Farm 2 School Lunch Program

The Farm 2 School Lunch Program is a partnership between local farmers, food producers and elementary schools. The program aims to improve the health of school children through the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, grass fed meats, and hormone-free milk. Students learn healthy eating habits and the concept of the farm to table connection. In addition to reinventing the school lunch menu, schools implementing the Farm 2 School program offer a course entitled, Food is Elementary, which teaches students about cooking and preparing healthy food. The curriculum is fun, interactive, and hands-on. Each school implementing the Farm 2 School lunch program also has a school garden. The gardens are important teaching tools for students. The gardens enhance the Food is Elementary curriculum by allowing hands-on interaction with the food growing process. Field trips to local farms are also a component of the program.

In addition to the benefits to the students, Farm 2 School programs offer increased sales opportunities for farmers, and by procuring products from local farms, community dollars are kept local, thus driving the local economy.

The goal of the Farm 2 School program is to improve the health and wellbeing of school-aged children and prevent childhood obesity by providing healthy, seasonal, and locally grown meals to children at school.

Now serving 4000 meals a day and 2000 summer snacks a day to 17 locations in KS & MO including vulnerable communities via YMCA headstarts.