Gateway Farm to School Project

Alaska Gateway is proud to announce we have received the 2016 "One in a Melon" award from the USDA for the state of Alaska! 

The following description is a summary of our farm to school plan funded by a 2014 USDA Farm to School Program grant: The Alaska Gateway School District “Gateway Farm to School Project” will develop an implementation plan that will allow the district to source at least 20% of the food served in the school meal programs regionally. The project will allow for the exploration and analysis of regional food sources and develop supply chains utilizing those sources. Once this planning process is complete, we will greatly reduce the amount of food that must be imported to Alaska from thousands of miles away from the lower 48 states, thereby providing children with food that is both fresher and more cost effective. The district recently received state funding for a greenhouse and garden project. This planning grant will allow us to enhance the existing greenhouse and garden project to increase on-site local food production. We will work with an agricultural consultant to develop a crop selection and rotation plan designed to maximize quality and quantity of food production during the short Alaska growing season. Training and facility development centered on food storage and preservation will allow summer and fall harvests to be utilized year‐round by the district. The District will develop and begin implementation of a multi‐level agriculture and nutrition curriculum that will provide students with the skills needed to become lifelong regional eaters.