Empowering Children and Families Through Farm to School

The Farm to School program strives to connect South Dakota's children with local food producers and to provide South Dakota youth with fresh food grown in our local communities. The program also seeks to educate kids about food production - from seed to salad.

Educators have access to the Farm to School Culinary Kit in the Classroom lesson plans. These offer a valuable and engaging way to teach students about local foods available in SD, food preparation, and where the food they eat comes from. The lesson plans that meet SD content standards are all available on the Farm to School website.

The Farm to School Harvest of the Month resources are designed to support South Dakota child nutrition professionals in educating students and families about locally grown foods while encouraging their incorporation into school meal programs. Featuring 15 different foods grown across the state, each monthly resource includes an engaging fact sheet (some tailored with community-specific information) that provides answers to fun trivia questions to spark student interest. In addition, each resource includes a simple, family-friendly recipe that students can take home to prepare with their families, helping to extend learning beyond the cafeteria. Child nutrition professionals are encouraged to highlight one featured local food each month on their menus, reinforcing the connection between classroom learning, community agriculture, and school nutrition.