Celebrate Kansas School Lunch Week
January 28- February 1, 2019
SNA-KS celebrates Kansas School Lunch Week each year with this reoccurring theme now. Promoting Kansas and local foods is a sustainable plan for many years. SNA-KS and KSDE support a joint effort to promote Agriculture products from Kansas.
Farm to School brings healthy food from local farms to school children nationwide. The program teaches students about the path from farm to fork, and instills healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. At the same time, use of local produce in school meals and educational activities provides a new direct market for farmers in the area and mitigates environmental impacts of transporting food long distances.
Kansas has a rich agricultural history and a promising future, and school nutrition programs are encouraged to celebrate this heritage each January during Kansas School Lunch Week!
Remember, local is defined by each district. To help find local menu items, consider Dairies, Bakeries, Mills, Orchards, Farms, Markets, Lockers, School Gardens, current Vendors, FFA, and School Gardens as sources. In addition, a Local Food Sourcing Guide has been developed to assist in adding local foods in menus. Contact Barb Depew, Farm to Plate Director, at bdepew@ksde.org for a copy.
RESOURCES
♦ USDA, Farm to School Website. This website provides current information on procurement policies, resources, grants, webinars, success stories, best practices, and implementation tools.
♦ Farmers Markets. This website provides you with a local directory of Farmers Markets.
♦ The National Farm to School Network offers resources to help you get started.
♦ Farm to School and Farm to Preschool Fact Sheets
♦ Guidelines and Resources for Kansas sponsors
♦ Farm to Plate Talking Points
♦ FY 2019 Farm to School Grant
Let’s Get Started and Share Your Celebration
There are plenty of ways to keep the excitement alive:
- Take photos of your celebrations, your staff and your special meals during KSLW. Include the images and stories in your school’s newsletter, social media, or website.
- Post photos in the hallways, on bulletin boards, and in your cafeteria.
- Survey your students about their favorite special meals and KSLW events. Share your results with parents, teachers and the community.
- Get excited for KSLW 2019!