Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program
What is Farm to School?
Farm to School is a nationwide initiative aimed at connecting schools with fresh, locally sourced food, while fostering excitement about healthy food choices among children. Although each program may vary, they typically focus on three key components: procurement (purchasing local foods for meals, snacks, and taste tests), education (activities focused on agriculture, food, health, or nutrition), and school gardens (hands-on learning through gardening). This approach benefits students by providing access to fresh local foods and teaching them about agriculture; supports farmers by creating new market opportunities; and strengthens local economies.
By reshaping food purchasing and educational practices in schools and preschools, Farm to School deepens the connection communities have with healthy food and local producers. Students not only enjoy healthy, locally grown meals but also gain valuable learning experiences through school gardens, cooking classes, and farm visits. Ultimately, Farm to School empowers families to make informed food choices, supports the local economy, and nurtures vibrant, thriving communities.
Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program
In 2016, Governor John Bel Edwards signed Act 404, directing the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry to create a farm to school program. This led to the development and launch of Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program, a partnership between the LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Department of Education Division of Nutrition Support, funded by the USDA. The program provides technical assistance to improve access to local foods in schools, organizes training and networking events, and connects farmers with school food services and distributors.
Since 2016, the farm to school movement in Louisiana has taken off! Across the state, educators, food service professionals, and growers are collaborating around farm to school to improve health outcomes for students and advance economic opportunities for farmers. According to the 2023 U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School Census, over 71% of Louisiana school food authorities report their schools and/or districts are participating in farm to school programming, impacting roughly 714,692 students. Already, 49.1% of Child Nutrition Programs 7 invest in local economies through local food purchasing for the National School Lunch Program statewide.
We here at Seeds to Success believe farm to school programs should be an integral and fundamental component of strong local and regional food systems. Our hope is to empower communities to transform our food systems through local food sourcing and nutrition and agriculture education in Louisiana school systems.
Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program continuously strives to ensure that our programming evolves and expands to meet the ever-changing needs of Louisianans, both young and young at heart. We aim to provide timely farm to school resources that will support the continued growth of Louisiana’s farm to school movement and increase healthy food choices and educational opportunities that connect schools with farms and communities in Louisiana.
Seeding LA (formerly Seeds to Success)
Seeding LA aims to support farm to school programs and school gardens while increasing Louisiana youth’s knowledge and awareness of fresh, local food, because we know our relationship with food transforms when we can experience it unfolding, from seed to plate.
Seeding LA features a carefully curated resource library for Louisiana students, parents, and teachers to find fun and educational materials related to agriculture and nutrition both at school and at home. The goal of Seeding LA is provide users a way to find all they may need to know about how to grow Louisiana’s native fruits and vegetables, how to apply those skills to learning, and how to turn those interests potentially into a budding career!
Harvest of the Month
If you are looking for a way to engage your school or the community, the Louisiana Harvest of the Month program is a great complement to Seeding LA and other farm to school activities you may currently offer.
Louisiana Harvest of the Month, an initiative of Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School Program, can easily be used to help launch or expand your farm to school programming. It provides an easy-to-follow framework of ready-to-use materials and showcases locally grown foods each month through beautifully designed marketing materials such as posters, newsletters, and coloring sheets.
Upon registration, participating sites will be signed up to receive a complimentary Harvest of the Month kit. Each kit contains a set of twelve Harvest of the Month posters as well as guides, stickers, and additional resources. In addition to receiving a Harvest of the Month kit in the mail, participation sites will also have digital access to all materials as well as access to workshops, professional development opportunities, and technical support. Register Here for the Louisiana Harvest of the Month program. \
Stay Connected with Seeds to Success
Subscribe to our Monthly Newsletter to stay informed about our programs, news and events. Simply scroll to the bottom of this page or any other page on our website to sign-up!
Like and follow the Louisiana Farm to School Program on Facebook to see how farm to school programming is spreading across the state!
Join the Seeds to Success Facebook group to connect with fellow Louisiana gardeners and teachers in an open, interactive forum. Ask and answer gardening questions, exchange tips on lesson plans and activities, and share valuable resources.