Farm to School

Farm to School



In This Section Section Home Our Food Menus Recipes Minnesota Thursdays Special Dietary Needs Nutrition + Ingredients Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Smart Snacks Great Lakes Apple Crunch Vending Vending FAQ Application + Payments Application for Educational Benefits Application & Payment FAQ Payments Prices Our Programs Farm to School Farms Local Foods Community BBQ Toolkit Farm Videos School Gardens Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Waste Reduction True Food True Food Chef Council True Food Taste Tests True Food Backgrounds Junior Iron Chef Education Videos Wellness Active School Day Active Recess Healthy Eating Smart Snacks in School Rethink Your Drink Healthy Celebrations & Rewards Safe Routes to School Program Summary Arrival and Dismissal Biking Education Bus Stop & Walk Maps Pedestrian Education Safe Routes Network Travel Plans Walk and Bike to School Events Walking Bus 2014 Highlight Email news Winter Cycling Congress MPS Teacher Resources WBF Let's Roll MPS Wellness Policy Winter Wellness Week Sports Nutrition MPS Wellness Week Urban Education Farm Feasibility Study Home Wellness Resources Catering & Food Trucks Vended Meals Contact Contact Us Employment + Internships Staff Directory CWS Staff Search Food For Children During Closure Meal Pick-up Sites (hmong) Meal Pick-up Sites (somali) Meal Pick-up Sites (spanish)	Farm to School Culinary & Wellness Services > Our Programs > Farm to School Farm to School MPS Farm to School Program Since 2013, Minneapolis Public Schools has partnered with local farms to buy fresh, healthy foods for our students. Our Farm to School Program is a WIN-WIN-WIN! We support our neighboring farmers, provide our kids with fresh and flavorful food, and contribute to our local economy. We currently partner with 13 small to medium sized farms and farmer cooperatives to source nearly 40 varieties of produce for our school meals. Our partner farms are located within 250 miles of the Twin Cities and use sustainable or certified organic practices. Our district's Farm to School Program has three main components: Local Food MPS work directly with local farms to sources as much fresh produce as possible! We also make it a priority to buy other local products like meats, salsas, and baked goods. We distinguish between: Local - grown within 200 miles of the Twin Cities Farm to School - grown by a small to mid-sized farmers using sustainable growing methods, typically within 100 miles of the Twin Cities Food Education We work with partners to provide hands-on opportunities for students to learn about food, nutrition and agriculture. We: Host special events and promotions, like Minnesota Thursdays Conduct taste tests of fresh, flavorful new items Bring our farmer partners into school classrooms and cafeterias Support school gardens, and envision an MPS Urban Farm to engage students in food, farming and nutrition education. Community Engagement We partner with nonprofit organizations, businesses, families and community members to assure that our farm to school program is rooted in the community. We: Highlight exciting happenings in our monthly e-newsletter, The Whole Carrot Partner with organization and community members on special events, including our annual Farm to School Community BBQ Attend and present at meetings, events & conferences Participating in local coalitions and collaboratives, like the National Farm to School Network and School Food FOCUS MPS Culinary & Wellness Services prides itself on working closely with both local and national farm to school partners. If you are interested in working with us, please contact our Farm to School Coordinator.		More Information Farms Local Foods Community BBQ Toolkit Farm Videos School Gardens 2018-2019 Farm to School Highlights 13 F2S partner farms and farm co-ops 142,470 pounds of Farm to School (F2S) produce served 42 specific varieites of local vegetables and fruits 48,833 pounds of additional local produce (not grown by F2S partner farms)