REAP Food Group
What is Farm to School?
Farm to School is a movement that promotes the use of locally-grown foods in schools through education, school gardens, and local procurement.
REAP F2S brings together schools, farmers, students, and community partners to spark ideas, pilot solutions, and strengthen Wisconsin’s local food system. As connectors, collaborators, and project managers, we work to identify and address the challenges that make it harder to serve fresh, local food in schools.
Spotlight On Local Food Education
Support REAP as we work to bring the local food system, including farmers, chefs, and local food businesses, to the classroom.
What Does Farm to School (F2S) Do?
INNOVATION GRANT - This cross-regional collaboration connects culinary students with school nutrition programs through a paid school food traineeship. The project, supported by the Lake Michigan School Food System Innovation Hub, aims to both strengthen the culinary and labor capacity of school kitchens while showcasing the meaningful career opportunities in school nutrition available to culinary students. Our collaborators on the project are Wello, Madison College, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Rooted, and Seasonal Harvest, and Monona Grove, Madison, and DePere school nutrition programs,
NIFA - In 2023, REAP received a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (FALSP) Grant, with the guiding idea that to create a more equitable food system, youth need more education on food systems and in particular, food justice. Three MMSD high school educators participated in the two-year project, collaborating with REAP to create experiential learning experiences for students, including speaker visits and field trips with leaders in the local food system and a pilot internship program. The grant concluded with the project team co-hosting the Nourishing Minds, Sustaining Futures Summit, in partnership with ECO Madison, gathering leaders and members of the community to discuss food, nature, and wellness for a resilient world.
We know that Farm to School thrives when school nutrition programs are strong. That’s why we advocate for local, state, and federal policies and support research that benefit students, farmers, and school food professionals. This includes championing Healthy School Meals for All Wisconsin, a movement to ensure free school breakfast and lunch for every student across the state.
We coordinate the twice-monthly service of Wisconsin- or regionally-grown snacks, like apples, carrots, and kohlrabi, for students to enjoy through elementary schools participating in Madison Metropolitan School District’s (MMSD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.
We create and share tools to help educators, school nutrition professionals, and community partners bring Farm to School to life. We also know collaboration is key to advancing Farm to School, so be sure to check out our partners and their resources.
REAP RESOURCES
- Vegetable Video Shorts
- Cucumbers | Peppers | Leafy Greens | Corn
- Harvest of the Month Virtual Farm Tour Recordings
- REAP Wholesale Ready Resources for Farmers & Institutions
COLLABORATORS
Explore the reports and stories that highlight our work and the impact of Farm to School in Wisconsin.
RESEARCH & REPORTS
ARTICLES
- Midwest Farm Report - Allison Pfaff Harris
- City Cast Podcast - Allison Pfaff Harris
- Madison Locally Sourced - Allison Pfaff Harris
- Madison school lunches could get fresher, rely on more raw ingredients - The Cap Times
- Madison students and parents can look forward to improved school meals - Madison Magazine
Project Spotlight
NIFA: Nourishing Minds, Sustaining Futures Summit Reflection
“The summit was an opportunity to celebrate and share about the last two years of the grant. While the educators have connected over Zoom, this summit, both the planning of and the day-of event, brought them together to celebrate their partnership. They were able to share about their work, both through and outside of the grant, inspiring others at the summit to think about educational opportunities available to students outside the physical walls of their schools.”
– Allison Pfaff Harris, REAP F2S Director