Farm to School

Background

Whether a school is serving local cucumbers on the salad bar, a science class starts seedlings in the classroom, or an FFA student’s pig project connects to an educational experience for the elementary students, there are a plethora of ways to combine “farm” and “school”. Agriculture is the number one industry in South Dakota, including commodity crop production, livestock, and orchard and vegetable farms. Farm to school (F2S) is an approach for child nutrition programs that educates our youngest people about the important role ag plays in our state, while creating local markets for food producers. When done well, farm to school can support a more long-term, sustainable, and resilient food system while supporting vibrant, rural communities.

Artwork by Rachel Yumi Chung, from the National Farm to School Network

There are three main components that can make up this approach, as explained by the National Farm to School Network:

  • Purchasing and Procurement: Local foods are purchased, promoted and served in the cafeteria or classroom as a snack or taste-test. 
  • Education: Students participate in educational activities related to agriculture, food, health or nutrition. 
  • School Gardens: Students engage in hands-on learning through gardening.

The National Farm to School Network explains the work as “a win for everyone”! 

“Farm to school activities provide benefits to students, parents, schools, communities, and food producers, including: 

  • Expanding market opportunities for small and diverse farmers, ranchers, fishers and local food producers and entrepreneurs. 

  • Increasing children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables. Supporting equitable community and economic development. 

  • Strengthening knowledge about agriculture, food, nutrition and the environment.”

(Header image: Mitchel Morse’s Locally Grown Broccoli served in Vermillion 06-26-24)

Our Efforts

Dakota Rural Action has been working on Farm to School issues across South Dakota since 2010. In 2016 DRA helped start the Farm to School Task Force, now known as the Farm to School Network, which serves as a connection to resources, state and federal agencies, regional support groups, training, networking opportunities, and more geared toward statewide Farm to School efforts and creating a culture of health in South Dakota’s School System. The group completed a farm to school strategic plan in 2023. Through the process, mission and vision statements were identified for the network.


South Dakota Farm to School Network

Members of the Vermillion Garden Club at the Boys and Girls Club

Mission: A thriving South Dakota Farm to School Network supports the development of place-based farm to school activities and the growth of awareness of what farm to school is and its benefits. The Network connects child nutrition and education professionals, producers, and support organizations. Through the development of practical guidance, educational resources, effective communications, and strategic direction, the South Dakota Farm to School Core Team serves as the glue to grow and strengthen the Farm to School Network.

Vision: We envision a South Dakota where all youth are nourished by locally grown foods and enriched by strong connections with agriculture. Across the state, producers flourish through abundant economic opportunities with schools and other institutions. Schools and other institutions work together to serve local foods and provide quality learning experiences in food and agriculture. By leveraging and combining South Dakota’s deeply rooted agricultural knowledge, creativity, and self-sufficiency with robust farm to school activities, youth are connected to their local food system and South Dakota producers feed their communities.


Get Involved

  1. Join the Farm to School Network to contribute your knowledge, talents and ideas as programs expand across the state and receive communication about available resources, events, and network successes.

  1. Call your local legislators and school board members and ask them what they are doing to support Farm to School programs in your area. For instance, are schools investing in proper kitchen equipment and staff to prepare local products, and is there any budget flexibility to pay producers a fair price? (If interested in joining bigger actions related to F2S Policies, see Action #6)

  2. If you are a local foods producer, contact your local school district’s foodservice director to ask them about selling your food product to their school cafeterias, salad bars, or snacks. If purchasing your product is not an option this season, perhaps education is the avenue to pursue by giving a brief presentation to a classroom.

  3. If you are a gardener, ask your local school district how you may be involved with implementing or maintaining school gardens in your community.

  4. If you are a school, head start program, or other care facility interested in sourcing more of your cafeteria food locally and seasonally, visit the Dakota Rural Action website and read our informational fact sheets at www.dakotarural.org, and see the Local Foods Directory to find producers near you. Connect with the statewide F2S Coordinator under the Dept. of Education for support (https://doe.sd.gov/farmtoschool/). Check out the National Farm to School Network website (https://www.farmtoschool.org/) or South Dakota State University’s online iGrow resources for information about how to start Farm to School activities in your setting.

  5. If not already, you are invited to become a member of Dakota Rural Action. As a member, you can join the grassroots effort to move policies that can support farm to school, as many other states have done. You will get important updates around our campaigns for renewable energy, anti-extraction & mining, sustainable agriculture, etc. via mailings and E-updates. You also get access to our organizing staff across the state, leadership development opportunities and of course, you become part of a community of South Dakotans that deeply care about and align with the work of making this the place we all want to live and thrive in for future generations.

Additional Resources

Want to know more about Farm to School in South Dakota?  See our Farm to School Factsheet.

The USDA has begun gathering data on Farm to School efforts across the nation with the Farm to School Census.  Learn more about the Census and see the data on their website.

The National Farm to School Network (NFSN) provides an abundance of informational material and learning tools on their website.

The SD Farm to School Network includes statewide partners and stakeholders. The SD Department of Education and SDSU Extension for more about their F2S work.

For more information or to talk with the Dakota Rural Action Organizer working with Farm to School, reach out to Megan (megan@dakotarural.org).

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