Farm To School Programs
Watch the latest video from CCOF featuring stories from a school food leader and an organic farmer working to get healthy, organic food into the cafeteria. You’ll hear from Kristin Hilleman, Director II of Food and Nutrition Services for Capistrano Unified School District in Southern California, as she describes the path her district took to sourcing fresh organic food from farmers. What she discovered surprised her: buying local organic food was far more achievable—and affordable—than she assumed.
You’ll also hear from Anna Nakamura Knight, a 5th generation CCOF-certified organic farmer whose family has grown oranges in Orange County for over 140 years. Today, she sells oranges to K-12 school districts, and the kids love them.
When a school buys lunch ingredients from their local organic farmers students are served healthy food that supports their learning, farmers gain access to an important market opportunity, and more food dollars stay circulating in local communities instead of leaving the state through national supply chains.
Why CCOF cares so much about Farm to School Programs
“I had a farmer call me and say, ‘I’m watching the big Sysco truck pull up to the school right now, but I can’t figure out how to give them my crops that are grown literally in the lot next-door to that school,’” recalls CCOF Policy Manager Laetitia Benador.
That challenge is exactly why CCOF has worked closely with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to make the connection between schools and organic producers. CDFA offers a “CA Farm to School Incubator Grant Program” (F2S) that awards millions in grant funding to farm to school projects across the state. Out of the 60 producers funded through the 2023–24 CDFA Farm to School Grants, 28 percent were CCOF clients. That’s a lot of CCOF-certified food headed to hungry kids.
CCOF is now sponsoring AB 1731, the California Healthy Food Procurement Fund Program, which builds on CDFA’s Farm to School Program to help connect California schools with California farmers through a statewide procurement structure.
Why schools choose to source organic foods
Kids come to school to learn and grow—and healthy food can support them in their journey. For many students, school meals are the most dependable source of nutritious food. School districts can make the decision to serve nutrient-rich, organic ingredients grown without synthetic pesticides.
By supporting local organic farmers, schools can also support children’s health beyond the plate. A California Department of Public Health study found that children attending schools in pesticide-heavy agricultural counties faced elevated exposure risks from harmful pesticides associated with cancer and other serious health problems. Organic farms do not spray synthetic pesticides on their crops, which leads to cleaner air and water for everyone living in the community.
Ready to connect your school with organic farmers?
Schools: Visite el CDFA Farm to School grant page to sign up for grant updates and apply when grants open.
Families: Ask your kids’ school about sourcing at least one organic ingredient from a local farmer!
Everyone: Start by contacting local organic farmers in your area. CCOF’s directory makes it easy to connect with certified organic operations across the U.S.
Learn how to use our directorio and start discovering quality organic producers in your area:
Step 1: Visit www.ccof.org/GetOrganic
Step 2: Search by service, crop, or location—you can either type what you’re looking for or select from the dropdown menu
Step 3: Enter your location and select from the options on the map
Navegue por los productos, servicios o cultivos destacados en el menú de la izquierda
Step 5: Click “Learn More” on any listing that interests you
Step 6: Get in touch & choose organic!
