roz: As part of a class project, I chose to focus on local food in schools in the context of recent federal cuts. I worked with my school nutrition director, and we had a discussion first about the accessibility of local food and sourcing it across the school lunch menu. My school nutrition director takes advantage of the Maine Local Foods Fund. The fund was put into place in 2021, and that fund reimburses schools $1 for every $3 spent on local food. 

We did a deep dive into what it looks like to actually source a fully Maine meal. You have $4.54 to spend per student for lunch and it costs $7.99 to source an entire Maine meal. Even after getting the subsidy from the Maine Local Foods Fund, it's still $1.38 over budget. From our conversation, it was clear that he wants to support more local. He has relationships with these farmers but he also has to balance the fact that he doesn't have the resources to always support them. 

Something else that came up in our conversation that is more related to student education through the cafeteria. He has to take into consideration when weighing whether or not to invest in trying out a new local food, what the students' perception will be… Many students are out of touch with what local food is. It's different. It's not the perfectly round apple or the super plump grapes, and they're not used to it. And so there’s more that needs to be done to make them interested in trying new foods. We need funding for education and to support buying more local foods.

By Evyn Appel, Policy Intern

In 2022, National Farm to School Network and our partner organizations launched the “Who’s at the Table” campaign to raise awareness about the importance of values-aligned school meals for all (aka universal meals). This interview series features the stories of real-life individuals who play a role getting food from the farm to student cafeterias. We interviewed a policy maker, principal, school nutrition supervisor, agriscience teacher, food hub produce supplier, parent, and two students from states with universal meals policies or states with strong advocacy coalitions still pursuing a policy. 

Jason Bertrand

Jason has been the middle and high school principal for the Laona School District in rural Northern Wisconsin for the past four years and is the incoming superintendent. His career path has taken him to teach in higher education, tribal nations, and now a K-12 district whose student body is 50% Native American from two different tribes. In addition to his role in education, Jason also serves on the Community Coalition of Forest County, a coalition of social impact-focused organizations. Jason strives to use his background in community health and counseling to give students in his home state the opportunities that he didn’t have growing up.

Q: Thinking back to picking a career path, what motivated you to work in education and eventually narrow to K-12 settings?

Jason: I think about my own personal development in middle and high school. I struggled with a lot of different things, but I didn't really have anyone to turn to and talk to about that. I wasn't close in my relationships with coaches, or teachers or administrators because it was a big school. But in college, I did have those role models and I did have those people to turn to and connect with and help guide me in a lot of different ways. So I wanted to be that person for all students.

Q: What is your favorite thing about your job as principal? 

Jason: I would say, being able to connect with the students that are maybe underrepresented, so not your star athletes, or your 4.0 students, but being able to connect with those students that may be struggling. This week we had storms, so no one had school this whole week. Luckily I was able to come to town and check in on a lot of individuals, but knowing that this is a place where students are fed, and we know that they’re going to be loved and get the attention that they need, that’s what I really love about this position.

Q: What does breakfast and lunch look like at Laona School District?

It’s a really positive environment for the students. 

We've allowed them to bring their breakfast into the classrooms, so I'll walk around with our biscuits and gravy and say, “You guys need to check it out because this is so good!” Then I'll tell our chef “Hey, just a heads up, I'm talking to students today about how good this is!” So he's like, “All right, we may have to put some more biscuits in,” because he knows that when I walk around and I'm spreading the word, that a lot of the kids are going to be coming in.

Also we're under a CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) program, because our area has such high poverty rates, so right now our students get free breakfast and free lunch. Federally, that may look a little different in the coming years, but we hope that we're still able to provide that. Some of the students that come from districts where it's not CEP, are just so excited that it's available here, and that all the students are in the cafeteria and having a good time and excited about the options of what they have. 

In our middle school, we have 3 or 4 students that bring their own lunch just because of some allergies and personal preferences, but other than that, these kids are eating the school lunch. And I've worked where they’re swiping and putting in their code, and I'm making sure that we're listing them and that they're eating lunch everyday. I'll check the gym and say, “Hey, now is the time if you guys want to eat!” 

Q: What would be the impacts of a school meals for all policy in Wisconsin?

Jason: There's so many reasons why that would be an incredible thing. And I think a lot of it comes to the mental health of students to be honest. Maybe they're not comfortable going to lunch, or they don't have the funds, or they have a negative balance so they're gonna skip lunch or say that they're not feeling well. But if they don't have the nutrients in their body, they're not going to be able to concentrate and pay attention. It's obviously a huge physical health issue as well. Where are they going to be able to get those nutrients? With these universal policies that are being passed in different states, it's opening up that opportunity for students to be able to enjoy the company of friends at the table, and to be able to enjoy a great meal throughout the week. There's just so many benefits and facets of how that could help our students.

By Evyn Appel, NFSN Policy Intern

With federal cuts putting the future of school meals at risk, stories from the farm to the lunch line remind us what’s at stake. In 2022, National Farm to School Network and our partner organizations launched the “Who’s at the Table” campaign to raise awareness about the importance of values-aligned school meals for all policies (also referred to as universal meals). This interview series features the stories of real individuals who play a role getting food from the farm to school cafeterias. We looked into the lives of people who identify as a policymaker, principal, school nutrition supervisor, teacher, parent, student, and food producer from states with universal meals policies or states with strong coalitions still advocating for a policy. Marie’s story underscores what we hear again and again: when every child has access to healthy, nourishing meals, schools and communities thrive.

Marie Johnson

Marie is the Student Nutrition Program Supervisor at Farmington Municipal Schools in New Mexico, which enacted the Healthy Universal School Meals Act (S.B.4) in 2023. This bill is holistic in scope, also focusing on meal quality, as Marie shares below. For the past 30 years, Marie has seen many changes in her profession. She has been at the forefront of cafeteria operations, feeding students so they can thrive.

Q: Thinking back to getting started in child nutrition, what motivated and inspired you to go into this line of work?

Marie: Well, I started out when I was in college. I wound up in hospitality management and that is what my degree is in. However, once I graduated and started working, I decided very quickly this was not for me, and then I backed into school nutrition. I came in an administrative position. From there I observed a lot of things that were transitioning or happening within the operations there and I said, “That's what I want to do.” I started out as what they call the Technical Assistant. I did a lot of the [meal] applications and income verification.  But quickly, I said, “I want to really be a part of the operations: things that happen in the kitchen and working with kids,” and after a year one of the area supervisors resigned, and I was able to jump over into that position and haven't looked back since.

Q: What would you say is your favorite part of your job?

Marie: Feeding kids, [and] knowing that if we do our job and do it right, we are helping kids make great life decisions regarding food. If we do what we should be doing, we’re helping them to become well-rounded, have sophisticated palates and make healthy choices lifelong.

Q: Thinking about your background working so closely with meal applications, to now working under a universal meals policy, how have you seen the environment change for students and families?

Marie: The application wasn't necessarily complicated, but there was just the stigma that the application brought with it. When you work in diverse communities, some parents would think that the application was connected to immigration, and it could cause a problem there. It was just really hard to get parents to fill the form and they would have many different reasons. I'm glad that that's no longer a requirement. However, it could be. I don't know right now with the current administration. We don't really know where things are going to go. Our hope is that we are not thrown backwards.

‍Q: Has this policy allowed your school to do more scratch cooking or farm to school activities? 

Marie: For us, I would say it has. Here in New Mexico, our universal meal program has four pillars or requirements that a district that participates in the program must do. You must do scratch cooking. You must purchase locally grown products, and that's fruits, veggies, culturally relevant foods. You must have nutrition education and reduce food waste. So all of these things are required if you are going to be participating in healthy universal meals, which is really necessary for any school district, I would say. Learning how to incorporate those elements into your program has been essential and we're getting it done. We were doing a lot of it before we were even fortunate to have universal, healthy school meals. We're just being able to elevate more and highlight, and really emphasize our work now that this is required, and now we have more buy-in district-wide.

Q: What have been the biggest impacts or changes to the school, community, and students as a result of S.B. 4, New Mexico’s universal meals policy?

Marie: The biggest impact or the biggest appreciation would be the fact that every student, irregardless of meal status has the opportunity to receive meals, all they have to do is come into the cafeteria. That has been one of the things that I hear is wonderful all over the district… We're starting to see more and more kids want what we're serving versus what they're eating brought from home. And that's been great. We have noticed meal participation is increasing. We're primarily back to those days where the numbers are compatible with when we were feeding during COVID. So there is a need, of course, with the cost of food skyrocketing, the meal program is being utilized quite a bit.

From teachers, I've heard children who have full bellies can learn. And so for them it's making their jobs easier. A lot of the trying to get them revved up to take in knowledge has become less necessary. Those who come in for breakfast, those who eat lunch, have that nutrition to help them tune into learning. So that's probably the biggest, biggest, biggest compliment that we've received.

By Evyn Appel, NFSN Policy Intern

In 2022, National Farm to School Network and our partner organizations launched the “Who’s at the Table” campaign to raise awareness about the importance of values-aligned school meals for all policies (also referred to as universal meals). This interview series features the stories of real individuals who play a role getting food from the farm to school cafeterias. We looked into the lives of people who identify as a policymaker, principal, school nutrition supervisor, teacher, parent, student, and food producer from states with universal meals policies or states with strong coalitions still advocating for a policy. 

Teacher Rachel Sauvola (WI) 

Rachel is an agriscience instructor and Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor at New Richmond High School where she has taught and inspired students for the past 26 years. In addition to her classroom commitments, Rachel founded the Student Opportunities with Agricultural Resources (SOAR) educational center for the schools that serves as a year-round working farm producing cattle, eggs, honey, and vegetables to fuel school meals with local, student-raised ingredients. While Wisconsin does not yet have a universal meals policy, Rachel advocates alongside Healthy School Meals for All Wisconsin, a robust and energized coalition shaping future policies to expand school meal access. 

We found Rachel after she was awarded the honor of Wisconsin’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. Her passionate acceptance speech focused on school meals for all. Here are just a few standouts from her remarks:

“Every single teacher I know has a drawer of granola bars. That may sound wholesome, but it isn’t. I have one colleague who spends over $60 a week of their own money just for snacks for her high school students. Now we know that high schoolers can be ravenous. But this goes beyond that. You see, in my district, elementary kids were so hungry, they were going into other kid’s lockers to steal snacks.”

“I don’t have to imagine, because I was one of those hungry kids…. I know a thing or two about hunger, and about how we stigmatize it. And we blame folks just for being hungry. That’s one of the reasons I became an agriculture teacher. After my first national FFA meeting at age 12, I was hooked. I made the connection between being able to grow food, feeding hungry people, showing leadership, and having fun while doing it. I was determined to break the cycle of hunger.” 

“Giving every student access to free, healthy breakfast and lunch eliminates the stigma of getting free school meals. And let me tell you, our cafeteria makes all of our food from scratch, and it’s good.”

“It’s pretty simple. Good people don’t want children to go hungry. Good people don’t look at those that have less and think those people are worth less. And I will always, always choose to feed and value all children. In education, we talk about equity and inclusion. This approach walks the walk. Poverty is not a moral failing. Not helping those with fewer resources is a moral failing. And doubly so for those who have no say in the matter.”

Our Interview with Rachel

Q: Thinking back to picking a career path, what motivated and inspired you to be a teacher, specifically in agriscience?

Rachel: When I was 12, I told my dad, a Wisconsin dairy farmer, that I was never going to be involved in agriculture. I told him I was never going to marry a farmer, and never have any sort of career involving agriculture because it was too hard. Well, fast forward about 6 months, I went to my first FFA conference where I decided that I was going to be an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor. Quite honestly, I was a first generation college kid, but I embarked on that journey and with a whole lot of help and support actually from my agriculture teacher, I've never veered off the path. You can never say never!

The importance of the work, and quite honestly, the cute cuddly, one-day old baby calves, they make you just want to be able to offer that to others in a community where many don't understand how food is produced, and that's kind of my job. So I do it, and I love it.

Q: What does lunch time look like for the students of New Richmond High School?

Rachel: I'm going to tell you that lunch lines are long and our kids love the food. And one of the reasons why our kids love it is because we’re making things from scratch, developing recipes, and getting kid’s feedback. The kids will actually look at the menu, see if any SOAR center beef is on the menu, knowing that any hamburger products, any roast type products, all are coming from us, and the kids just love that.

But, moreover, after our amount of beef is used up, because I'm not to the capacity where I can produce it for the whole school year, I have connected our school nutrition supervisor with local farmers who are producing delicious high quality products. Our students are never eating big box beef. In general, it's mostly all coming from local producers.

‍Q: We often see the higher cost of local products being a barrier for other schools, how have you navigated that aspect?‍

Rachel: Our wonderful nutrition supervisor here at New Richmond is very creative in the means, but is also very honest when we negotiate our deals for prices at the beginning of the school year. She tells me “I can't pay as much as the general public.” But to me, it's irrelevant. I want the beef to come into the school, and I will take what she can afford to pay, and my farmer friends are in that same boat. They will take more from other places to get this opportunity out there for our kids to be able to eat this local nutritious food. 

And likewise, when the folks from the community come to our steak sale next week, they are willing to pay a little bit over what they might pay at the grocery store. They know all the money goes back into the program. They know that they're bringing their family the most nutritious beef that they can find in our community. There is no fresher product out there and that's something people celebrate as well.

Q: Even though Wisconsin has a strong coalition of supporters for school meals for all, it has yet to pass a policy. What would having universal meals mean to you and your students?

Rachel: Well, I was one of those kids that could have benefited from universal school meals. And now that I have the means, and I have the voice, and I have the life experiences, it's my job to advocate for kids who have less than what they should have. But at the base level, kids cannot learn if they don't have their basic needs met, and one of those certainly is food in their belly. Student’s tummies are grumbling, they can't concentrate, they have anxiety because they don't know where their next meal is coming from. Goodness, gravy! Let's take care of business and feed the children so that we can be producing productive citizens who have goals and plans so that our society can move forward!

We have a family here in town who missed qualifying [for free meals] by $1.57. That's it, $1.57 in over the annual income limit. And now those students in that family are potentially not able to eat because they missed it. And [the student is] not at fault. They don't control the $1.57. They don't control the money that's put in their lunch account. They are just kids coming to school to learn and deserve to have food. If we could eliminate that barrier and just make it equitable for all, it would be such an incredible thing for our kids in all of our schools.

The SOAR Center always has a door open to visitors who want to learn more about the program and meet the students. To date, the SOAR center has welcomed visitors from 24 different states and 13 foreign countries.