Navigation

Public Records Request
Natural Resources Building
P.O. Box 42560
1111 Washington ST SE
Olympia, WA 98504-2560
Phone: (360) 902-1800

Autumn Taste Washington Day

Back
Home / Departments / Business and Marketing Support / Farm to School Toolkit / WSDA Farm to School Program / Taste Washington Day

What do you need today?

Taste Washington Day

Get ready for Washington's annual celebration of local food in school meals on Wednesday, October 8, 2025! 

Every year on a day in October, schools shine a spotlight on farm to school connections and serve meals featuring the bounty of Washington’s harvest. Students learn about the farmers, fishers, and producers who grow, harvest, catch, and make local foods and the importance of agriculture in their community and across Washington state.

Now in its 16th year, Taste Washington Day also celebrates the history and growth of farm to school connections across Washington and the many benefits to kids, farms, and communities.  Taste Washington Day also recognizes the hard work and dedication of the many school nutrition professionals, farmers, and community partners who go above and beyond to buy and serve local foods, not just on Taste Washington Day, but all year long.

How does it work?



This celebration was cooked up by Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the Washington School Nutrition Association (WSNA) with support from Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Child Nutrition Services to promote locally grown food served in school meals.
 

Participating Schools and Farms


Governor's Proclamation

Governor Bob Ferguson has officially declared October 8, 2025 as Taste Washington Day!


 

How to Celebrate


Share any of your activities on social media with the hashtags #TasteWADay and #WAfarmtoschool


Schools and farms around the state celebrate in all sorts of ways:

  • Serving a locally-sourced lunch or breakfast with Washington grown ingredients

  • Buying ingredients directly from a local farm

  • Highlighting Washington farms on school lunch menus

  • School garden activities, such as a lesson or visit, or serving school garden produce in a meal

  • Doing the Washington Apple Crunch

  • Local food taste tests

  • Providing education and activities about the region's agricultural bounty

  • Inviting farmers to lunch

  • Having Future Farmers of America (FFA) or other community partners to be a part of the day

Explore the Taste Washington Day Resource Toolkit for recipe and menu ideas, table tents, sample social media posts, and more!

Resource Toolkit

What's in Season?


Learn about fruits and vegetables available from Washington farms in October:

In addition, many schools feature local foods available year-round, such as eggs, dairy, meat, poultry, fish, beans, peas, lentils, grains, and honey. 

Click the button below for information about sourcing local and sesaonal foods from Washington farms and food producers, or contact WSDA Farm to School for help. 
 

Finding Farms


Washington Apple Crunch

Let’s make a noise that can be heard across the state to celebrate Washington agriculture!
Apples are a big deal in Washington – we grow more apples than any other state! More than half of all apples in the US for fresh eating come from orchards in Washington State. 

How to do a "Washington Apple Crunch:"

  1. Order Washington apples and serve them to students as part of lunch or snack.

  2. Have everyone bite into their apple and CRUNCH across Washington at noon on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 (or another day of your choosing), or at any time that works for your school schedule.

  3. Celebrate the moment everyone bites into their Washington-grown apple. Take a photo and post in on social media using the hashtags #WAapplecrunch, #TasteWADay, and #WaFarmToSchool.

Download the following free materials to publicize the event with families and school administrators and encourage participation!

Washington Apple Crunch Flyer

Print this flyer to share with students, staff, and teachers with instructions for how to participate in The Great Washington Apple Crunch. Be sure to share the Washington Apple Fun Facts with students! Download in English | Descarga en Español 

Apple Farmer Flyer

Download this flyer, add the name of your apple farmer, and post where apples are served to teach students where their Washington apples come from.

Apple Harvest of the Month

Download this Apple Harvest of the Month Packet from NEWESD 101. The packet includes a flyer to send home to families, a pamphlet with trivia for students, and recipes for the cafeteria. 

Apple Trivia from SNAP-Ed

Download this packet full of great apple trivia, nutrition facts, and a sample recipe for kids and families. Credit: WSU Extension SNAP-Ed  

 

"Taste Washington Day offers our kids a chance to establish a deeper connection and develop a better understanding of our state's food system, from farm to fork and each step in between. The more opportunities our children have to learn about the people, time effort and resources necessary to turn a seed into a crop, the more they will appreciate the food on their plates. As the next generation, it will be up to them to continue our state's agricultural heritage and history."

Excerpted from the Congressional Record of the 111th Congress introduced by Hon. Jay Inslee. September 29, 2010 [link to full text]