S.D. Farm to School Update- Feb. 2025
Farm to School Conferences were held Jan. 20th in Huron and Feb. 17th in Rapid City.
S.D. Farm to School is a vibrant program that works toward bridging schools to agriculture through agriculture education, communication, and promoting the purchase of local foods to be served in South Dakota schools.
Farm to School recently held two conferences to bring schools and producers together. The conferences were Jan. 20, 2025 in Huron and Feb. 17, 2025 in Rapid City. Conference attendees learned about how school nutrition professionals planned a meal, how producers can market to school districts and food safety. A fun fact when planning a school meal is the plate must contain three green vegetables.
SDSPA members Michelle and Rick Grosek, of Bear Butte Gardens, presented a session on selling to schools. The Groseks have been participating in the Farm to School program for a number of years and often visit classrooms to teach the students where their food comes from.
The purpose of the Farm to School conference and program is to create awareness in children on where their food comes from and to create local partnerships between agriculture producers and school food service. The conferences had built in networking time to foster these relationships. Many connections were made making the conference a success.