The 3 C's:
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Community: Engage the community.
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Cafeteria: Use this area to promote local foods and farms.
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Classroom: Implement a farm to school curriculum and learning experience.
Farm to School...
brings healthy, local fruits and vegetables to the cafeteria plates of K-12 students and is one of the many ways producers can connect with their community. Over 42,000 schools across the country participate in Farm to School programming -- 907 of those schools are located right in Kentucky. Farms or producers interested in selling to schools are encouraged to become Kentucky Proud because schools can receive up to 15% reimbursement on KY Proud products -- this helps schools cover the potential extra costs of purchasing local food. Find the application here. As Farm to School programming has increased and become more structured, more resources for farmers are available. It is important that producers are aware of the specifications schools are looking for. Click the links below for specification sheets:
These specification worksheets, along with the resources and contacts below are here to help producers find their way in the farm to school market channel.