Farm to School
SGA’s Farm to School program supports the creation of a local, sustainable food shed and healthy Illinois children by connecting locally-grown food to K-12 schools and early care education sites across the state. We provide local food procurement training and resources, support scratch cooking in schools, create linkages between food service personnel, farmers and local food distributors, and share curriculum, gardening and local food resources.
Building a Sustainable, Local Food System
Every year, millions of kids across the country participate in school food programs, an opportunity to provide local, sustainable food while teaching healthy habits. The cornerstone of SGA’s Farm to School program is the Illinois Farm to School Network (IFSN), which engages with schools, farmers, food buyers, and other stakeholders to build a thriving local food system, one school at a time. Visit the IFSN main website for all the details on the program.
SGA also facilitates the Illinois Farm to School Coalition and the Illinois Farm to ECE Network, which advances farm to school and farm to early care programs throughout the state. Partners include the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, the Illinois Farmers Market Association, Beyond Green Partners, the Illinois Public Health Institute, and more. Coalition members include K-12 schools, food hubs and distributors, farmers, Illinois child feeding sites, and more. Contact [email protected] if you’re interested in joining.
Education
Knowledge Fuels Local Food
SGA has several different programs to educate a variety of stakeholders. Harvest of the Month, Fresh From the Farm, and the Great Apple Crunch all engage students and school staff on the health and environmental benefits of local food. IFSN also provides webinars and in-person trainings for farmers and school food buyers to support farm to school programs.
Procurement
Getting Local Food on Local Trays
Buying local food for school cafeterias, early childhood centers, and other institutions isn’t as easy as it ought to be. SGA provides a variety of resources that help connect farmers and buyers, making it easier to bring healthy, local food to young eaters.
Innovation
Building Innovative Food Systems
SGA supports food hubs, nonprofits, farmers, and others working on innovative projects to create sustainable, local food systems. We are also the Illinois state lead on the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub. With connections to stakeholders across the state, SGA is uniquely positioned to help drive the innovation necessary to build a robust, sustainable foodshed in Illinois.
Supporting Sustainable Food Together
SGA works with partners, from nonprofits to public institutions to farmers, to bring healthy, local food to cafeterias all over Illinois.
