What is Farm-to-School?
The Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program, named in honor of the late Maryland House of Delegates member Jane Lawton of Montgomery County, was created during the 2008 Session of the Maryland General Assembly when SB 158 Farm-to-School Program - Activities and Promotional Events, sponsored by Senator Jamie Raskin of Montgomery County, was signed into law by the Governor O'Malley.
Sponsored by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland State Department of Education, the Farm-to-School Program works to bring more Maryland-grown products to school lunches with the aim of educating students about where their food comes from, how it is produced, and the benefits of a healthy diet.
“Farm to School” is a term which strives to bring locally produced foods into school cafeterias; hands-on learning activities such as farm visits, producers visiting schools, school gardening, and culinary classes; and the integration of food-related education into the standards-based classroom curriculum. Farm to school includes of all types of producers and food businesses including farmers and waterman as well as food processors, manufacturers, and distributors.
Maryland Home Grown School Lunch Week will be celebrated September 24-28th for the 2018-2019 school year. Schools are encouraged to participate by hosting Farm-to-School activities at their site. Our kick-off event will be held at White Marsh Elementary this year.
You can visit the following links for ideas and resources: