It’s that time of year again. Kids are shaking off the summer dust and embarking on a new school year. Parents are deciding whether to spend their mornings packing lunches or to point their kids to the school cafeteria. Of course, the kids’ reaction to that decision depends heavily on one essential factor: Just how good is the school’s food?
In this video, you’ll hear from Kristin Hilleman, Director II of Food and Nutrition Services for Capistrano Unified School District in Southern California. After receiving a letter from one student asking why their cafeteria didn’t offer organic options, Hilleman decided to investigate how hard it would be to source 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 fifth-generation CCOF-certified organic farmer whose family has grown oranges in Orange County, California, 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, there are cascading positive effects. Students eat healthy food that supports their learning, farmers gain access to an important market opportunity, and more dollars stay circulating in local communities instead of being funneled away from the state through national supply chains.
Why CCOF Supports 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,’” says 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” that awards millions in grant funding to Farm to School projects across California.
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.
Want to Connect Your School with Organic Farmers?
Kids need healthy food to learn, grow, and thrive. In fact, for many students, school meals are the most dependable source of nutritious food. You can help your school district make the decision to serve nutrient-rich, organic ingredients.
Are you a school administrator?
- Visit the CDFA Farm to School grant page to sign up for grant updates and apply when grants open.
- Find local organic farms in your area with CCOF’s directory.
Do you have a child currently in school?
- Post this video in parent forums.
- Ask your kids’ school about sourcing at least one organic ingredient from a local farmer!
Want to eat more organic food at home?
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 directory 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
Step 4: Browse the highlighted products, services, or crops in the left-hand menu
Step 5: Click “Learn More” on any listing that interests you
Step 6: Get in touch and choose organic!
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