Salute to Idaho Agriculture: Farm-to-School Program

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — In this week’s Salute to Idaho Agriculture, we’re taking a deeper look at how our local farms and schools intertwine, and this is through the farm-to-school program.

Over half of the schools in Idaho participating in the Farm-to-School Program just began doing so in the last three years.

Some ways farm-to-school is integrated is through community gardens, field trips, and lunch program changes.

Farm-to-School also offers grants to participating school districts; the Gooding School District was a recent recipient of one of these grants.

The program’s coordinator spoke more about what the long-term goals are,

“The farm-to-school program connects cafeterias, classrooms, and communities to increase access to local food and nutrition education. That improves children’s health, strengthens family farms, and cultivates vibrant communities,” Pamela Murray, the coordinator for Farm-to-School said.

Some of the ways students learn about these things is through field trips to local farms as well as through their lunch programs, but the benefits of this program reach far beyond the students.

“Experiences help students learn about food sources, agriculture, and healthy living. For farmers, the program provides a local market for their products. And for communities the connection between kids, families, and farmers is strengthened, which fosters engagement and collaboration,” Murray said.

One of the ways you can support the farm-to-school program is by supporting your local producers and growers by buying their products at farmer’s markets or wherever else you buy your local goods.

Copyright 2024 KMVT. All rights reserved.