FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAM
FARM FRESH FUTURES:
Building Stronger Connections Between Local Farms and Schools
The Farm Fresh Futures Program, a cornerstone of the San Mateo County Food System Alliance, is committed to fostering sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems within our local schools. By partnering with public school districts across San Mateo County, we aim to transform school meals into a showcase of culturally relevant, healthy, farm-fresh food while supporting small to midsize farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and other agricultural purveyors across Northern California who use climate-smart growing and catching practices.
What We Do
Bridging the Gap Between Farms and Schools:
Technical Assistance for Schools:
Our program provides hands-on support to food service professionals, helping them navigate the local food procurement landscape, develop orders according to seasonality and availability, and build lasting supplier relationships with local growers.
Technical Assistance for Growers:
Our program supports individual farmers’ and food hubs’ readiness to access a crucial institutional market, match high-quality products to the specific needs of the community, and build lasting buyer relationships with local school districts.
Education for the School Community:
In order to have the highest impact, local food needs to be paired with educational interventions that are ongoing, relevant, and engaging. We partner with school staff, growers, and other service providers to deliver tastings, new menu item testings, field trips, assemblies, contests, and more to bring local agriculture to life for both students and adults.
Why It Matters
The Fresh Farm Futures Program goes beyond the cafeteria. By supporting local school districts and growers, we are:
1. Inspiring the next generation to form lifelong healthy eating habits and understand and value where their food comes from
2. Strengthening Northern California’s agricultural communities and re-circulating dollars back into local economies
3. Building our region’s resilience against the effects of the ongoing climate crisis
01 / Educator
Our class did a mini-tasting of heirloom tomatoes from JAS Family Farms. The students liked yellow tomatoes the best & enjoyed learning that tomatoes come in different colors!
Michelle Easley
2nd Grade Teacher, John Muir Elementary School, San Bruno
02 / Parent
As a parent, I love knowing my kids have access to farm-fresh foods at school. Not only does it fuel their bodies and help them stay focused, but it also connects them to where their food comes from and builds healthy habits for life.
Jennifer Hillier
Parent, Allen Elementary School, San Bruno
03 / Grower Partner
For the K-12 programs I am trying to develop direct relationships with the school districts. Logistics are a little tougher, but the connection is invaluable. Both Tony and I want to provide education and healthy foods to the kids — that is most important, over time and money. 🙂
Jarrett Strachen
VP of Sales & Marketing, JAS Family Farms
Join Us
Join the Movement
Want to make a difference in supporting sustainable food systems in your community? Whether you’re a grower, student, educator, administrator, or parent, you can get involved!
- Growers: Partner with us to supply fresh food to local schools.
- School Communities: Advocate for farm-to-school initiatives in your district.
- Volunteers: Help us organize farm tours, workshops, and other educational events.
Contact Us!
Ready to get involved? Reach out to us at:
Linda Liang, Farm to School Program Manager
linda.liang@acterra.org
Contact Us
Partners
Current Partners:
Acterra is a Network Manager of the San Mateo Food System Alliance