Strengthening Communities Through Farm to School
Since 2014, the Mississippi Farm to School Network has been working to connect schools and early childcare centers with local farmers. This means more locally grown, nutrient-dense food for kids and more support for farmers in our state. These initiatives also help students learn where their food comes from and how it grows.
The Mississippi Farm to School Network is honored to have been granted $525,000 over the next three years from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. This ongoing support will help us expand Farm to School and Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE), local procurement of fresh, nutritious food to schools, and inspire students and families to discover the many benefits of eating locally grown food.
Across Mississippi, the Farm to School movement is gaining momentum as students, educators, and farmers collaborate to strengthen the connections between food, education, and community. Our Youth Leadership Cohort and School Garden Distribution programs inspire students with hands-on opportunities to learn about gardening, agriculture, and local food. Farm to School Regional Networking Meetings are also helping build strong relationships between farmers and nutrition directors, showing a growing, statewide commitment to Farm to School and Farm to ECE.
These programs spark curiosity, build confidence, and teach skills that last a lifetime. Students learn about food origins and growing practices, why healthy eating matters, and how to care for the land. By adding local food and gardens to learning, we are helping communities grow stronger. With strong relationships, helpful tools, easy-to-use resources, and events that bring people together, the Mississippi Farm to School Network is ready to grow regional teams, support new ideas for early childhood education, and make a bigger impact across the state with a focus on equity and honoring Mississippi’s diverse cultures. We’re excited to keep this momentum going with our Farm to School Week Challenge coming up this October.
Last year, the launch of the Farm to ECE Coalition, created in collaboration with diverse stakeholders across the state, led to a pilot of the MS Sprouts program, which supports childcare centers in gardening and local food procurement. Over the next few years, we will keep building this program so more centers have the tools, training, and partnerships they need to succeed.
With the Kellogg Foundation’s support over the next three years, we will provide more resources to educators, create seasonal menus with food from Mississippi farmers, grow our team of Farm to School leaders, and start new projects that help us reach more schools and communities across the state. Some of these projects include a pilot program to improve local food access, a Farm to Cafeteria Conference to connect people and share ideas, and a Farm to ECE Institute to help early learning centers succeed.
Together, we can make sure all Mississippi kids have access to fresh, local food and strong connections to their community.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, works nationally and internationally with a focus on communities facing poverty and significant barriers to success. Priority areas include Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New Orleans, Mexico, and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.
