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Minnesota launches Farm to Kids Network, releases first annual report highlighting local food reach
Summary
Minnesota Department of Agriculture and partner organizations launched the Farm to Kids Network and Farm to Kids Alliance, unveiled the program’s first annual report noting hundreds of thousands reached and millions spent on local food, and invited practitioners to join the statewide network and Alliance.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and partner organizations on a recorded virtual meeting introduced the Farm to Kids Network and the Minnesota Farm to Kids Alliance and released the program’s first annual report.
Kate Sebold, the Farm to Institution Coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, said the Alliance will provide statewide coordination and leadership for farm-to-school and farm-to-early-care efforts while the Network offers an open community for practitioners, farmers and supporters. She encouraged attendees to join via an online form and said an email with the registration link would be sent after the meeting.
The annual report highlights several measures of program activity. Sebold reported that more than 200,000 youth and adults participated in the 2024 Apple Crunch event and that 114 school districts completed 2023 Farm to School grants, collectively buying $3,370,000 in local food from more than 500 Minnesota producers. The report also noted 496 Minnesotans signed a petition supporting the state Farm to School and Early Care Grant Program.
Jamie Anderson of the Minnesota Department of Education described the Minnesota Farm to School Institute, a yearlong professional learning program that pairs selected school teams with coaches and includes a kickoff retreat at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Anderson said participating teams leave the Institute with an action plan to implement the following school year.
Anderson and other presenters urged practitioners, school food-service staff, farmers and early-care providers to use the Network to connect, learn about funding opportunities and share stories that can be used in outreach to legislators.
The Alliance and Network materials, the annual report, and the online registration form were described as available on partner websites (Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Minnesota Department of Education, and Minnesota Ag in the Classroom) and will be posted in the meeting chat. Sebold said the Farm to Kids strategic plan (released in 2024) guided formation of the Alliance and Network and established priorities through 2030.
The meeting closed after a brief question-and-answer period with no formal votes taken. Presenters offered to distribute links and resources after the session and to stay on the call for individual follow-up questions.
