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Farm to School

What is Farm to School?

REAP F2S brings together schools, farmers, students, and community partners to spark ideas, pilot solutions, and strengthen Wisconsin’s local food system. As connectors, collaborators, and project managers, we work to identify and address the needs and challenges to move Wisconsin Farm to School forward.

Farm to School (F2S) is a movement that connects students to locally grown foods through school meals, snacks, taste tests, school gardens, and educational activities.

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Project Spotlight

inspiring the Next Generation of School Food Professionals

Two people making food in a school kitchen

“What happens when culinary students get a chance to step into a school kitchen? They discover that school nutrition is a rewarding career.”

– Allison Pfaff Harris, Farm to School Director

Through paid school nutrition internships, REAP and partners across Wisconsin connect culinary students with school nutrition programs for hands-on experience in the kitchen. Students learn alongside school nutrition professionals while getting a closer look at the creativity, skill, and purpose behind serving meals to students every day. The goal is twofold: support school kitchens today and inspire the school food professionals of tomorrow.

What Does Farm to School (F2S) Do?

Healthy School Meals for All

Every kid deserves to eat without worry. That's the idea behind Healthy School Meals for All Wisconsin, a growing movement to make breakfast and lunch free for every K-12 student in the state, no different than textbooks or library books.

When kids have consistent access to school meals, they show up ready to learn. They engage more in class, perform better on tests, and have fewer behavioral issues. And the benefits reach beyond the classroom: healthy school meals for all reduces stigma, puts every student on equal footing, saves families time and money, and strengthens Wisconsin's workforce, farmers, and local food economy.

We're proud to be part of the leadership team for the HSM4A Wisconsin Coalition, a coalition of individuals, schools, districts, and organizations working to make this a reality. Join us. Take action or learn more about the movement.

In-Classroom

REAP is launching a brand new Farm to School Classroom Education Program, bringing hands-on cooking and garden-based lessons straight into Madison Metropolitan School District classrooms. Using a mobile kitchen unit, students will get to cook, taste, and explore local, seasonal, and cultural foods with the same farmers and ingredients that show up in their school snacks.
Our goal is simple: help kids build real connections to food and the farmers who grow it. Thank you to Sub-Zero Wolf, whose support is helping us restart in classroom education.

Culinary Training

Through paid school nutrition internships, REAP and partners across Wisconsin connect culinary students with school nutrition programs for hands-on experience in the kitchen. Students learn alongside school nutrition professionals while getting a closer look at the creativity, skill, and purpose behind serving meals to students every day. The goal is twofold: support school kitchens today and inspire the next generation of school food professionals.

This project is supported by the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub, in partnership with Wello, Madison College, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Rooted, Seasonal Harvest, and school nutrition programs in Monona Grove, Madison, and De Pere.

Local School Snack Program

Every bite is a chance to build a lifelong connection to real food. Twice a month, we coordinate the delivery of fresh, Wisconsin- and regionally-grown snacks like apples, carrots, and kohlrabi to elementary schools participating in Madison Metropolitan School District's (MMSD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

For many students, this is their first taste of a vegetable straight from a local farm. By putting nutritious, seasonal food directly in kids' hands, we're introducing them to flavors they might not otherwise try and building healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. At the same time, we're creating a reliable market for the farmers who grow this food, strengthening the local farms and food economy that our communities depend on.

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    Collaborators

    We know collaboration is key to advancing Farm to School, so be sure to check out our partners and their resources.

        REAP Farm to School is built on collaboration, and we’d love to connect.

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