Farm-to-preschool programs take many forms. These tips from Ecotrust will help get you started.

A look at how USDA Foods supports local purchasing.

The Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (DoD Fresh) allows schools to use their USDA Foods entitlement dollars to buy fresh produce. Read the article to learn more about how this could impact your school

This resource takes an in-depth look at what makes food truly "local" and how providing healthy, locally grown food is sometimes more than just fruits and veggies.

This map from Mississippi State University will help you figure out when to plant or harvest crops in your area.

This step-by-step purchasing guide aims to help school foodservice directors in Mississippi start to purchase locally grown foods to be served in school meals.

The Farm-to-School Calendar showcases the yearly timeline in which it takes to grow the food and how it ends up on the table in schools. This resource provides information on the best time of year to connect with a school or a farmer. 

The Delta Fresh Foods Initiative (DFFI) is a diverse coalition of community stakeholders committed to establishing sustainable, equitable community food systems in the Mississippi Delta.

Visit the Mississippi State Department of Health website for resources on buying and selling local food to early childcare education programs.

This program was introduced to encourage the serving of locally-grown and locally-produced agricultural products in school meals and to recognize the substantial economic and health benefits of serving locally-grown foods. 

The National Farm to School Network brings local food sourcing education into schools. 

 Essentially, this relationship is all about communication. Anything you feel important for the farmer to know about your school/district, or that you want to know about the farmer/farm, just ask!