National Farm to School Month

10/16/2023

National Farm to School Month celebrates schools and other educational institutions that provide programming centered on food, nutrition, agriculture education, school gardens and purchasing locally grown food for child nutrition menus. This year’s theme is "Rooted in Community: Growing Stronger, Together.” Farm to School participants are encouraged to engage and build connections with local farmers, nonprofits, agricultural-based businesses and other diverse partners, strengthening the farm to school experience for students and the community.
 
Data from the 2019 Farm to School census indicate 1,422 Ohio schools reported farm to school activities, engaging more than 860,000 students. The most popular method of participation is serving local foods on school menus, with locally sourced apples being the most frequently purchased item.
 
In celebration of Farm to School Month, the Office of Nutrition is hosting the following October webinars.

• Oct. 25 9-10 a.m.: School and Childcare Gardening – Advice from Garden Experts featuring Ellie Falk from the Civic Garden Center and Anne Rogerson from Fork Farms.

To register, visit the training registration page and view recordings of previous webinars on the Ohio Farm to School webpage.

Additional information and resources for National Farm to School Month can be found at the National Farm to School Network’s webpage. For questions about farm to school, please contact Rebecca Naab, Farm to School education program specialist.

The Ohio Department of Education is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws. To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please contact Aleshia McNutt, ADA coordinator, at ADAaccommodation@education.ohio.gov or (614) 387-2200 (voice) no later than Oct. 20.