Farm to School – The Food Trust

Food education for the littlest learners

Farm to school connects children in preschool through eighth grade to their local food system through nutrition, food, and agriculture education, and by providing locally grown and produced items in meals, snacks, and taste tests.

Cooking Beyond the Classroom

The Food Trust works directly with 15,000 students and caregivers at schools and early care and education (ECE) sites in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, delivering nutrition education and supporting farm to school-related initiatives, such as school gardens. Additionally, The Food Trust works at the state and national level to develop and advocate for programs that support communities in carrying out farm to school activities.

The Food Trust has long had a strong commitment to and focus on improving the health of young children and believes farm to school/ECE initiatives are key. In 2004, we developed the Kindergarten Initiative — one of the nation’s first farm to school programs — and led a successful advocacy effort to enact legislation of a statewide grant program to replicate the initiative in Pennsylvania. The organization then developed the Preschool Initiative to engage younger children (3-5 years) in experiential learning through gardening, farm field trips, classroom cooking, healthy snacks and curriculum-based nutrition lessons, with outreach and support for caregivers.

“The learning is contagious because the kids get excited about fruits and vegetables with us, and then they tell their parents. Farm to ECE is great for all ages.”

—Connie Carter, Director, Smart Beginnings Early Learning Center, West Philadelphia

Spotlight Program: Cooking Beyond the Classroom

Cooking Beyond the Classroom (CBC) is an interactive, four-week Pennsylvania SNAP-Ed nutrition education program developed by The Food Trust for early elementary students (kindergarten through second grade) and their caregivers. Using hands-on family cooking workshops, CBC builds skills and confidence in preparing healthy snacks and meals, while reinforcing important MyPlate nutrition messages. Available both virtually and in-person, the program removes barriers to participation by providing all recipe ingredients in advance, creating joyful, collaborative learning experiences at home and in school. Developed as a companion to the Healthy Kindergarten Initiative, another Food Trust-authored intervention included in the SNAP-Ed toolkit, CBC strengthens healthy habits by engaging the whole family beyond the classroom setting.

Research shows that when children and caregivers cook together, families are more likely to prepare and eat healthier meals. CBC addresses critical needs by promoting fruit and vegetable consumption, basic cooking skills and best practices for trying new foods. The program fosters stronger family bonds, builds knowledge in nutrition and helps caregivers feel more excited in their role as nutrition role models for young children. Importantly, CBC also complements broader community efforts like schools gardens and farmers markets, further supporting a healthy food environment for families.

CBC participants achieved significant improvements in healthy eating behaviors. Following the four-week series:

Caregivers increased how often they served fruits and vegetables
Children become more willing to try and eat new fruits and vegetables
Families reported cooking together more frequently at home
Caregivers increased how much they enjoyed cooking with their families

These outcomes were achieved across diverse communities through adaptable, customized programming to meet family preferences and designed for sustainability.

To learn more or get in touch, contact Jessica Weller, Associate Director, at jweller@thefoodtrust.org.

Farm to School Resources

Videos: Virtual Farm Tours

Website: Pennsylvania Farm to School Network

Report: Ready Set Grow Task Force Report

Website: Online Learning Hub

Resource:
PA SNAP-Ed

Resource: Farm to School Success Stories

Resource: PA Nutrition Education Network

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. This material was partially funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the PA Department of Human Services (DHS).

Meet the Farm to School team

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