Implementing Farm to School Activities
School Food Service Professionals Working with Farmers

Contact Farmers in Your Community
Exploring what food items are grown in your region of the country is a valuable step to take prior to contacting farmers within the community. Consulting your local Cooperative Extension Office can help you make this determination.

Next, you’ll want to find where the farms are located within your community. When contacting farmers, be prepared to inquire about what food items that farmer produces and when those items are harvested. Below is a list of suggestions for finding those farms:

	Consult your State Departments of Education and Agriculture to inquiry if the State employs a Farm to School Coordinator to assist in finding local farms.
	Contact your State Department of Agriculture and/or local Cooperative Extension Office for a directory of local farms (e.g., Buy Fresh, Buy Local guides).
	Visit local farmers’ markets to meet with local farmers.
	Consult USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory to find farmers’ markets in your community.
	Consult the MarketMaker National Network website to find farms in your community.
	Ask a neighboring school district that is conducting their own Farm to School initiative for list of farmers they work with.
	Establish/use farmer forums to meet farmers and determine product availability.
	Consult local non-profit organizations focused on local food systems to help facilitate the connection with local farmers.

For more information on ways to connect with farms in your area, consult the Farm to School Implementation and Promotion section of the USDA Farm to School Team 2010 Summary Report and visit our Resources webpage.