S.D. Farm to School Update- August 2025
Recap of the SD Farm to School Listening Sessions
S.D. Farm to School has been actively working on developing a series of projects and programs to increase an awareness of Farm to School and foster relationships between the key players of Farm to School.
The first step in this process was to recognize the issues Farm to School faces. Five root causes were discussed and identified during an April 11th Root Cause Analysis Focus Group meeting in Sioux Falls.
The five main issues promised were:
- We prioritize cheapness, convenience, and profitability.
- Farm to School is seen as “high risk” for both the farm and the school.
- The connection between food, nutrition, behavior, and academic performance is not widely apparent, especially among parents, school administrators, or decision makers.
- Farmers growing and raising food for South Dakotans are stigmatized and undervalued.
- School sports are a dominant cultural priority worthy of significant community and financial investment.
Using these five root causes Farm to School organized two listening sessions to gain insight how Farm to School could address the issues and promote a successful Farm to School program in SD. The sessions were held July 8th in Sioux Falls at SDSU Extension and July 22nd in Rapid City at RockValley Farms. A huge thank you to the hosts!
The sessions had about 30 participants between the two sites. The root causes were discussed and participants were given the opportunity to brainstorm and discuss possible options for each issue. Ideas were placed on posters through out the meeting room and collected.
Many ideas and suggestions were collected. The Core Team will discuss each idea, consolidate ideas and look for possible projects or promotions to address and overcome the underlying issues Farm to School is facing. The goal of this project is to create a more effective S.D. Farm to School program and meet the needs of the producer, school and most importantly the student.