At the end of June, the Pennsylvania Farm to School Network (PFSN) launched the year-long PA Farm to School Institute with a two-day retreat at Heritage Creek Farm, bringing together over 50 farm to school stakeholders from across the state, offering a wide array of training opportunities through specialized workshops, panel discussions and large presentations.

Training sessions were led by stakeholders from a variety of sectors including farmers, government agencies, non profits, school food service directors and even youth leaders! During the retreat, the seven selected school, district and early childhood and education program teams developed action plans to enhance farm to school programming in their communities during the upcoming school year, including starting and maintaining school gardens; serving PA-grown produce in school meals and snacks; and providing educational experiences for kids to learn about food and agriculture. Meals were catered by Hostetter Homemade, which prioritized locally sourced meat, dairy, and produce, including PA Preferred items! Thanks to a donation from Cartesian Brewing, participants were able to enjoy their dinner with locally brewed beer made with grains grown right in PA. 

The seven school teams are now hard at work finalizing and implementing their action plans for the coming school year. They will continue to work with their coaches and network with peers.

Find more information about the PA Farm to School Institute here.

Learn more about the amazing work being done at Heritage Creek Farm in this article: Heritage Creek Farm Encourages Working Hand-In-Hand with the Land, where Lauren Rosse, PA Farm to School Network Program Manager says, “Everyone should have the opportunity to learn where their food comes from. People of all ages often feel disconnected from their food sources and with more information, they are more equipped to make choices that benefit them, the planet and the farmers who work so hard to produce the food they eat. Teaching kids about agriculture helps them build healthy habits and form connections to farming that will last into adulthood.”

Thank you to our sponsors!

This opportunity is provided by The Pennsylvania Farm to School Network, coordinated by The Food Trust with funding from United Healthcare, Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Special thanks to PA Preferred and the Foodshed Mapping Project for sponsoring the PA Farm to School Institute and providing funds to enhance the experience of the participants:

• PA Preferred® is Pennsylvania’s statewide branding program for locally produced food and other agricultural products. PA Preferred provides farmers and agribusinesses with a brand identity for the products they grow, harvest, or produce, creating opportunities for Pennsylvanians to easily identify and purchase locally grown and processed items. When buying PA Preferred, consumers are assured they are directly supporting Pennsylvania farmers and building a stronger local economy. Learn more about the PA Preferred program at papreferred.com.
• The Foodshed Mapping Project is an ongoing, collaborative effort led by Pasa Sustainable Agriculture in partnership with agencies, organizations, and business partners throughout the state to map key players in the Pennsylvania food system—in order to begin to address common issues around food access, farmer needs, and emergency response. Learn more about the Foodshed Mapping Project at Foodshedmap.com

A huge thank you to the following folks and organizations who helped make the retreat experience enjoyable for everyone:

• Cindi Hughes, Owner and Director, Heritage Creek Farm Camp 
• Coffee from Copper Cup
• Tea from Lancaster Farmacy 
• Milk from Penn View Farm 
• Photographer: Timothy Lebo 
• Musician: Jesse Barki