The State of California has made significant investments in school kitchen infrastructure, training, and Farm to School (F2S) programs to support the expansion of locally grown, fresh, and minimally processed foods in school meals. The Nutrition Services Division (NSD) is interested in learning more about the resources and support you may need to initiate or sustain and amplify your F2S efforts.
Survey Link
To share your F2S needs, complete this 14-question survey: Farm to School Needs Assessment. This survey should take 15 minutes to complete.
Sample survey questions include: What type of F2S materials and resources do you need? How would you like to receive training from NSD? How would you like to receive support from the NSD for F2S efforts?
Due Date
This survey will be open through Monday, June 30, 2025.
Background
The NSD provides F2S support, technical assistance, and resources to program operators of the Child Nutrition Programs implementing F2S. F2S can include these three elements 1) hands-on food, nutrition, or agriculture-based education; 2) local foods in the cafeteria; and 3) school gardens, which can range from a small window box to a school farm. Ideally, all three elements are part of a F2S program and supported by cafeteria and the classroom connections.
More Information
For more information about F2S, visit the California Department of Education NSD Farm to School web page.
Contact
For questions regarding F2S and the survey, contact the NSD F2S team by email at Farm2School@cde.ca.gov.