FARM TO SCHOOL

Farm to School enriches the connection students and schools have with fresh, nutritious foods and local agriculture by providing youth education and one-on-one food service assistance to facilitate change in institutional purchasing and educational practices at schools.

Why do we offer Farm to School programming?

Many children and youth receive a large portion of their nutrition from meals provided at school.

There are many opportunities to integrate local-food learning into the schoolday, empowering students with the tools to form healthy habits that can last a lifetime.

K-12 learning institutions represent an underutilized market for local farmers and food producers to sell their products to the community.

A Statewide Network

We are proud to participate in the RI Farm to School Network — which engages partners across RI to develop, expand, and strengthen local procurement, education, and gardening initiatives to benefit children and youth throughout the state. These initiatives connect local agriculture to healthy eating habits, which improve public health and the local economy, support local farmers and food producers, and build community relationships.

Community Roots

A farmer-focused educational campaign, Communitiy Roots provides resources and educational opportunities to connect students to fruit and vegetable farmers and farms around Rhode Island. The goal of Community Roots is to increase awareness of, and access to, the local food system and Rhode Island grown crops — connecting the "Three C's" of Farm to School: Classroom, Cafeteria, and Community.

In order for students to get a well-rounded view of local food from farm to plate, reinforcing activities in all three areas is ideal. Working together in classrooms, cafeterias, and with farmers themselves is the best way to engage students in all three C’s, so we encourage knowing who is participating in your school and supporting each other in this endeavor!

EXPLORE SEASONAL VIDEOS & ACTIVITIES

Harvest of the Month

Every season brings new flavors to explore and celebrate! Our Harvest of the Month campaign engages school cafeterias and classrooms (as well as in hospitals, colleges, and senior centers) in these celebrations by highlighting the deliciousness of locally grown fruits and vegetables. The program exposes eaters to new produce while supporting local farmers in finding new markets for their crops. It also creates opportunities for food service to showcase their commitment to serving locally grown food. By providing promotional materials, one-on-one assistance, seasonal inspiration, and lesson ideas we make it easy for fresh fruits and veggies to shine.

FOR TEACHERS & EDUCATORS

Teachers and educators play a crucial role in Farm to School. While cafeterias expose students to new local foods, their willingness to try them can be influenced by how fruits and vegetables are first introduced in your classroom. We have developed specifically designed resources to help you get started or continue exploring local agriculture with your students.

Be sure to check out our Resources page for coloring and activity sheets, reading lists, lesson ideas and more.

FOR FOOD SERVICE

For the 2021-2022 school year, there is no signup required to access our available resources and materials, including:

Our seasonal newsletter, which highlights the local product currently available from your suppliers
Recipes scaled for food service
Posters, lunch-line signs, and table tents to showcase in your space the locally sourced foods you are serving
Access to our Farm to School team for one-on-one purchasing assistance
Help promoting your local sourcing on social media, if interested

Please Note (the nitty gritty)
To participate in Harvest of the Month, we ask that you purchase and serve a locally grown food each month in your cafeteria or dining hall. Not sure where to start? Reach out to us for assistance. We also ask that you share your local purchasing information with us — so that we can satisfy the grant requirements that help fund this program.

We are able to offer this program and corresponding materials free of charge with the support of Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management. If you have any questions about the data collected and how it is used, do not hesitate to reach out to us: farmtoschool@farmfreshri.org.

ARTWORK TO DOWNLOAD

Click below to download our seasonal harvest posters to print or share on your own. Please reach out if you need additional or printed materials for your cafeteria or dining hall.

Winter PDF \| JPG		Spring PDF \| JPG

Summer PDF \| JPG		Autumn PDF \| JPG

Apple Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Broccoli Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

Butternut Squash Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Carrots Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

Cucumbers Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Dairy Products Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

Herbs Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Lettuce Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

Peppers Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Potatoes Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Card

Stone Fruit Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Summer Squash Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

Tomatoes Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

EXPLORE OUR RESOURCES PAGE

School Programs

A thriving Farm to School culture supports health-related outcomes for students and empowers youth to think critically about the food they eat. Repeated exposure through taste tests, school gardens, and lessons in the classroom leads to greater environmental awareness and an increased willingness to try fruits and vegetables. Whether you are looking for local food system education in your classroom or want to make a taste test at your school lunch extra special, our team of educators can help you bring the farm to your school.

CAFETERIA TASTE TESTS

Offering a new locally sourced special in your cafeteria? Our team will come visit and help generate excitement, pass out samples, and collect feedback from your eaters. Depending on your needs, we can deliver a short speaking program about the dish and the local farm where its ingredients were grown. We can even help plate meals, pass out samples, and engage with students about the new food item. For younger audiences, we can also bring coloring or activity sheets. And if you're serving up a Harvest of the Month item, we will bring posters and table tents to call attention to the local harvest of the season.

Our taste tests are free of charge for schools, colleges, and universities.
In order to offer this service for free, we ask that the school's food service both purchase and prepare the items to be sampled. We also ask that the sample contain at least one locally sourced fruit or vegetable. (Let us know if you need help sourcing local ingredients.)

Request a Taste Test

HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS

Our Farm to School workshops empower children and their families to make informed food choices while contributing to vibrant communities. We offer one-time workshops or series-based programs covering basic food literacy, cooking education, gardening, and food justice. All programming is hands-on, interactive, and fun — providing kids with tangible opportunities to explore local agriculture and their relationships with food.

Want to learn more?
View Workshop Descriptions & Costs (PDF)
* Please note that costs are flexible and we offer a discount when you book three or more workshops with us.

Ready to sign up?
Request a Workshop

EXPLORE OUR RESOURCES PAGE

Nutrition Education logo

10 Sims Ave, unit 103
Providence, RI 02909
401-312-4250
farmtoschool@farmfreshri.org

VOLUNTEER

Help facilitate child and family workshops at our outdoor farmers markets! Summer and fall opportunities available, beginning in July. Spanish language skills preferred, but not required. LEARN MORE →

Winter PDF \| JPG		Spring PDF \| JPG

Summer PDF \| JPG		Autumn PDF \| JPG

Apple Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Broccoli Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

Butternut Squash Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Carrots Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

Cucumbers Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Dairy Products Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

Herbs Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Lettuce Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

Peppers Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Potatoes Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Card

Stone Fruit Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards		Summer Squash Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

Tomatoes Large Poster \| Small Poster \| Trifold \| Grab-n-go Cards

FARM TO SCHOOL

Why do we offer Farm to School programming?

Community Roots

EXPLORE SEASONAL VIDEOS & ACTIVITIES

Harvest of the Month

EXPLORE OUR RESOURCES PAGE

School Programs

EXPLORE OUR RESOURCES PAGE

VOLUNTEER

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