Alaska Farm to School

Farm to school 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. Students gain access to healthy, local foods as well as education opportunities such as school gardens, cooking lessons and farm field trips.

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The success of farm to school programs nationwide is dependent on the flexibility of the program to meet the diverse needs of the geography, community, and culture within a given state. Places with such extreme climatic and geographic conditions like Alaska need to be especially creative and resourceful while promoting Alaska's unique agricultural bounty.

Support

• National Farm to School Network

The National Farm to School Network is an information, advocacy and networking hub for communities working to bring local food sourcing, and food and agriculture education into school systems and early care and education environments.

• USDA Community Food Systems

The Office of Community Food Systems (OCFS) helps child nutrition program operators incorporate local foods in the National School Lunch Program and its associated programs, as well as the Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program.

The Farm to School (FTS) program is designed to offer expertise and support to all areas of the state to pursue farm to school activities and interests. The prevailing program goal is having product produced and/or harvested in Alaska available in the school food environment. We hope that through a variety of outreach efforts, we will increase the procurement and use of food grown in the state by public schools.

Procurement

• Procuring Local Food Guide
• Using DOD Fresh to Purchase Local Produce
• Alaska Seafood Purchasing Guide for School (PDF)
• Alaskan Grown Meat Processors (PDF)

Agriculture Education

• 2020 Farm to Summer Toolkit (pdf)
• USDA Team Nutrition
• Farm to Early Childcare
• Farm to School Youth Leadership Curriculum (PDF)

Gardens

• Alaska Ag in the Classroom Indoor Gardening Curriculum
• Farm to School Grants

For Distributors:

• Making the Farm Connection: A Guide to Field Trips for Farmers (PDF)
• Farm to School Tips for Farmers (PDF)

FY2023 Alaska Farm to School Grant Awards