Volunteers Needed for ARPS Farm to School program

USDA Farm to School grant update

Next Steps for Farm to School 

The Farm to School work that the district began at the start of this school year is ready to move into the next phase.  Expanding on our essential relationships with local farmers, strong in-house food services program, and school garden program we are working together towards our vision of “Building a stronger, healthier community through diversity, food access and equity, local farm and food system connections, and joyful learning.”

The program is seeking community volunteers to help create a comprehensive plan to attain its vision.  Volunteers are needed for the following teams:

1. Cafeteria Team– focusing on local procurement, reducing waste, increasing program revenue, maximizing operational efficiencies, and informal education leading to a sustainable business model. 

2.  Curriculum Team– focusing on experiential classroom, garden and farm-based learning.  

3.  Community Team– focusing on creating a stronger link among ARPS, the larger community and local food.   A few examples include:  Identifying regional producers that can supply more local and culturally appropriate foods for menus; recipe development; expanding the current catering offerings;  and community dinner menus reflective of the diversity of community.   

These volunteers will be required to attend one meeting/month throughout the school year (approximately 2 hours/month) at the ARPS Central Offices.   Additionally, the program is looking for team members who have some expertise and skills/knowledge related to the content of the team they are interested in. 

If you are interested in serving on one of the Farm to School teams, or if you would like to contribute to this work in other ways, please complete this form by January 18^th, 2019. 

Please email Vicki Van Zee,  USDA Grant Coordinator, vanzeev@arps.org, if you have questions.