Wolsey-Washington School 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: Wolsey‐Wessington Public School District’s farm to school project will benefit 310 students in a rural and remote school district in central South Dakota. Forty-nine percent of our students are overweight or obese according to the 2012 SD Health Data, and over 44% receive free or reduced lunch. The district has no experience in local food procurement but is anxious to begin the process. Though the district has taken steps to improve the nutrition in the food program by providing a daily salad bar and serving whole grain bread, this project will improve the quality of our food by incorporating local products, and will also provide teachable moments that will help educate our students about nutrition and the origin of their food.