‘Bringing the Farm to School’ Producer Training Focuses on Increasing Local Food Sales
Farmers, ranchers and local food processors can learn strategies for growing and selling their products to school districts through the upcoming webinar series ‘Bringing the Farm to School: Local Producer Training’, hosted by the South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA).
“When area farmers sell their products to schools, everyone wins,” said Malisa Niles, SDSPA Farm to School Contractor. “Farmers have a reliable market, dollars get recirculated in the community, and, most important, students get to enjoy local, fresh, nutritious, and delicious food.”
Niles will lead producers through a series of lessons designed and tested by the National Farm to School organization. Each weekly lesson will assist the producer in understanding and navigating planning, producing and selling to schools.
Register for any of the six training webinars of interest, which are scheduled on Tuesdays from 10-11:30 a.m. beginning Feb. 24, 2026.
Training sessions include:
- Feb 24: Power of Farm to School (Register)
- March 3: Getting to Know School Markets (Register)
- March 10: Selling to School Markets (Register)
- March 17: Product Development (Register)
- March 24: Growing for Schools (Register)
- March 31: Developing a Plan of Action (Register)
Schools offer a strong market opportunity for local producers. According to a USDA Farm to School Census, farm to school is growing in South Dakota. Local food and agricultural education activities showing up in the cafeteria, the classroom, and gardens was reported in 268 schools across the state. There are 188 school food services authorities (SFAs) in the state, and 49.5% of these reported serving local food in school meals.
Across the country, SFAs report serving higher quality foods in school meals and increased student consumption of fruits and vegetables as outcomes of engaging in farm to school.
This program is funded under a Conservation Collaboration Cooperative Agreement NR226740XXXXC008 between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and South Dakota Specialty Producers Association (SDSPA), to promote sustainable agriculture practices and environmental stewardship. In addition the training materials were funded in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service through an agreement with the National Center for Appropriate Technology in partnership with the National Farm to School Network. Program contents are solely the responsibility of the presenters and authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA or NRCS.
Please contact Malisa Niles, at sdspa.urbanag@gmail.com with questions.