About Our Work

2019 - 2021 Farm to School Coalition of NC Report

Our schools, food systems, and communities have been challenged on numerous fronts over the last few years. We want to acknowledge those challenges and the extraordinary response made by so many to pull together collective action and continue to support farm to school efforts. This report highlights some amazing success stories across our state that have provided a beacon of hope. 

The Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina is committed to bringing communities together through farm to school efforts and ensuring all students, farmers, school staff, and families have the opportunity to participate. Farm to school provides vital connections for local agriculture, schools, and partners and numerous benefits for students, educators, farmers, families, and communities.

• 2019 - 2021 Farm to School Coalition of NC Report

Strategic Plan

​Many partners throughout North Carolina helped in the development of this strategic plan which was released in 2015. The plan includes an introduction, vision, and mission, what farm to school in NC looks like, goals, how you can get involved, and a history of the Coalition.

North Carolina schools educate nearly 1.5 million students annually. Children spend nearly half their waking hours and consume more than half of their daily food at school. Because of this, schools are the optimum location to help students learn to make healthy choices that will last a lifetime. Through access to nutritious local foods and education, we can improve the health of children while creating strong local economies and engaged communities.

• Farm to School Strategic Plan

Mission

The Farm to School Coalition of NC is dedicated to connecting local agriculture and schools, engaging with students and communities, and advancing a more equitable and just food system.

Vision

We envision a farm to school effort in every North Carolina county, whereby everyone connected with the school community has knowledge of and equitable access to locally produced, nutritious food, resulting in healthier communities and economies.

Values

As a collective, we value: 

Community

• Support equitable work that benefits all peoples and communities
• Employ honest, open, and trusting connections between individuals and organizations
• Promote sustainable School Nutrition Programs
• Advocate for viable market opportunities for farmers to engage in farm to school

Education

• Cultivate experiential education and opportunities for all students
• Foster learning opportunities and resources for all those supporting farm to school

Engagement

• Share learned lessons and success
• Expand and enhance farm to school across North Carolina

Guiding Principles

Together we strive to:

• Increase the consumption of locally-grown healthy food by our students
• Increase locally-grown healthy food education and opportunities for students & those who support them
• Increase access to the components of farm to school
• Increase farm to school market access for all farmers to strengthen networks and build relationships
• Coordinate and collaborate on farm to school efforts
• Respect multiple approaches
• Communicate clearly and openly
• Address gaps and avoid duplication in farm to school programming
• Share farm to school best practices, stories, and data
• Root our work in racial equity practices

Coalition Goals

Goal 1: Grow the Network

Encourage networking and relationship building among farm to school stakeholders.

Building relationships, as well as sharing resources between various types of stakeholders, increase our ability to draw upon a wealth of expertise with multi-level strategies. Effective network development will ensure that knowledge and best practices are carried forward as the movement grows, facilitating collaborative efforts to reduce barriers while developing creative, multi-partnered solutions.

Goal 2: Develop and Share Resources

Support and encourage resource development and capacity building for farm to school in North Carolina.

School administrators, teachers, students, nutrition professionals, and health/wellness professionals, along with families, farmers, and community partners each have an important role in building capacity for and establishing a sustainable farm to school program. All of these groups can advocate for funding, resources, programming, practices, and policies in support of farm to school.

Goal 3: Assess the Impact

Stakeholders and partners will strengthen data collection and identification of common measures to demonstrate the impact of farm to school in North Carolina.

Systematic data collection, analysis and evaluation facilitates the design and implementation of effective farm to school programming and substantiates its impact. Furthermore, a community-based participatory approach to data gathering and translation will add to the relevance and reach of data-driven practices while telling the story of farm to school efforts across North Carolina.

Goal 4: Increase Awareness

Increase awareness and understanding of farm to school benefits and successes in North Carolina.

Increasing awareness and understanding of farm to school reinvigorates community interest in schools, local food, and farming. By better understanding where stakeholders can connect to the movement, we hope to increase their engagement, expand their access to resources and funding, and develop beneficial policies and practices together to advance farm to school across the state. Engagement in farm to school will lead to strong local economies and improved consumption of healthy, local produce.

Goal 5: Develop the Coalition

Develop a sustainable Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina that serves the statewide movement.

North Carolina is a leader in grassroots farm to school efforts. However, those grassroots efforts are often left without a larger community of resources, information and organization. A staffed, sustainable coalition can serve as a centralized resource, connecting and supporting efforts across the state. Facilitating communication and sharing resources will enhance and expand current efforts. A coalition can also support shared measures and communicate the real impact of farm to school on North Carolina’s economy, agriculture, schools and communities, elevating the work of leaders across the state.