Nebraska Farm To School
The Nebraska Farm to School program enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and early care and education settings.
There are three core elements of Farm to School: Procurement, Education, and School Gardens. Farm to School works to provide resources to promote local Nebraska grown and raised products in the classroom, cafeteria, and community.
Learn more about some of our programs:
Be sure to check out the additional resources we offer for producers, school food service directors, educators, and more!
From Farm to You Video Series
We are bringing the farm to you with this series of videos featuring local farms growing and raising a variety of Nebraska food products. Nebraska farm to school is supporting these videos that help you learn more about how these products all start on the farm and end up on your plate. Next time you enjoy one of these products featured in Nebraska Harvest of the Month, remember it came from a farm just like this!
Harvest of the Month – Food Prep Demos
These videos demonstrate quick and easy recipes involving local Nebraska grown and raised products featured in Nebraska Harvest of the Month. Harvest of the Month is a statewide farm to school program that features different Nebraska local food products each month of the year. The program promotes local food products and provides schools and early care and education sites with resources to support sampling and serving local foods to students. All material is FREE and available to download for use in schools, early care and education facilities, afterschool programs, and homes! Learn more: https://www.education.ne.gov/ns/farm-to-school/harvest-of-the-month/
Farm to School Census Results
The Farm to School Census is conducted periodically to assess the state of farm to school activities across the U.S. The Census surveys all school food authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch Program. USDA conducted the first Farm to School Census in 2013, 2015, and again in 2019. The most recent Farm to School Census was conducted in the fall of 2023 and findings are largely based on farm to school participation in the 2022-2023 school year.
Explore information on farm to school participation by Nebraska (NE) school food authorities (SFAs) that responded to the Census and the schools and students they serve. https://farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov/census-results/states/ne
October is Farm to School Month!
On October 21, 2024, Governor Jim Pillen took a signification step towards fostering healthy communities, improving nutritional quality of school meals, and supporting local agriculture by signing a proclamation to declare October as Farm to School month in Nebraska. This proclamation highlights the importance of connecting schools with local agricultural producers, enhancing nutrition education, and promoting healthy eating habits among students.
Every October, we celebrate Farm to School Month with a variety of activities. Visit our Crunch Off webpage to learn more about how you can get involved in the fun!
2024 Farm to School Month Proclamation
From left to right: Tammera Mittelstet, Clare Hornung, Jessie Coffey, Sarah Meyer, Marla Kurtenbach, Taylor Schorsch, Gary Fehr, Emily Hulse, Governor Jim Pillen
GRANTS AND FUNDING
KidsGardening offers a variety of grants to new and existing youth garden programs across the nation. Each funding opportunity has its own timeline, defining features, eligibility requirements, and reporting expectations. Explore the open grant programs at this site and see which one might be the best fit for your particular situation. If something catches your eye, you can find more details on each grant’s homepage.
The Local Food for Schools (LFS) is funding for states to assist in the supply chain disruption brought on by the pandemic. The Nebraska Department of Education received nearly $1.5 million through the LFS program to distribute to eligible schools, explicitly to be used on the purchase of local foods for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). LFS will strengthen Nebraska’s food system by helping to build a fair, competitive, and resilient local food chain, and expand local and regional markets with an emphasis on purchasing from historically underserved producers and processors. For more information, allocation amounts, or to access the FAQ visit Nebraska’s Local Food for School webpage.
The Salad Bars To Schools program is focused on donating salad bars to school districts so every child across our nation has daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Learn everything you need to know about salad bars to schools grants.
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