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Save the Date
Save the date for the 7th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in Austin, Texas. April 15-18, 2014. See the National Farm to School Network website for more details!
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Local Food Sourcing
Sourcing local food items for snacks and meal patterns at preschool and child care sites is an integral part Farm to Preschool programming. Local food is fresh and healthy and also helps sustain the local economy through purchases from small to mid-sized farms. Children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when they are fresh and the model helps them learn about food systems and how food is grown.
It is important to work with both preschool administrators and food vendors (for larger sites) to determine the best mode of purchasing locally sourced fruits and vegetables for meals, snacks, taste tests and educational activities. For smaller sites, providers can work directly with farmers, farmers’ markets or participate in a cooperative buying or CSA (community supported agriculture) programs to provide seasonal, fresh items. Best practices include starting ‘small’ with snack or taste test purchases until a sustainable purchasing mechanism is determined. Key components are budget, volume and seasonality of requested items. Here we broadly define "local" as within a 50-200 mile radius; the definition is flexible with the location and its resources.
Local Food Purchasing Options
- Community Supported Agriculture Model: Subscribe to a CSA or less traditional "market basket" program that delivers fresh market produce to schools and child care sites
- Cooperative Buying Model: Participate in cooperative purchasing with other preschool/child care sites and local farmers to decrease costs
- Farm Direct Model: Collaborate directly with a local farmer
- Farmers’ Market Direct Model: Collaborate with one or several farmers at your local farmers’ market
- Growers Collaborative Model: Partner with grower collaboratives that aggregate produce from multiple farms
- Produce Distribution Company Model: Contract with produce distributers that contract with local farmers (an option for larger centers or those that utilize a contracted food or nutrition services vendor)
Community Supported Agriculture Model
Farm to Preschool program that uses this model.
Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures: Farm to Family, Northeastern University
Farm to Preschool program that uses this model.
General information on CSA and 'market basket' programs
Cooperative Buying Model
Partners for a Healthier Community, Live Well Springfield: Farm to Preschool
Farm Direct Model
USDA Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food
"All" about local
Farmers' Market Direct Model
Search for farmers' markets in your area.
Tips, and search for farmers' markets in your area.
Tips for shopping at farmers' markets.
Tips on accessing and affording farmers' markets.
Growers Collaborative Model
More information available soon.
Produce Distribution Company Model
Contact us if you have local food sourcing information or materials you wish to share on this webpage.