Updates and Announcements
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness (FNW) is seeking feedback from commodity processors and distributors in Florida. FNW is inviting individuals who own or work for businesses that aggregate, distribute, and/or process food products to respond to a new online survey, sharing feedback about their operational capabilities…
In conjunction with the Florida F2S Academy, FDACS’s Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness now offers a weekly F2S Forum to help connect you with the Florida Farm to School initiative coordinators, answer your questions about Farm to School resources and offer support for your Farm to School efforts. F2S Forums take place every Wednesday…
On Friday, March 7, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services awarded R.C. Hatton Farms the inaugural Florida Farm to School Growing the Future Award. This award recognizes R.C. Hatton Farms’ visionary leadership and inspirational work in conjunction with the Farm to School initiative. R.C. Hatton Farms was nominated for this prestigious award by…
Traders Hill Farm In 2018, a small greenhouse farm in Hilliard, Florida embarked on a journey that would not only revolutionize the way we think about food but also transform school meals across the state. What started as an ambitious project driven by its founders’ interest in indoor farming, aquaponics, and the growing need for…
Explore three new funding opportunities from the United States Department of Agriculture to support your Farm to School program. Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Programs The USDA has opened two Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program opportunities for the 2025 fiscal year to increase the availability of local foods in schools and connect…
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness (FNW) is thrilled to announce the latest expansion of our Florida Farm to School initiative – Virtual Farm Field Trips! Available to teachers, parents and students, our immersive Virtual Farm Field Trip videos take students on a learning adventure to…
Florida schools have been growing Farm to School programs in their cafeterias for several years. The state’s long growing season and variety of commodities give schools the opportunity to source local and fresh produce year-round. Columbia County School District Food Services fully embraces Farm to School to “support the educational mission of the Columbia County…
At the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness (FNW), we are dedicated to ensuring every student across our state has access to nutritious, delicious school meals to help them grow and thrive. That’s why we are thrilled to introduce our Lunch180 Cookbook – a comprehensive new resource…
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services held its first Food Recovery Challenge, where schools across the state shared their commitment to reducing waste in their cafeteria. In the 2023-2024 school year, 3,777 schools participating in the National School Lunch Program are implementing food waste reduction practices in Florida. There are more than 625…
Schools play a special role in not only reducing and recycling food waste, but also in educating the next generation about the importance of food conservation and recovering wholesome excess food. To help raise awareness about the amount of food discarded from school cafeterias, The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Food,…