Here you can find useful information pertaining to all things farm to school including: local food procurement, school garden management, and community involvement in farm to school programs. See headlines: Cafeteria, Community, Grants & Loans, Producers, & School Gardens.
CAFETERIA
Healthy Cooking with Kids, Inc: Harvest of the Month with Recipes
Harvest of the Month calendar examples with recipes to go along with the featured product. A good reference point for those who are interested in starting Harvest of the Month at their school.
Northeast Georgia Farm to School: Implementing Taste Tests at Your School
An informational handout on what a taste test is, the purpose of taste tests, and how to implement taste tests at your school.
Implementing Taste Tests at Your School
Northeast Georgia Farm to School: Taste Test Plan
A worksheet for your school to create a clear taste test plan for the school year.
USDA: Decision Tree: How Will You Bring Local Foods into the Cafeteria with Your Next School Food Purchase?
Decision tree that gives you tips on how to buy local food depending on how you answer the questions provided. Brief summary of informal procurement and requirements.
USDA: Using DOD Fresh to Purchase Local Produce
Information on how schools can use DOD Fresh funds to buy local produce for their cafeterias.
Using DOD Fresh to Purchase Local Produce
USDA Foods: A Resource for Buying Local
Information on how cafeterias can get some local products from USDA foods.
USDA Guide: Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs
Your go-to guide on everything related to local food procurement!
Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs
Georgia Local Food Procurement Guide for Child Nutrition Programs
COMMUNITY
USDA: How Cooperative Extension Professionals Can Support Farm to School Programs
Summaries of areas where Cooperative Extension agents can partner and collaborate with schools to advance their farm to school programs.
How Cooperative Extension Professionals Can Support Farm to School Programs
GRANTS & LOANS
USDA: Grants and Loans that Support Farm to School Activities
Looking for funding to help increase kids access to healthy local meals? Farms, schools, state agencies, non-profits, and anyone in between can apply for funds through the USDA. Refer to the table to see where you fit!
Grants and Loans that Support Farm to School Activities
PRODUCERS
USDA Guide: Selling Local Food to Schools: A Resource for Producers
For an overview on how farmers can sell their produce/farm products to schools, check out this USDA guide.
Selling Local Food to Schools: A Resource for Producers
SCHOOL GARDENS
USDA School Garden Guide: Food Safety Tips for School Gardens
USDA information and recommendations on garden site selection, materials needed for installing a garden, and water use; chemical and fertilizer use; compost and manure use; growing and harvesting produce; and using school garden produce in schools meal program.
Food Safety Tips for School Gardens
North Carolina State University + NC Cooperative Extension: Food Safety for School + Community Gardens
This is a handbook made by North Carolina State University, in partnership with NC Cooperative Extension, on how to reduce food safety risks in the garden. There is great information on composting, garden design, etc.
Food Safety for School + Community Gardens
School Garden Wizard: Forming a School Garden Team
School Garden Wizard offers many resources for planning, creating, and learning in your school garden. Assembling a motivated, committed school garden team can be the key to building a garden that endures for years. This worksheet will give you an idea of the roles for each member of the school garden team.
School Garden Wizard: Determining Your Goals Worksheet
This worksheet will help you determine what you want from your school garden, and what you need to do to maintain it.
Northeast Georgia Farm to School: School Garden Action Plan
Once a school garden team is formed and the goals/purpose have been determined, use this template to create and collaborate on a unified action plan for the school garden, and to communicate a common understanding of the garden’s purpose and goals.
Northeast Georgia Farm to School 