Farm to Summer Celebration Week

Background

F2S activities align with California’s priorities to provide its youth access to quality, nutritious meals that feature locally grown, whole, and minimally processed ingredients. The first F2Summer Week Challenge was created in 2018 by the USDA to encourage more CNP sponsors to participate in F2Summer activities. Since then, the NSD has supported this campaign annually.

• In 2025, the theme was School Food Around the World. Program operators connected to this theme by pairing local produce with global flavors, cultural education, and hands-on experiences. Children were introduced to internationally inspired dishes, learned about the global origins of foods through tastings and interactive experiences.
  
  
• Prior year’s themes include:
  • 2024: Let’s Have a Picnic!
  • 2023: Create Your Own Farmstand
  • 2022: Get to Know Your Local Farm(s)
  • 2021: Celebrate Local Foods

How to Participate

To participate in the F2Summer Celebration, program operators must 1) Complete the F2Summer Celebration Week Pre-Survey, 2) Conduct the three activities at least once during the designated F2Summer Celebration Week, and 3) Complete the F2Summer Celebration Week Post-Survey.

1. Complete the California F2Summer Week Celebration Pre-Survey.
   
   
2. Conduct the following three activities at least once during the designated F2Summer Celebration Week:
   
   
   • Taste: Serve a locally sourced food item that youth can taste. The tasting can occur during a snack or meal, during a nutrition activity, or in the garden!
     • Serve a locally sourced food item that youth can taste. The tasting can occur during a snack or meal, during a nutrition activity, or in the garden! Each program operator defines local. The definition of local can change based on the season or the type of product and can mean within a specific radius, city, a county, a specific region, or the California borders. Foods can come from the school garden or school farm, an individual farmer, a farmers market, through a distributor, from USDA foods, the USDA Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program also known as DoD Fresh, or a food hub.
       
       
   • Teach: Provide a nutrition and/or agricultural-based education activity. For ideas, visit the Resources tab on the CDE F2S web page or visit the CDE Resource Library web page.
     
     
   • Connect: Share your F2Summer Celebration Week activities with your school community. You can do this by posting on your organization’s website, via a newsletter article, by email, or by inviting the press to attend an event! You could do one of these, a few of them, or all of them!
     
     
3. Complete the California Farm to Summer Celebration Week Post-Survey. (The post-survey will be open again in June 2026)

All program operators that conduct the F2Summer Celebration Week and complete the pre- and post-survey will have their organizations recognized in a listserv and during the NSD Town Hall meeting. Their name will be posted on the F2Summer Celebration Week Awardees tab and their school will receive a certificate of participation, known as the One in a Melon award and a web badge to post on district and organization web pages.

Successes

Benefits
Quotes
Success Stories

Benefits

Summer Program Operators who participate of the F2Summer Celebration Week have report multiple benefits.

A total of twenty-eight (28) Summer Program Operators who participated in the F2Summer Celebration Week for 2025 have reported multiple benefits.

• 79 percent of the participating Summer Program Operators reported greater community support for summer meal program
• 75 percent reported alignment of meal service with school mission and vision
• 68 percent reported better quality foods
• 61 percent reported greater acceptance of the meal
• 61 percent reported increased participation in summer meal program
• 46 percent reported increased kitchen staff satisfaction
• 32 percent reported reduced food waste
• 7 percent reported lower meal costs

Quotes

Youth Quotes
Food Service Quotes
Parent/Guardian Quotes

F2Summer Celebration Week Program Operators have an opportunity to share statements that summed up youth, staff, and parent celebration experiences. Below are some of the inspiring quotes that were shared.

Youth Quotes

• “Thank you for making sure I have food.” – Student at Redlands USD
  
  
• "I never tried this, but I will eat them every chance I can." – Student at Hughson USD
  
  
• A student expressed sincere appreciation for the vegetarian and vegan-based barbeque options served for lunch. She said, "I not only feel included in the barbeque celebration, but that I have amazing choices that support my lifestyle." – Student at Redland USD
  
  
• “The blackberries taste so much better fresh off the vine compared to blackberries purchased in the market.” – Many students from Pittsburg Unified School District (USD), Edible Garden.
  
  

Food Service Quotes

• “F2Summer Celebration Week provided our school district the ability to bring awareness of locally grown produce served through summer meals. It allowed youth to explore hands-on agriculture-based activities and encouraged increased intake of locally grown fruit through produce taste-testing activity.” – Adleit at Riverside USD
  
  
• "The smoothie bikes were a success for the second summer in a row!" – Director, Extended School Year Summer Program Santa Cruz City Schools
  
  
• "It was exciting to see the amount of students participating and to see the faces of the kids as they expressed happiness and an investment in cooking and preparing vegetables." – Esparto USD
  
  
• “A great way to collaborate with our local farmers and create an ongoing flourishing relationship to better both school meals and local small agriculture.” – Kristin at Brentwood Union SD
  
  

Parent/Guardian Quotes

• “I’m so grateful my child gets to taste and learn about fresh, local fruits and vegetables. Farm to Summer gave them an experience they’ll remember—and now they’re even more excited to try healthy foods at home!” – Parent at Colton Joint USD
  
  
• “I’ve never got my son to even look at apricots and now he has to have them.” – Parent/Guardian from Hughson USD
  
  
• “I had no idea the district provided meals for the kids during the summer, thank you so much for doing this.” – Parent/Guardian from Jurupa USD
  
  
• "Wow, this is a great program for the kids of our community whose parents and family members work for these local farms and helps establish a sense of identity." – Parent from Esparto USD
  
  

Success Stories

F2Summer Celebration Week Operators also have an opportunity to share their success stories. The NSD has summarized a few of their experiences below:

• Our Farm to Summer Celebration Week was a huge success, filled with smiles, learning, and plenty of fresh flavors! Students were excited to meet our cheerful district mascot, Sunny C, who brought extra energy and fun to the event. With support from Old Grove Farms, students had the opportunity to see, touch, and taste fresh local produce such as Korean radish, zucchini, avocados, cherry tomatoes, oroblanco, and navel oranges—all while learning where their food comes from. The combination of engaging activities, nutrition education, and hands-on experiences created a positive environment where students not only enjoyed trying new fruits and vegetables, but also gained a deeper appreciation for agriculture in their community. It was a celebration that truly connected the farm to our summer tables! – Colton Joint USD
  
  
• The Fresno Unified Nutrition Department continues to collaborate with CalFresh Healthy Living during Farm to Summer Celebration Week. This year, CalFresh Healthy Living visited 21 elementary school sites, providing nutrition education presentations and engaging students in discussions about the local foods featured on their menus. Approximately 3,000 students were reached through these educational efforts over the summer, while more than 30,000 students were served fresh local produce sourced from Fresno County or grown in California. We look forward to continuing this partnership next school year, expanding the variety of fresh local items on our menu, and continuing to promote nutrition education during Farm to Summer Celebration Week. – Fresno USD, Nutrition Department
  
  
• This year’s Farm to Summer Week was a tremendous success, celebrating the journey of food from farm to table while inspiring a new generation of healthy eaters. The highlight of the week was a special field trip to Huerta del Valle, a local community garden in Ontario, where students from Quesada Park received a private guided tour from farmer Maria. Students got their hands dirty as they learned about local farming practices, including an up-close (and memorable!) look at the composting process and how it supports a healthy garden. The experience was made even more exciting as students became official taste-testers, harvesting and sampling fresh produce such as juicy raspberries, sweet strawberries, and crisp green apples. One student even shared that it was the “best zucchini I’ve ever had,” highlighting the exceptional flavor of fresh, local food. Our partnership with Huerta del Valle extended beyond the field trip, with the fresh produce they provided also featured throughout our summer program, further connecting students to the benefits of local agriculture. – Ontario-Montclair School District

Trainings

Online Trainings
Additional Online Training Databases

Online Trainings

Course Number	Course Name	Training Topic	Target Audience
550	F2Summer Week Challenge (Video; 20:31) Please note: F2Summer Challenge is now known as F2Summer Celebration Week	Menu Planning or Nutrition Education	Child and Adult Care Food Program Directors, Food Service Directors and Staff, Teachers
External USDA	Local Foods and Enriching Activities in Summer Meal Programs	Menu Planning or Nutrition Education	Summer Meal Program Food Service Directors, Staff

Additional Online Training Databases

To find additional online trainings, visit the:

• USDA F2Summer Videos and Webinars to explore how local farmers are integrated into summer meal programs. They highlight successful partnerships and strategies from organizations and state agencies that bring the farm to summer meals.
• CDE Course Catalog web page to assist with professional standards requirements, professional development, and compliance needs.

Partners

The following tables provide a list of organizations you can reach out to for assistance procuring locally sourced foods and providing assistance with nutrition and/or agricultural-based enrichment activities. If you need their assistance, it is advisable to contact them early!

Taste—Assistance with local procurement
Teach—On-site assistance providing agricultural-based education activities

Taste—Assistance with Local Procurement

Organization	Contact Information	Assistance Provided
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Office of Farm to Fork–Farm to School (F2S) Program	Contact: Michael Ackley-Grady Email: Michael.Ackley-Grady@cdfa.ca.gov	Connecting with local food producers and navigating F2S resources
Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)	Contact: Claire Tauber, Farm to School Manager Email: claire@caff.org	Provides technical assistance (TA) with procuring local foods, and a free Bid Generator for Request for Proposals

Teach—Assistance Providing Agricultural-Based Education Activities

Organization/Program	Contact Information	Assistance Provided
The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources- Master Gardener Program	Select the county on the California map to identify the Master Gardener Program nearest you.	They provide garden-based education activities and support the ‘Ask a Master Gardener a Question’ service.
CalFresh Healthy Living, University of California (UC)	Contact: Anna Jones, School Wellness and Smarter Lunchrooms Movement Project Manager Email: anajones@ucdavis.edu	They can provide nutrition education activities and taste tests of locally sourced foods for schools that qualify for CalFresh Healthy Living, UC services.
California Foundation for Agriculture (Ag) in the Classroom	Contact: Amanda Fletcher, Executive Director Phone: 916-561-5625 Email: info@learnaboutag.org	They support California teachers with agriculture literacy resources, programs, and funding opportunities. They offer a wide range of standard-aligned agricultural lessons and enrichment activities.
Center for Ecoliteracy	Phone: 510-845-4595 Email: info@ecoliteracy.org	They can provide technical assistance by phone or email on F2Summer promotion, educational activities, and celebrations.

Resources

Below are resources that participants can utilize to help promote, plan, implement, and enhance their F2Summer Celebration week.

Promotion - Materials
Promotion- Past Successes
Procurements
Policy
Planning Guides and Toolkits
General Resources

Promotion

Resources	Description
Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) Farm to Cafeteria Signage Request Form	Use Farm to Cafeteria Signage to promote seasonal produce from local family farmers to students and the community. Display posters, signs, liquid crystal display images (also known as LCD images), and table tents for serving local produce to raise awareness of and recognition for your Farm to Cafeteria program. Contact the Farm to Market team at farmtocafeteria@caff.org with further inquiries.
USDA Taste-Testing Event Posters and Resources	Taste-tests are a great way to introduce new menu items and get young people excited to try healthy food choices. Use these posters, stickers, and rate-your-taste resources to help plan and host a successful F2Summer Celebration week taste-testing event.

Promotion- Past Successes

Procurement

Resources	Description
USDA Procuring Local Foods for CNP Guide (PDF)	This guide covers many key topics for buying local foods, such as: Menu Planning, Procurement Principals and Regulations, Procurement Methods, Opportunities to Target Local Producer, Sections of a Solicitation, Geographic Preference, Buying Products from the School Garden, Supporting Local Foods in Tribal Schools, Beyond Lunch: Buying Local Foods for Summer, Using USDA Foods and Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh, Comparing Procurement Methods, and more. Revised 2022.
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Certified Farmers Market Locator by County (PDF)	Need assistance finding farmers markets for hyper-local foods for your meal programs, F2Summer Celebration Week, or both? The CDFA provides a Certified Farmers Market Locator by County list for California to assist with locating these markets.
CDFA Certified Producers by County (PDF)	Need assistance finding local producers and foods for your meal programs, F2Summer Celebration Week, or both? The CDFA provides a Certified Producers by County list in California to assist with locating these producers.
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program Find a Food Hub web page	Need assistance finding local Food Hubs? Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program provides a list of participating food hubs in the California Food Hub Network.

Policy

Planning Guides and Toolkits

Resources	Description
Center for Ecoliteracy How to Plan a Student-Centered Farmer Visit to Your School Guide and Checklist	Looking to host a farmer at your site? This farmer visit planning guide is designed for all school personnel to use with a downloadable checklist!
Center for Ecoliteracy F2Summer Planning Guide	This planning guide distills tips and best practices for building community support, conducting grassroots outreach, planning F2Summer menus, and more.

General Resources

Resources	Description
USDA F2Summer: Why Summer Meals Programs are Ripe for Local Foods and Agriculture-Based Activities Fact Sheet	This fact sheet discusses the benefits of F2Summer activities. Summer is a time of agricultural abundance; this fact sheet reviews how to integrate local food into summer meals.
National Farm to Fork Network	This resource database includes Procurement, Nutrition Education, Gardening, Marketing, and Multicultural Resources along with resources to assist program operators implementing F2S and F2Summer activities. Examples of resources include: Preschool Lesson Plans by Growing Minds, the "What’s in Season?" Produce Availability Chart, Pint Size Produce - Easy to Use Activities for Early Childhood, Fresh from the Farm: F2S and Out-of-School Time Programs, and much more!

Additional Resources

• Visit the CDE Resource Library web page to assist program operators with Nutrition Education activities, Agricultural-based Nutrition Education, Recipes, Cooking in the Classroom, and Physical Activity. Examples of resources include: Food Safety from Farm to Fork, Healthalicious Cooking, Nourish: Food and Community, Growing Healthy Kids and much more!

Best Practices

Below is a list of best practices to assist with planning, enjoying, and then wrapping up F2Summer Celebration Week.

Prior to F2Summer Celebration Week
During F2Summer Celebration Week
After F2Summer Celebration Week

Prior to F2Summer Celebration Week

• Watch the F2Summer Online Trainings.
• Obtain school administration and staff support.
• Utilize the CDE partners or school district partners for assistance.
• Complete the California F2Summer Week Celebration Pre-Survey.
• Involve students and teachers in choosing activities.
• Connect your activities with the F2Summer theme.
• Contact your local farms, farmers, food hubs, and distributors ahead of time to discuss produce availability.  
• Visit the CDE Resources Library for agricultural-based and nutrition education curriculum.
• Consider incorporating nutrition education into core subjects.
• Use local produce from USDA Foods.
• Use local and/or organic produce from Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh (Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program Operators).
• Notify parents/guardians of F2Summer Celebration Week
• Leverage help and assistance from parent volunteers, garden staff, farm to school (F2S) Coordinators, nutritionists, students interns and youth.
• Connect with Lunch at the Library .

During F2Summer Celebration Week

• Teach agricultural-based and nutrition education lessons.
• Keep track of how many sites and youth are participating.
• Taste local foods and produce.
• Share your successes with other school districts.
• Utilize all school spaces including:
  • Classrooms
  • Multipurpose rooms
  • Cafeteria
  • Garden
  • Grassy areas
  • Farm areas
• Take plenty of photos and videos (Don’t forget student photo releases!).
• Write down the memorable quotes and stories from youth, staff, and parents/guardians.
• Place recipes and flyers in backpacks.
• Enjoy your week!

After F2Summer Celebration Week

• Complete the California F2Summer Celebration Week Post-Survey (the post-survey will open in July 2026)
  
• Notify Parents/guardians and the public of your successes by:
  • Email or E-Newsletter
  • District website
  • Text
• Consider applying for a Green Ribbon Schools (GRS) Award Program. GRS recognition award gives points to program operators that participate in the F2Summer Celebration Week. For GRS criteria, timelines, contacts, and general information, visit the CDE GRS web page. 

Participants F2Summer Celebration Week Operators

The CDE NSD congratulates the following California Child Nutrition Program Operators who completed the three elements of the F2Summer Celebration Week during the year listed:

2025

• Calistoga Joint Unified School District (USD)
• Capistrano USD
• Colton Joint USD
• Delhi USD
• Fresno Unified SD
• Galt joint union Elementary SD
• Healdsburg USD
• Hesperia Unified SD Nutrition Services
• Kern High SD
• Linden USD
• Little Lake City SD
• Lodi USD
• Manteca USD
• Morongo USD
• Murrieta Valley USD
• Natomas USD
• Ontario-Montclair SD
• Palmdale Elementary SD
• Pittsburg Unified School District Edible Garden
• Redlands USD
• San Bernardino City USD
• San Diego Unified Sandi Coast Cafe (Farm to School)
• San Luis Coastal USD
• Santa Cruz City Schools
• Sausalito Marin City SD
• Upland USD
• Vista USD
• Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint USD

Contacts

California Department of Education F2S Contacts

Farm to School

For questions about F2Summer Celebration Week, contact the F2S Team by email at Farm2School@cde.ca.gov.

Procurement

For questions related to procurement and procurement resources, email NSDProcurementReview@cde.ca.gov.

California Department of Food and Agriculture Team Contacts

For assistance locating farms or food hubs to procure local foods, contact the Farm to School Network Team at the California Department of Food and Agriculture by email at cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov.