Welcome to our Farm to School Toolkit! Below you will find many resources for making farm to school happen here in Stanislaus County. Down below you will find farmer, food service and local garden agency contacts, resources to implement Harvest of The Month at your schools, general garden resources and much more. We have also highlighted our Jr Chef Program which brings local produce directly to children in afterschool programs through cooking classes. We hope this toolkit acts as a resource to those who want to sell locally and purchase locally, ultimately nourishing students here in Stanislaus County.

• National Farm to School Network: A network hub of communities and resources. On their website, you will find the opportunity to join the network and get involved as well as access many resources.
• California Office of Farm to Fork: Check out this website for a more information about California’s Farm to school Program and ways in which you can get involved through future grant opportunities. You can also sign up for their newsletter to stay on top of all things farm to school.
• AgLink: AgLink is a local company in Ballico, CA whose mission is to provide a trustworthy online web solution that helps facilitate the buying and selling of agricultural products between pre-screened qualified participants.
• Stanislaus Grown: Stanislaus Grown is an initiative of the East Stanislaus Resource Conservation District to promote local agricultural products and the heritage of Stanislaus County through the use of a cohesive and recognizable local brand supported with a marketing and education campaign.
• Regional Food & Nutrition Network (RFNN): The Regional Food & Nutrition Network is a joint effort of partners working collaboratively to coordinate Farm to Community efforts throughout Merced & Stanislaus Counties. Partners include individuals representing community-based organizations, food banks, food procurement organizations, government agencies, local farmers, preschools, and school districts.
• Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF): A grassroots organization that builds sustainable food and farming systems through policy advocacy and on-the-ground programs that create more resilient family farms, communities and ecosystems
• Food Service Webinar with CDFA Office of Farm to Fork: In May of 2021, ESRCD hosted a webinar with food service directors and farmers to discuss the importance of farm to school initiatives and ideas for how to implement them. Below is a link to a recording of the webinar.  
  • Watch the recording here >>

Harvest of the Month (HOTM) provides materials for students, families, and the community to engage in hands-on opportunities to explore, taste, and learn about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and being active every day. Click the links below to download each item!

• HOTM Spanish Calendar: El calendario de La Cosecha del Mes es un esfuerzo collaborativo de la Red Regional de Alimentación y Nutrición para promover hábitos alimenticios saludables y productos cultivados localmente. ¡Busque estos artículos de temporada en sus escuelas, supermercados y mercados de agricultores! Haga click aqui para descargar >> 
• HOTM English Calendar:  The Harvest of the Month calendar is a collaborative effort of the Regional Food & Nutrition Network, to promote healthy eating habits and locally grown produce! Look for these seasonal items in your schools, grocery stores and at your farmers’ markets! Click here to download >> 
• HOTM Taste Test form: The below form can be used as a guide to walk children through tasting various fruits and vegetables. Click here to download >>
• Local contact info: If you are in Stanislaus County and interested in implementing Harvest of the Month in your school, please contact one of the below individuals.
  • Rosalinda Ruiz, Community Education Supervisor, University of California Cooperative Extension: rlruiz@ucanr.edu, (209) 525-6800
  • Kristen Martin, Nutrition Services Supervisor, Stanislaus County Office of Education, kmartin@stancoe.org, (209)417-2376
  • Stephanie Martinez, Health Educator, Stanislaus County Health Services Agency, SMartinez@schsa.org, (209)534-4815

Jr. Chef started in 2016 as a way to introduce our community’s children to the joys of cooking fresh, nutritious meals while cultivating healthy habits and a passion for cooking that will last a lifetime! Each of these recipes are full of fresh fruits and vegetables and can be easily adapted to your local climate and seasonal produce! We bring in local chefs to teach each class and cover the basics of knife and kitchen safety. The program can even be combined with a school garden where students grow and harvest produce to be used in recipes!

Check out our 5 recipes used regularly in our Jr. Chef classes:

• Knife Skills & Winter Salad: Click here to download >>
• Knife Skills & Spring Salad: Click here to download >>
• Classic Egg Omelette: Click here to download >>
• Zucchini Pizza Boat: Click here to download >>
• Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw: Click here to download >>
• Veggie Stir Fry with Cauliflower Rice: Click here to download >>

• List of Farmers: See the attached list of Central Valley farmers that have demonstrated a desire and commitment to supplying their fresh foods to local school districts. Please note, this list is ever changing and growing, so be sure to check back regularly.
  • Click here to view our list of farmers >>
• Farmer Profiles: Learn more about some of our local farmers interested in selling to schools:
  • Click here to check our our Farmer Profiles >>

Starting and managing a school garden is a monumental task that can be overwhelming at times. Find below a list of local resources that can assist you in planning, educational materials, financial assistance, and best-practices for your garden. (Note: each organization varies in size, capacity, and scope. Some may have a regional focus specific to a certain area, town, or city. They also may vary widely on what they do or do not provide school gardens). Click here for local gardening resources >> 

• New Mettle Farms: Based in Elk Grove, CA, New Mettle Farms began as a modest urban farm and has since grown into a company that designs and teaches urban agriculture and artisan skills to schools, libraries, and community groups.
  •  https://www.newmettlefarms.com/ 
• LifeLab: Based in Santa Cruz, CA, LifeLab cultivates children’s love of learning, healthy food, and nature through garden-based education.
  •  https://lifelab.org/

List of Food Service Directors (list still in progress): Below are the food service directors at various schools and school districts around Stanislaus County.

• • Click here to view our local Food Service Directors >>

• Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF): Their Farm to Cafeteria program supports schools, hospitals and universities throughout California to provide more local food through technical assistance and marketing support for farmers, vendors and food service buyers.
  • CAFF Farm to Cafeteria program
• California Department of Food & Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork: Committed to helping all Californians access healthy and nutritious California-grown food. The Office of Farm to Fork connects school districts and community members directly with California’s farmers and ranchers, and provides information and other resources.
  • CDFA Office of Farm to Fork
• The Farm to Institution Center: A San Diego Non-Profit Organization that acts as resource to connect local food with institutions.
  • The Farm to Institution Center – San Diego Non-Profit Organization
• The Good Food Showcase: An annual conference based in San Diego that allows growers to showcase their yield to educators, schools, etc.
  • Good Food Showcase – The Farm to Institution Center