Community Food Systems

WEBINAR: Connecting Sustainable Farmers to Emerging Health Care Markets -- A Farmer-Focused Presentation

Hospitals and hospital systems represent a sizable potential market for sustainable farmers, and interest in increasing purchases of local, sustainably produced food among hospitals and hospital systems is growing.

Connecting Sustainable Farmers to Hospitals: Farmer-Focused Report

Executive Summary

Connecting Sustainable Farmers to Hospitals: Hospital-Focused Report

Executive Summary Key lessons learned The 1,493 community hospitals and VA hospitals/medical centers in the north central U.S.—Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin—spend an estimated $718 million to 1.3 billion each year on food and beverages.

Growing Farm to Hospital

A growing number of hospitals are shifting the way they think about protecting and improving health, and taking a closer look at how and where the food they serve is grown.

Minnesota schools set to expand fresh, local offerings during Farm to School Month

Minneapolis – With another school year set to begin, exciting things are in store for school cafeterias. September is Farm to School Month in Minnesota, designed to highlight partnerships between school districts and local farmers that bring fresh, local food to K-12 students and children in childcare.

Farm to Childcare program expands to 62 sites across Minnesota

Minneapolis – Beginning today, childcare centers throughout Minnesota are set to serve healthy, locally grown foods as part of a Farm to Childcare initiative—an innovative program designed in partnership between the Minnesota-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and childcare provider New Horizon Academy (NHA).

Childcare: Fertile ground for healthy young eaters

When a four year old in our project was asked recently where carrots come from, he pretty well nailed it: “The ground, and farmers water them and pick them and give them to people and bunnies too, and stores.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. 

Frozen local: How about it?

As I look at the snow outside my window, I have to admit it: The summer’s bounty of sweet corn and tomatoes is long gone, but the demand for local food keeps chugging along—particularly among K-12 schools that are eager to keep their Farm to School program going even after the snow flies.

Frozen Local: Strategies for Freezing Locally Grown Produce for the K-12 Marketplace

Executive summary

Digging your farmer during Farm to School Month

September is Farm to School Month in Minnesota, so treat yourself to some delectable locally grown foods and thank your farmer. In 2011, Governor Dayton officially proclaimed September to be Farm to School Month and this year, more schools than ever are participating.