Farm to School

The landscape of food on children’s plates here in Nebraska is diverse, healthy, and delicious. This helps farm to school in Nebraska embrace the entire plate.
Farm to School is a natural fit for Nebraska's rich history in agriculture. The term "Farm to School" refers to schools serving locally grown or produced fresh foods from the school cafeteria. This can range from fruits and vegetables to eggs to honey to meat. Often schools incorporate curriculums built around nutrition, agriculture, and science. Doing this creates learning opportunities based on experience, like farm visits, gardening, and culinary and entrepreneurial programs.
 
For more information about Farm to School, contact Sandra Renner, sandrar@cfra.org or 402.687.2100 ext. 1009
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Nebraska Thursdays is a program supported by the Nebraska Department of Education and Center for Rural Affairs. Participating schools serve a Nebraska-sourced in school cafeterias on the first Thursday of each month.

Sourcing Nebraska products encourages fresh, local and healthy meals in the school cafeteria, educates students about Nebraska agriculture, and boosts our local economy. Schools may find more information or enroll by visiting here.
 
 

Farm to School Notes

 

Greenhouse to Cafeteria

Center for Rural Affairs launched the Greenhouse to Cafeteria program in 2015 after finding that many schools in Nebraska had greenhouses, but only used those greenhouses for starting perennials or growing holiday plants. Some were even empty - a missed opportunity for Nebraska’s kids.

The program assists schools in teaching valuable lessons as the kids to start, tend, and harvest plants. Greenhouses transform into edible organic gardens that provide food for the school cafeteria, educate students about where food comes from, and teach entrepreneurial skills.

File attachments: 

PDF icon Greenhouse to Cafeteria at East Butler Public Schools
More publications

Placing local food on school lunch trays

By Sandra Renner on October 3, 2018 - 2:35pm

Engaged communities and connections with farmers are helping make school lunches even better in rural communities. Across the country, kids are reaping the benefits and heading back to school with local foods on their plates.

Initiatives are being implemented throughout the U.S. In one state, “Nebraska Thursdays” urges participating schools to serve a locally-sourced meal in their cafeterias on the first Thursday of each month. Sourcing local products encourages fresh and healthy meals in the school cafeteria; educates students about agriculture; and boosts the area’s economy.

Initiative places local food on school lunch trays

By Sandra Renner on October 1, 2018 - 7:31am

Engaged communities and connections with farmers are helping make school lunches even better in rural communities. Our kids are reaping the benefits and heading back to school with local foods on their plates through a new initiative from the Center for Rural Affairs and Nebraska Department of Education-Nutrition Services.

Video: from Farm to School Cafeteria to Tray

By Rhea Landholm on April 10, 2018 - 11:00am

Veggies only have to travel about five blocks from field to students' plates at East Butler Public Schools in Brainard, Nebraska.

Fox Run Farms, a family-run operation on the edge of Brainard, provides the school lunch program with fresh food. In part one of our two-part Farm to School series featuring East Butler, we join Yolanda Bailey, of Fox Run Farms, as she harvests some red, orange and green peppers.

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