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University of Minnesota Extension
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Farmers

Farm to School and early care programs support local farmers, children and local economic growth. Selling to institutional markets can give farmers a predictable, stable source of income. Here are some useful tools to help farmers succeed in this market.


Bringing the Farm to School Video Training Modules

Bringing the Farm to School logo

Farm-to-school practices connect schools with fresh and healthy food grown or raised by Minnesota farmers. Find practical, Minnesota-specific tips on how to start and grow connections for farm to school in this series of video modules created by a collaborative of organizations including University of Minnesota Extension, Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Minnesota Department of Education.

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More from Extension

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On-farm GAPs Education Program — Get help writing your on-farm food safety plan and putting it into practice, as well as preparing for Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) audits.


Agricultural business

Agricultural Business — Producers face uncertain markets and narrow margins. Our programs, software, and tools teach producers and professionals about: risk management, marketing plans, transferring your business to the next generation, and agricultural policy questions.


Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Production

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Production — Find research on how to refine your production and marketing practices to produce healthy safe foods and enhance profitability.


Small farm

Small Farms — Minnesota has seen a sharp rise in small farms. To serve these farmers, the Small Farms team provides education in crop and livestock production, natural resources conservation, and business management to enhance the sustainability of Minnesota's small farms.

Related resources

New FarmersUnited States Department of Agriculture — An online portal that provides assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers. The portal includes links to training, financing, technical assistance, and other support services.

Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Selling, Post Harvest Handling, and Packing ProduceFamilyFarmed.org — This 316-page book is the definitive training source on selling into wholesale markets. It includes topics such as calculating return on investment; cleaning, drying, and curing produce; traceability; packing shed design; and maintaining the cold chain.

Tips, Tools and Guidelines for Food Distribution and Food SafetyOklahoma Farm to School — The main goal of this publication is to help ease the distribution barriers existing within farm to school initiatives. Includes a produce calculator to convert pounds into school meal servings, a distribution cost template, food safety checklist, and sample Memorandum of Understanding between farmers and schools.

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