Harvest of the Month
School disricts across Wisconsin see the benefits of reconnecting with local farmers to provide some of the food for their meal programs. Depending on the amount of fresh prep. kitchen staff currently do and the availability of local food, this can either be a small or a large challenge.
A successful model for getting started with a farm-to-school program is Harvest of the Month. By choosing one locally-available item to highlight each month, schools can begin to develop purchasing relationships with local farms, test out new recipes in the kitchen, and introduce new items to students. Use the tools below to help promote Harvest of the Month items at your school:
Harvest of the Month Educator Tools:
| Month | Product | Fact Sheet | Farm Profile | Letter Template |
| September | Melons | melon fact sheet .pdf | melon letter .doc | |
| September | Tomatoes | cherry tomato fact sheet .pdf heirloom tomato fact sheet .pdf | tomato letter .doc | |
| September | Green Beans | green bean fact sheet .pdf | ||
| October | Spinach | spinach fact sheet .pdf | spinach letter .doc | |
| November | Apples | apple fact sheet .pdf | Ela Orchard .pdf Lapacek Orchard .pdf | apple letter .doc |
| December | Winter Squash | winter squash fact sheet .pdf | ||
| December | Sweet Potatoes | sweet potato fact sheet .pdf | sweet potato letter .doc | |
| January | Potatoes | potato fact sheet .pdf | potato letter .doc | |
| February | Carrots | carrot fact sheet .pdf | Tipi Produce .pdf | carrot letter .doc |
| March | Wild Rice | wild rice fact sheet .pdf | ||
| March | Yogurt | yogurt fact sheet .pdf | Sugar River Dairy .pdf | yogurt letter .doc |
| April | Cranberries | cranberry fact sheet .pdf | cranberries letter .doc | |
| May | Lettuce | lettuce fact sheet .pdf | lettuce letter .doc | |
| June | Asparagus | asparagus fact sheet .pdf | asparagus letter .doc |
Click on the links below to see how these schools are integrating Harvest of the Month in their districts.
Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District
Mount Horeb Area School District