School Meals: 

Who's at the Table?

Policymakers, parents, farmers, produce suppliers, school principal, cafeteria manager, and student sitting around a table meeting about a universal values-aligned school meal

Now is the time to invest in nourishing school meals for all kids—and value everyone who gets it to their table. Just as farm to school is a triple win for kids, farmers and communities, policies that expand healthy school meals with our six shared community values benefit us all.

Our Six Shared Community Values

Get To Know The Players

Have you ever really thought about all the people involved when getting food from the farm, producer or supplier to our kids' lunchroom? Let’s introduce you to the people, who they are, and what they care about.

Hover over each person to learn more

Policy Maker

I got into politics because I wanted to make a difference and to serve my community so I want to hear from you, my constituents. Since I represent many kinds of people, I want to find solutions where multiple parties ‘win’. I support job creation and job opportunities, and values aligned school meals can lead to economic and workforce development. Targeted interest groups like large scale farmers have helped me get elected and I want and need their ongoing support. However, this doesn't mean that I will shy away from hard conversations just to get it. In my view, universal school meals that care about the whole food system are good for business, as well as for our kids and our communities.

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Principal

As principal, my main role revolves around balancing the school budget and the bottom line. I want to keep my kids in school and I need to keep them focused, striving to support learning and happiness in the corridors. But I’ve also learned that the reality is, my job is at risk when my school has low performing students & staff. Healthy food in school leads to better attendance and test performance, and I want to be part of the solution that provides a clear path to school success for my kids. Despite wanting the best for my kids and staff, my job requires me to balance changes causing a strain on existing school infrastructure and I'm worried about the additional budget that I may have to find. COVID has already created additional logistical burdens and we don’t always have the budget and staffing levels to make drastic changes.

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Cafeteria Manager

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and when it comes to school nutrition, food service folks are the frontline workers. Feeding them is my passion and career choice, that being said, I can only do so much with what I'm given. For everything to come together properly, parents have to be happy with the food quality–which isn’t always in my control and budgets have to line up.  COVID waivers allowed us to provide universal meals to all students, which cut down on the red tape so I could focus on what I love - feeding kids. I try to put together great meals for the kids, and ask them how their day is going, my job isn’t only about the food.

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Student

I saw this Tik Tok where they shared the meals that kids get at school in other countries, and it was so cool. I want to get involved, and make changes happen.  During COVID times, everyone got free school meals and it was just easier, without side orders of red tape and embarrassment.  One thing that bugs me and my friends is that lunch happens super early in the day, like around 10:30 am, so whatever I eat needs to be hearty, as by the time I get home, I’M STARVING.  It would be cool if our lunches were even remotely selfie ready like the ones in other countries. I follow a few foodies on Insta, and some of them are other kids who go to high-end schools— the food looks incredible, and like it would actually taste amazing. So, like, where does that food even come from? Where does our food come from?

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Parent

Like many parents, I work long hours. I frequently worry about the quality of food my daughter gets when I’m not there, so I try to send her to school full with a nutritious breakfast, and either with a healthy lunch that I’ve prepared or money to buy something from the cafeteria. But left to her own devices, Im pretty sure she isn’t always making the best choices, and part of this is based on the options the school has available. I’m glad when school meals reinforce the healthy habits I try to instill at home. I want my kid to be eating nutritious, delicious “brain food” while she’s in school, because that’s where she’s supposed to be using her brain!

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Produce Supplier

We supply restaurants, grocery store chains, universities, military outlets, but our favorite delivery stops are schools. Partnering with both local growers and suppliers allows us to make sure  the product schools want are available, and to supply clients with the best and freshest produce  there is. We work hard to guarantee great quality, and we also care about the environment, how far food travels, and fair labor and wages for all our employees. We want to see a market in which we can all continue to thrive, offer a great working environment to our team and great service to all our clients, especially the kids.

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Farmers & 
Farm Workers

As an Indigenous, family farmer, I am a steward of this land and my work has always been climate focused, in ways that ‘Big Ag’ just can’t be. I can’t see the point of trucking food thousands of miles when we grow great food right here. I want to see my food served in local schools, but it’s hard to compete with large corporations; I need to get a fair price for the work I do well, so I can pay a living wage to my workers, and be a part of solutions around good farming and labor practices. I wish the government would support us more and that the USDA would fund sustainable practices, but it’s hard to be heard as a small farmer and I'd love to see that change.

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Build Your Own Meal Game

Learn about the real world impacts of what gets served in school meals and what it takes to get it to our plates!

Learn How You
Can Take Action
Learn How You Can Take Action

Press

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March 2024

Guest blog by Edible Schoolyard New Orleans

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Graphics That Demonstrate The Mutual Benefits of Farm to School and School Meals for All

February 2024

In this article, we aim to showcase a selection of graphics employed by state advocates, highlighting the mutual benefits of farm to school programs and School Meals for All policies. These visuals serve as powerful tools in illustrating the symbiotic relationship between farm to school initiatives and the broader goal of ensuring access to nutritious meals for all students.

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National Farm to School Network Announces Nationwide Cohort of Farm to School Coordinators and School Districts

February 2024

National Farm to School Network launches a new project, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and Life Time Foundation, to enhance the well-being of children, fortify family-run farms, and foster thriving communities.

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Meet a Farm to School Coordinator! Q&A with Janelle Manzano

October 2023

National Farm to School Network spoke to a current Farm to School Program Specialist, Janelle Manzano from the San Diego Unified school district, to illuminate what the Farm to School Coordinator role may look like in practice. Read on to learn more about Janelle’s unique role and how it supports her community. 

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The Time for Nationwide Healthy School Meals for All Is Now

May 2023

National Farm to School Network is excited to announce that we have joined the National Healthy School Meals for All Coalition to call on Congress to make nationwide free school meals for all students a reality.

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More folks than you would think.

Values-aligned universal meals is a new way of thinking about the entire system that feeds our kids. From schools to policymakers to parents to farmers, and more–it takes a community to ensure quality foods are passed down the table to students every day, in a sustainable way.

Who are the people involved at the universal values-aligned school meal table
1
Policymakers
“My goal is to create opportunities across communities by ending school hunger.”
2
Parents
“I'm glad when school meals reinforce the healthy habits I try to instill at home.”
3
Farmers / Farm Workers
“Kids are smart—they taste the care we put into our local produce.”
4
Produce Suppliers
“Our process is steeped in values: local, sustainable, and fresh.”
5
School Principals
“Fresh food is just like textbooks - both are necessary to succeed.”
6
Cafeteria Managers
“Paper work and budget restrictions make things hard, but I juggle these to do what I love—keeping kids nourished.”
7
Students
"When the food is good and we know where it's coming from, no one is embarrassed to eat it."

If you agree with the importance of Values-Aligned School Meals, share these tools below to start a conversation about how food gets to our kids—hand to hand, farm to table.

Soon, we'll be sharing stories, resources, and ways to get involved in our values-aligned school meals campaign.

Let's make sure we feed our kids. Every single one.

Find the food suppliers of healthy school meals
“It’s good for the land, good for animals, good for growers, good for schools, good for kids and families, good for the community. It’s people treating one another decently.”
Source: Agricultural Producers’ Toolkit Case Study: Building Sustainable Relationships with School Nutrition Programs

Dig in! Learn more about Values-Aligned Universal School Meals.

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