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Updated: 7/28/2011

Effective July 1, 2011 the Domestic Marketing & Economic Development, Small Farm Direct Marketing and Farm-to-School programs have been eliminated due to legislative budget reductions and these programs have ceased operation.

WSDA Farm-to-School Program Activities & Services

The WSDA Farm-to-School Program coordinates a range of activities and services to help foster farm-to-school connections.

Taste Washington Day [external link to WSDA Farm-to-School Toolkit] Taste Washington Day is an annual event where schools around the state serve locally-sourced meals and provide education and activities to celebrate the Washington farms that feed us. This event is a partnership with the Washington School Nutrition Association [external link to SNA website]and the WSDA Farm-to-School Program. WSDA Farm-to-School provides support to match up farms, schools and distributors to facilitate the purchasing process.

Mobile Tours – Localized introductions for farms and schools [external link to WSDA Farm-to-School Toolkit] Mobile tours provide an opportunity for farms and schools to see each other in action and learn about the realities of operations on farms and in school kitchens. Travel time allows for interaction among participants and encourages potential cooperation to develop supply chain solutions specific to their region. We coordinate mobile tours to bring together interested schools and farms in close proximity to one another to meet and develop supply chains to best meet their farm-to-school goals.

Farm and School Food Service Trainings [external link to WSDA Farm-to-School Toolkit] We are developing and providing farm trainings on institutional markets, including product needs, how to approach schools, and food safety and insurance requirements. School food service trainings include direct purchasing, preparing fresh produce, and seasonal menu planning. We are constantly seeking feedback regarding what trainings would be most helpful to farms and schools.

OSPI Partnerships - Child Nutrition, Nutrition Education and other Classroom & Community Connections [external link to WSDA Farm-to-School Toolkit] The WSDA Farm-to-School Program works closely with Child Nutrition Services in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. In addition to working with Nutrition Services on school meals and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grants, we partner with the Environmental & Sustainability Program, Family & Consumer Science Program and Agriculture & Horticulture program on school gardens, community partnerships, and integration of Farm-to-School education in curriculum.

Conferences and Farm-to-Table Events [external link to WSDA Farm-to-School Toolkit] Farm-to-School staff participate in many conferences and events to share about the benefits and logistics about Farm-to-School. Learn more about integrating Farm-to-School in your next event, ways to get connected and find possible connections at buyer-seller meet and greets.

Farm-to-Prison Pilot (2010-2011) [external link to WSDA Farm-to-School Toolkit] Partnering with the Department of Corrections, this pilot is a direct purchasing program between farmers and two correctional facilities. This program may provide a great institutional sales opportunity, as the correctional facilities are able to work with all sizes of farms and receive product directly from the field, with minimal to no packing.