Farm-to-school programs can strongly impact local economy

chicken or egg?

Here’s an article on the economic effect of Minnesota’s Farm-to-School program. The impact is substantial…

The range of economic impact in the region varied greatly depending on the schools’ level of involvement—from $20,000 if every school featured one locally grown meal per month up to $430,000 if they sourced a large amount of certain products from local farmers. The analysis concentrated on foods most easily added to school menus right away and available from local farmers: apples, beef hot dogs, cabbage, carrots, oatmeal, potatoes, sweet corn and wild rice.

I think every school should have its own farm and farmer. The farmer can grow fresh, healthy food for the school, and the farm can be an extension of the classroom.

The report referenced in the article can be found HERE.