Food & Farming
Farm to School
Farm to School financially supports local farms and protects farmland by helping schools serve locally grown food while educating students about why local food is good for health, environment and economy.
FOODCORPS
As part of the AmeriCorps program, FoodCorps places service members in schools to help children develop lifelong healthy eating habits and an appreciation for healthy foods. Learn more about Groundwork's involvement here.
HARVEST OF THE MONTH
Harvest of the Month is a school program that develops and teaches lessons about one in-season fruit or vegetable each month, providing recipes and fun activities for kids and adults. Learn more about Harvest of the Month here.
FARM TO SCHOOL
Frequently Asked Questions
What does farm to school mean?
Farm to school is a name for a system in which schools purchase food from local farmers. The name highlights that direct connection and hints at the nutritional and economic value of the relationship.
How does farm to school help children?
Farm to school helps children in a number of ways. The most direct way is that locally grown food arrives at the school as fresh as possible, and that means it contains the greatest nutrient quality for children. Research has shown that food higher in nutrients can lead to better brain development and increased learning—upping the odds for brighter futures for kids. Healthier food also addresses head-on the dangerous diet-related childhood diseases the United States faces today—the kinds of diseases that threaten to bankrupt our medical system. Schools that have farm to school purchasing typically increase their food health education, aiming to instill healthy shopping, cooking, and eating habits throughout life.
How does farm to school help farmers?
When schools purchase directly from local farms, the farmers tap into a stable revenue stream that is most active during a typically lean time for farmers—the school year. Financial stability is essential for keeping farms in farming, and keeping their land beautiful and safe from development.
What is Groundwork's role in Farm to School?
Groundwork was an early advocate for farm to school purchasing in Michigan, and we trace our involvement back nearly two decades. At the dawn of the movement, we consulted with school food directors and superintendents and helped secure grants for early programs. We have also been instrumental in helping develop class curriculum, plant school gardens, and improve the cooking capacity of school kitchens, all with the intent of creating a broader healthy food culture in schools to create healthy lives while also supporting family farms.
Two of our highest profile Farm to School projects are FoodCorps and Harvest of the Month.
How can i learn more about Groundwork's farm to school programs?
Please contact Jen Schaap, jen@groundworkcenter.org, for more information about how farm to school programming can help your school.
GET INVOLVED!
Resources
Celebrating 15 Years of Farm to School in Michigan
Healthy Kids, Thriving Farms
Local Food Procurement in the Petoskey Foodshed
“Without Groundwork, we wouldn’t have FoodCorps service placement in our region. Students are learning about healthy food, where it comes from, and how to grow their own. The ripple effects of FoodCorps extend beyond the schools that the service members serve.”
— Lynne DeMoor, MS, RDN, Clinical Nutritionist at Health Department of Northwest Michigan
WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW?
Farm to School News
Resilient Relationships, Resilient Supply
This article is the first in a three-part series in which we explore the work being done to expand local food economies along Michigan's west coast. The program is one of just a handful of similar USDA pilot programs in the entire nation, and they are...
Pilot program: 5 schools in Char-Em get funds for staff focused on local food
(We're stoked about this!) Northwest Lower Michigan is part of an emerging national movement to fund school staff who focus exclusively on local food in school meals and on nutrition and garden education for students. Five schools in the Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate...
Who’s feeding our kids: The Farmer’s Perspective
Above: Kyle Mitchell, Mitchell's Patch of Blue farm. Photo courtesy of Kyle Mitchell. On the road that leads from the farm to the school cafeteria tray, we encounter many folks along the way who contribute to feeding our kids. Who’s Feeding Our Kids is a series where...