Laurel School District Farm to School Program

The following description is a summary of our farm to school plan funded by a 2014 USDA Farm to School Program grant: Laurel School District Nutrition Services will develop and implement a comprehensive and sustainable farm to school program through activities that include: assessing the availability and current distribution methods of farm to school produce within a 100 mile radius from the Laurel School District; building partnerships and business relationships with local and regional farmers; partnering with our local university to provide training to local and regional farmers focusing on food safety; partnering with non-profit organizations to train school nutrition staff on advanced food safety, farm to school item preparation, efficiency, and serving line marketing; assessing and revising our existing school wellness policy to encourage the local sourcing of produce for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs and the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program; conducting recipe and menu audits to identify areas where farm to school items could be incorporated or improved; and, applying the principles of behavioral economics to all four school cafeterias to encourage students to make healthier choices.