Local Food in Schools

Growing Minds connects farmers, distributors, and school food leaders to ensure students have access to healthy local food. Over the years, we have developed tried-and-true resources for bringing local food into cafeterias and engaging students in making healthy eating choices. Serving local food in school cafeterias can sometimes be a daunting task. We encourage schools to start where they can, such as featuring one local product a month.

Get Local @ School

ASAP’s Get Local @ School calendar was designed to feature local products that can be sourced at the cost and volumes appropriate for schools. At the same time, these items are also affordable and easy for families in our region to find at tailgate markets and grocery stores.

Get Local @ School Materials (including menu templates, recipe cards, stickers, and more) are available to teachers and Child Nutrition Directors in the Appalachian Grown region that are currently purchasing local products.

Create a Listing in ASAP’s Local Food Guide

Is your school system or child care center currently sourcing food from local farms? Would you like to source more locally grown/raised food? School systems, child care centers, and educational institutions located in ASAP’s 60-county Appalachian Grown region can create a free institutional listing in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide. Being listed in ASAP’s Local Food Guide will help you connect with local family farms who need buyers for their products, while also recognizing the important work your school is doing to support local food systems and connect children to local food and farms.

Ready to get in the guide? The 30-minute video below will walk you through the steps of creating a Local Food Guide listing for your institution. Create your free Local Food Guide listing here. Contact us for assistance

What you can do

Educational Resources

Subscribe Now

Are you interested in receiving our Farm to School Monthly newsletter? Receive lesson plans, teaching resources, and more, delivered to your inbox each month. You can also sign up for ASAP's other newsletters.