As defined by the National Farm To School Network: Farm to school enriches the connection communities have with nutritious, culturally appropriate food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and early care and education sites. Students gain access to local foods as well as education opportunities such as school gardens, cooking lessons and farm field trips. Farm to school empowers children and their families to make informed food choices while strengthening the local economy and contributing to vibrant communities.
Farm to school implementation differs by location but always includes one or more of the following:
- Procurement: Local foods are purchased, promoted and served in the cafeteria or as a snack or taste-test;
- School gardens: Students engage in hands-on learning through gardening; and
- Education: Students participate in education activities related to agriculture, food, health or nutrition.
Teaching students how to grow, cook, and value nourishing food is not only good for them as individuals; it is a critical investment in our collective future. Farm to School programs empower the next generation of leaders to make informed, values-based decisions about what they eat, where they shop, and how they care for the environment, directly reflecting our goals of centering equity, developing IB learner traits, and promoting earth stewardship.
Public schools currently depend on the industrial food system to feed students, yet it is increasingly clear that the way our society grows, processes, and procures food must change. The industrial food system perpetuates racial inequity, economic and health disparities, and environmental degradation, while Farm to School initiatives like ours offer tangible, school-based strategies to counter these trends by building local food literacy, strengthening community partnerships, and cultivating environmentally conscious, globally minded students. The Greenwich Public Schools community is fortunate to have New Lebanon investing in this work, and we see the potential to create a strong model for other elementary schools to follow as we continue to build this program with multiple stakeholders at the table.
Public schools across the nation are investing in Farm to School due to increased awareness that public school kitchens, cafeterias and gardens have the potential to be at the nexus of transformative systemic change in the industrial food system, while advancing equity and resilience. In 2025 the Connecticut legislator passed a policy investing millions of dollars in farm to school efforts across the state. The influx of funding expanded the state's CT Fresh Ed (CT’s Farm to School program) which seeks to bridge schools (K-12) and local farms with the objectives of: serving healthy meals in school cafeterias; improving student nutrition; providing agriculture, health, and nutrition education opportunities; and supporting local and regional farmers.
The Cornell University College of Agriculture & Life Sciences lists some of the benefit areas of gardening with children in schools which include increased nutritional awareness, academic achievement, environmental awareness, community building and social connectedness, life skills, and health and wellness. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) highlights some additional benefits and explains how gardening can be good for kids’ brains (discussing complex science topics and eating brain-building vitamins and phytonutrients), bodies (getting outside to exercise and building immunity through exposure to dirt), and souls (fostering collaboration and problem solving and creating a sense of purpose and responsibility).
