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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Farm to School Notes

 

Produce Seasonality, Crop Extension, and Storage Resource Guide for Nebraska

When are local foods available to add to school menus?

Center for Rural Affairs partnered with Nebraska Department of Education - Nutrition Services, Nebraska Dry Bean Commission, Midwest Dairy, and Nebraska Beef Council to create a year-round Farm to School program, Nebraska Thursdays.

File attachments: 

PDF icon Produce Seasonality, Crop Extension, and Storage Resource Guide for Nebraska
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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