Annual Louisiana Farm to School Conference

2022 Louisiana Farm to School Gathering

Join Seeds to Success: The Louisiana Farm to School program for the sixth annual farm to school conference in Baton Rouge on September 28th.

The Louisiana Farm to School Gathering will take place at Pennington Biomedical Convention Center from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm on September 28, 2022. The event will gather farm to school stakeholders, working from across the state to grow locally sourced meals and snacks, garden spaces, and healthy food and agriculture literacy in Louisiana.

The event is for all people who desire to increase access to local food and food education in their school communities. Whether you desire to start a school garden and do not know where to start, or are a seasoned advocate of local food procurement, this event is for you. Attendees can attend in-person sessions guided by farm to school champions across the state. Sessions will focus on implementing farm to school, farm to school education, agri-tourism, early childhood education, school gardens, cooking in the classroom, and taste tests. In addition, the gathering will feature a venue for networking, allowing both exhibitors and attendees the opportunity to meet in a relaxed face-to-face environment and establish lasting relationships.

Register today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-louisiana-farm-to-school-gathering-registration-372181273207

2020 Louisiana Farm to School Conference

Check out our interactive Conference Program: Using the “Virtually Everywhere” Conference Program’s table of contents, you can click on the day and/or a specific session. Each session is broken down into a link to watch the recording, description of the session, speakers and their contact information, and resources to further your conference experience! The resources for each session include websites, activities you can do from home, more information on farm to school, and how you can get involved in your community food system.

Keynote & COVID-19

Welcome Address & Keynote

Join us as we kicked off the 2020 Louisiana Farm to School “Virtually Everywhere” Conference with a welcome from our local and national partners who share our passion and dedication for moving farm to school forward in Louisiana.

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COVID-19 & Farm to School

When the COVID-19 emergency closed schools across Louisiana, child nutrition programs responded by instantly pivoting their practices to ensure children and families continued to have access to nutritious food. This session will showcase Child Nutrition Program Directors from two districts. Participants will identify strategies to incorporate farm to school practices and local foods in school nutrition programs during public health emergencies and natural disasters.

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Watch the Full Day:

Local Procurement & School Gardens

A Story of Local Procurement

We will discuss a basic overview of procurement principles and regulations as they relate to Louisiana and identify areas of flexibility to target local products. Celeste Finney will share her story of local procurement in Lafayette with Lester Williams (Farmer) and Crystal Besse (Louisiana Farm to School Program). This session will explain how a child nutrition director begins buying from a local farmer, the farm tour process, what to look for, and the procurement process.

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Farm to School Garden Sustainability

Learn how to start and maintain a successful school garden from three non-profits through generating buy-in, building a team, finding funding and support, gaining growing know-how, and using your garden to involve students. Also learn how to use and maintain your gardens during a pandemic!

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Harvest of the Month Taste Test

Sweet potatoes are in season! Let’s highlight them this week with a lunch prep featuring local sweet potatoes and Louisiana Harvest of the Month. The taste test will showcase how to make Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas and will include tips and tricks on prepping and cooking Louisiana sweet potatoes. Get your local ingredients together and join us in a healthy lunch as we learn more about this wonderful root!

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Watch the Full Day

Farm to School at Home & Success Stories

Farm to School Education at Home

With COVID-19, many schools have gone partially or fully virtual this school year. In this session, you’ll learn about the farm to school resources and activities available for education at home! Thus, helping to ensure that even from home, agriculture is incorporated into the classroom.

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Farm to School Success Stories

Are you considering incorporating farm to school in your area but are not sure what to do? This session will highlight how others around the state have gotten involved to share some inspiration and motivation to get you started!

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Watch the Full Day

LA Heritage & The Food System

Louisiana Heritage in the Cafeteria

In this session, we’ll discuss the importance of carrying on our Louisiana culture through our cuisine and explore the practical ways to select and incorporate foods that reflect Louisiana heritage in the cafeteria.

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Farm to School in the Food System

This session will be about the role of Farm to School in the Food System and show how different parts of the food system affect others.

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Harvest of the Month Taste Test

Broccoli is in season! Let’s highlight it this week with a lunch prep featuring local broccoli and Louisiana Harvest of the Month. The taste test will showcase how to make roasted broccoli and will include tips and tricks on cooking, storing, and growing this cold season crop. Get your local ingredients together and join us in a healthy lunch!

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Watch the Full Day