Two peas in a pod – Summer is peak produce season AND summer meals have experienced huge growth in Kentucky. Let’s put them together. Under the umbrella of Community Farm Alliance, the partners of the Kentucky Farm to School Network are planning several initiatives related to farm to summer meals.
A Celebration Week
First, Farm to Summer Meals Celebration Week is coming back for its second year, June 21 to 27. During that week, meal sponsors and sites are challenged to plan special activities to Sprout, Nourish and Understand for SUN meals. Sprout represents gardening activities. Nourish represents serving Kentucky grown farm foods. Understand represents ag education activities. SUN meals is the USDA’s name for summer meals. *New this year* We’ve developed a recognition for participating sponsors and sites. “Lettuce Squash Hunger” recognition will earned by SUN meal sponsors and sites that complete 2 activities: The first required activity is serving a Kentucky farm food (Nourish). The other activity can be either a gardening activity (Sprout) or an ag education activity (Understand).
First Day Fresh
Part of the reason for the growth in meals served is USDA’s allowance for multiple days’ meals to be picked up in one distribution (or home delivery) in qualified locations. In many cases, families are picking up 7 days’ worth of breakfasts and lunches at once for each student. This model is very convenient for families, but leans on processed foods to last for many days. To incorporate Kentucky’s summer bounty into multiple meal distributions, the sweet spot is those meals that will be eaten first. The network is promoting a “First Day Fresh” practice of including Kentucky farm fresh foods in at least the first day’s meals when several days’ meals are distributed at once.
Toolkits
Network partners have developed two toolkits for farm to summer meals. One is for meal sponsors and sites. The other is for farms and farmers markets. By connecting with summer meal programs, farms and farmers markets have an opportunity to reach many families in their community, as well as passing on essential agricultural education to the next generation. Learn more about how to participate on the network website.https://www.kyf2snetwork.com/