At Sustainable Food Center, we believe in creating sustainable avenues for communities to equitably and reliably access local food. Our Farm to School work helps communities and schools gain access to nutritious and culturally significant food through solutions that strengthen local, sustainable food systems.

Transform School Meals with Local Food

With support from SFC and our partners, schools and other public institutions can play a leading role in creating a more equitable and just food system.

Our Farm to School program increases local food purchasing, redirects public dollars to local economies, and improves student nutrition. Through initiatives like Market Matchmaking and the Farm to School Learning Collaborative, we provide wholesale training for small-scale farmers and facilitate connections between farmers and institutional buyers to expand local sourcing.

Why Farm to School Matters

According to Feeding Texas, 1 in 5 Texas children experiences hunger. Consistent access to nutritious food in schools is associated with both reduced school meal disparities and improved academic performance. Making local, nutritious food available in schools creates positive change by fostering a more equitable environment for students experiencing food insecurity and providing all students with a hands-on experience in local food systems.

Our work with schools creates a virtuous cycle. School districts buy from local farmers, supporting small-scale producers’ livelihoods and sustainable food production. This strengthens the local economy and regional food systems while also increasing food access and supporting better health outcomes for students.

Building Buyer-Supplier Relationships with Local Schools

Our Farm to School Program Works on These Principles

Supporting Farmers for Sustainable Growth

We help farmers to strengthen their business model and expand production sustainably to support wholesale supply to institutional buyers. Our Farm to School work benefits farmers, families, and local economies. We support food buyers in driving positive change through values-driven procurement, considering local economic, labor, and environmental impacts.

Prioritizing Local Food Systems

By maintaining a focus on local producers, SFC impacts the local economy and increases the resiliency of regional food systems. Supporting local small-scale farming diversifies Texas’ produce and often encourages the use of regenerative farming practices, ensuring land vitality for generations to come.

Ensuring Food Access for All

SFC is dedicated to ensuring all Texans have access to fresh, nutritious food. Through our work with schools, we facilitate the delivery of fresh fruit, vegetables, and local proteins to the plates of thousands of young Texans, promoting the health of growing bodies and young minds.

“It is important to have local, fresh produce in our cafeterias because it sparks curiosity in our students and it really makes them grow up to be conscious consumers. They also get to experience the seasonality and taste of Texas.”

—Marissa B., Dietician and Marketing Coordinator at Lake Travis ISD

Join SFC’s Farm to School Learning Collaborative

SFC’s Farm to School Learning Collective offers a platform for education and nutrition professionals to connect, share insights, and enhance local food sourcing in schools. Our collaborative sessions cover topics such as supply chain challenges and regulatory landscapes, focusing on identifying impactful small-scale changes we can make today for a better future. We provide a space to facilitate connections between school districts and buyers and suppliers to deepen relationships in our resilient food systems.

Join the Collective

Connect with our Farm to School team

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