Farm to school encourages healthy lifestyles in children and helps support local economies. The Wisconsin Farm to School Toolkits for school nutrition directors and producers can help you create a successful farm to school program in your community.

These toolkits are interactive. They include a wealth of information that will help you plan your farm to school program, source locally grown fruits and vegetables in season, work out purchasing details, estimate quantities, set prices, educate students, market your program and develop strong community partnerships. The toolkits also include links to invaluable online resources.

We are in the process of making these toolkits more user friendly. If you would like to share your suggestions with us, please contact Cris Carusi: cecarusi@wisc.edu.

Wisconsin Farm to School: Toolkit for School Nutrition Directors

(Links open in new tabs. Tools are linked within each section and are also accessible individually below each section. Use the bookmarks in each PDF section to help you navigate between the text and the tools. The text of the entire toolkit, without the tools, can be found at the end of this list.)

Cover and table of contents (PDF, 3.5 MB)

Overview (PDF, 1.1 MB)

Get started (PDF, 3 MB)

• Tool: School nutrition director survey (PDF)
• Tool: Wisconsin Farm to School frequently asked questions (PDF)
• Tool: Seasonal availability of Wisconsin fruits and vegetables (PDF)
• Tool: Licensing, labeling and regulation requirements in Wisconsin (PDF)
• Tool: Food safety success story (Viroqua) (PDF)
• Tool: Urban perspectives success story (Milwaukee) (PDF)
• Tool: “Farm to School 101″ PowerPoint (PowerPoint presentation)
• Tool: Wisconsin Farm to School overview (PDF)

Locate and purchase local foods (PDF, 7.9 MB)

• Tool: Tracking document for local bids (PDF)
• Tool: Sample bid sheet with scoring (PDF)
• Tool: Sample letter to local vendor (Word document)
• Tool: Producer survey (PDF)
• Tool: Product availability and pricing (PDF)
• Tool: New vendor meeting checklist (PDF)
• Tool: Servings to pounds calculator (Excel spreadsheet)
• Tool: Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (PDF)
• Tool: Pecks to Pounds (PDF)
• Tool: Sample purchasing agreement (Word document)

Incorporate local foods (PDF, 1.6 MB)

• Tool: List of recommended kitchen equipment for light processing (PDF)
• Tool: List of recommended kitchen equipment for from-scratch cooking (PDF)
• Tool: Fresh fruit and vegetable bars: A how-to guide (PDF)
• Tool: Fresh fruit and vegetable bars: Production log (Word document)
• Tool: Harvest of the Month sample calendar (PDF)

Promote your program (PDF, 14.1 MB)

• Tool: Sample flyer—Where does your food come from? (PDF)
• Tool: Template flyer—Where does your food come from? (Word document)
• Tool: Wisconsin Farm to School logo (TIF file)
• Tool: Sample promotion letter for staff and parents (Word document)
• Tool: Sample school menus promoting local food and/or Harvest of the Month (PDF)
• Tool: Berkeley Unified School District menu (PDF)
• Tool: Youth get active with school lunch success story (Viroqua) (PDF)

Educate students (PDF, 12.2 MB)

• Tool: Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for Nutrition (PDF)
• Tool: School composting guide (PDF)
• Tool: Got Dirt? Youth garden toolkit (PDF)
• Tool: Got Veggies? Garden-based nutrition education curriculum (PDF)
• Tool: Connecting to the classroom: Guide for farm field trips (PDF)
• Tool: Food education resources (PDF)

Evaluate your work (PDF, 3.8 MB)

• Tool: Local purchasing tracking tool (Excel spreadsheet)
• Tool: Farm to school evaluation toolkit (PDF)

Build sustainability (PDF, 2 MB)

• Tool: Model wellness policy language for schools (PDF)
• Tool: Wisconsin School Board Association local purchasing policy article (PDF)

Additional resources (PDF, 865 KB)

Acknowledgements (PDF, 1.5 MB)

Printer-friendly full text without tools (PDF, 6.2 MB)

Wisconsin Farm to School Toolkit for Producers

(Links open in new tabs. Tools are linked within each section and are also accessible individually below each section. Use the bookmarks in each PDF section to help you navigate between the text and the tools. The text of the entire toolkit, without the tools, can be found at the end of this list.)

Cover and table of contents (PDF, 4.3 MB)

Overview (PDF, 3.5 MB)

• Tool: Reap the benefits article from Wisconsin School News (PDF)
• Tool: Crawford County success story (PDF)

Know your customer (PDF, 1.2 MB)

• Tool: Sample bid sheet with scoring (PDF)

Prepare your business (PDF, 7.3 MB)

• Tool: Producer survey (PDF)
• Tool: Product availability and pricing (PDF)
• Tool: Setting prices for various markets (PDF)
• Tool: Introduction to insurance considerations (PDF)
• Tool: Food safety success story (PDF)
• Tool: Licensing, labeling and regulation requirements in Wisconsin (PDF)
• Tool: Directory of food business incubators (PDF)
• Tool: Collaborative marketing (PDF)
• Tool: Distributors (PDF)

Connect with schools (PDF, 2.7 MB)

• Tool: School nutrition director survey (PDF)
• Tool: School nutrition meeting checklist (PDF)
• Tool: Pounds to servings calculator (Excel spreadsheet)
• Tool: Pecks to Pounds (PDF)
• Tool: Sample purchasing agreement (Word document)
• Tool: Sample invoice (Excel spreadsheet)

School relationships and marketing (PDF, 4.7 MB)

• Tool: Guide for farm field trips

Additional resources (PDF, 553 KB)

Acknowledgements (PDF, 522 KB)

Printer-friendly full text without tools (PDF, 5.1 MB)

These toolkits are a collaborative effort of the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Their publication was supported by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.