Farm to School Workshop to be held February 18 at Bluff View Elementary in Lake City, 4:00-8:00 pm.
This event is designed to build connections and momentum for growing Farm to School in Wabasha County.
This free workshop is open to local farmers, food service staff, school staff, daycare providers, parents, businesses and institutions who want to learn about purchasing local foods are invited to attend. Register here
Lunch is an important part of the school day, and school nutrition professionals work hard to serve up healthy food every day. Schools around the state are finding ways to work together with farmers to bring locally-grown food into school cafeterias – raising the bar on fresh and tasty meals, while supporting the local farm economy. And it’s not just schools – hospitals, senior centers, preschools, and restaurants are also incorporating local, farm-raised products into their menus.
The FREE WORKSHOP which has been planned with input from Lake City schools and Wabasha-Kellogg schools, will explore how schools and farmers can work together to get locally-grown foods into the lunch room. Doing so has multiple benefits, including teaching kids about nutrition and where their food comes from. And while it sounds like a marriage made in heaven, the realities of making farm to cafeteria work are challenging. That’s why, in addition to panel discussions that include food service directors, farmers, and other experts, the workshop will provide practical information for navigating the ins and outs of farm to cafeteria and an opportunity for farmers and buyers to get to know each other.
The workshop is being coordinated by a local planning team that includes school administrators, food service professionals, farmers, public health staff, farmers market staff, and other community leaders who are working in conjunction with Renewing the Countryside, Wabasha County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), the Minnesota Farmers Market Association, and the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture.
The workshop is made possible with support from a USDA Farm to School grant, the Minnesota Department of Health, and Compeer Financial. Similar workshops are taking place across the state in Aitkin, Grand Rapids, Chisago City, Cannon Falls, Wabasha/Lake City, and Rochester.
Email Sara George or call her at 715-651-5046 for information about the event in Lake City. For more information on the Farm to School events statewide, email Grace Brogan or call her at 612-520-1675.