This week, schools all over celebrated Agricultural (Ag) Week! Georgia’s agricultural industry is one of the most prominent in the state. The fresh produce, people, and partnerships are all what make the agricultural industry so special.
They are a key collaborator for many schools and community-based organizations. These farm-to-school ingredients are pivotal to nourshing kids across Georgia! So many schools go above and beyond with healthy, fresh trays. Below is inspiration on which local, agricultural partnerships schools utilize, and learn all kinds of ways schools incorporate these products into school meals!
Fulton County
Fulton County beamed about their support and appreciation for Georgia’s agricultural industry on Facebook! They are so innovative and incorporate gardens on-site at schools, while being able to engage students with hands-on nutrition education with these very gardens.
Bleckley County
Bleckley County served some hearty Beef and Vegetable Soup at Bleckley Primary, and delicious Blackberry Cobbler at Bleckley Middle School! The beef is sourced from Hunter Cattle, while the blackberries were from Greene Acre Farms.
Elbert County
At Paul J. Blackwell Learning Center, students were getting their hands dirty and gardening! Thanks to a partnership with Ross Anderson and Southern Farm & Hardware, this project was possible.
Elbert County partnered up with ECCHS Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education in Mrs. Hill’s 3rd block class.
They had students prepare, cook, and create a pizza! Students then voted for which pizza they liked best, and the winner will be featured on their April lunch menu for everyone to try!
This partnership taught students on nutrition, and involved them in menu tasting to make school meals more engaging and visible! Involving students like this is so important and impactful.
Whitfield County
Each month, Whitfield County has “The Harvest of the Month.” For March, the Harvest of the Month was root vegetables! They incorporated a fresh radish, cucumber, and tomato mix to celebrate. This is a great, consistent way to partner with local farmers and integrate fresh produce into menus.
Local Partners:
- ECCHS Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education
- Green Acre Farms
- Hunter Cattle
- Ross Anderson
- Southern Farm & Hardware
If you are interested in learning more on farm-to-school, check out some of these resources below.
Farm-to-Summer: Incorporating Local Foods Into Your Summer Meals Menus
Summertime is ripe for the fresh fruits and veggies that kids love. How can you liven up your summer menus with local foods without exceeding your budget? This webinar recording covers all of the logistics of working with local growers, from communication and procurement to meal preparation and service. Learn from a seasoned pro who has been cultivating relationships with local farmers and incorporating local foods onto her menus for years. Click the link above in the title to learn more.
National Farm to School Network Resource Database
Check out this site to see all kinds of resources ranging from case studies to policy advocacy guidance, and more!
ASPHN Farm to ECE Webinar: Lessons Learned and Great Strategies for Local Food Procurement for Farm to ECE
March 27, 2025 | 2:00pm – 3:00 pm ET
Join the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) for a virtual webinar highlighting insights from teams in North Carolina and Vermont who explored and evaluated best practices for local food procurement in early care and education (ECE) settings. Farm to ECE—rooted in local food purchasing, gardening, and food education—benefits children, farmers, and communities. Presenters will share strategies, logistics, and lessons learned from their efforts to strengthen local food access in ECEs. Please register here!
Farm to Loading Dock Landscape Assessment – National Webinar
May 16th, 2025 from 12:00 – 1:15 pm Mountain Time
Join the Colorado Food Systems Advisory Council for an informative webinar about a research project that explored the partnerships, training, and resources needed to move food from Colorado’s agricultural producers to wholesale institutional markets. This research, which culminated in the The Farm to Loading Landscape Assessment, has been referenced in federal and state grant opportunities, informed statewide data collection strategies, and coalesced support for statewide coordination around training and technical assistance, among other applications. This webinar will cover the why, the how, and the process of completing this research, as well as how it is being utilized within Colorado and how it could inform strategies in other states working to make farm-to-institution the easy choice. The discussion will also focus on various policy solutions currently being implemented or considered to address pain points, increase resource allocation, and strengthen and sustain Colorado’s local food economy. Please register here!
The 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference
New Dates! December 2-5, 2025| Albuquerque, New Mexico
The 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference is moving to December 2-5, 2025 in Albuquerque, NM. Why the change? We’re committed to ensuring this conference remains a powerful space for learning, networking, and collective action in the farm to institution movement. With this additional time, we are:
- Responding to the moment: We know many in our movement are navigating stretched capacities, and we want this space to be valuable and energizing.
- Rallying the movement for collective impact: We are responding to the current need for action. By bringing together leaders across the farm to institution movement, we are strengthening programming, amplifying more voices, and creating a space for cross-sector collaboration to drive lasting impact.
- Enhancing accessibility: Moving to December means more flexibility for attendees, including producers who may have had scheduling conflicts during the busy planting and harvest season.
The momentum for farm to institution work has never been more critical. Mark your calendar, spread the word, and get ready for a transformative experience!
