The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program helps child nutrition program operators incorporate local foods in the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program and all associated programs. In addition, USDA staff work with tribal communities by promoting food sovereignty and the integration of traditional foodways into tribal meal programs.

For over 20 years, schools across the nation have embraced farm to school efforts to bring local foods into the child nutrition programs and to teach children about where their food comes from. Farm to school programs serve healthy meals, improve child nutrition, provide agricultural education opportunities, and help students establish a positive relationship with food.

These free resources from various farm to school stakeholders cover a variety of topics, such as building your farm to school team, promoting your farm to school program, native/traditional food resources, and more.

The Farm to School Planning Toolkit guides you though questions to consider and helpful resources to reference when starting or growing a farm to school program. It is designed for use by schools, school districts, and community partners. The toolkit is filled with tips and examples, insights from others, and lists of resources for further research. Each school district is unique, so browse the topics to find the resources most relevant to you and your implementation team!

The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Team offers over factsheets on a variety of topics, ranging from school gardening to local meat.

The Dirt is the monthly e-newsletter of the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program. Stay up to date with the latest information on webinars, program related news, grant funding announcements, and farm-to-school activities going on near you.

Farm to ECE programs are an innovative evidence-based approach that give young children increased exposure and access to local produce, opportunities to learn about nutrition and agriculture, and hands-on learning through gardening. The purpose of this tool is to support you and your network (see “Glossary” far right tab) in whatever stage you are with implementing Farm to ECE programming in your state. ASPHN wants you to use it to glean ideas and use resources to help identify the technical assistance (TA) from ASPHN and other entities you want. This tool may help you assess what your efforts have achieved so far, and the directions you might plan next. Utilizing this tool will identify concrete strategies or activities for a future action plan.

Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) are the hub of child care information in your area. ELRCs provide you and your family with information on quality child care and personalized child care referrals to child care providers based on your specific needs or preferences. ELRCs also administer the Child Care Works subsidized child care program. If you have child care questions and needs, contact the ELRC for your local area or call the Child Care Works Helpline at 1-877-4-PA-KIDS.

Go NAPSACC enhances state-level efforts to foster early care and education (ECE) environments that promote children’s well-being through tailored support for ECE programs and consultants and an online suite of tools and resources.