Tag: How-To Resource

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Summer Meals for Farms and Farmers Markets

CFA Admin

In 2025, 11.3 million USDA summer meals were served in Kentucky, with Kentucky meal sponsors receiving $48 million in federal reimbursements. Summer meals are a great opportunity for farms and farmers markets to connect with families in your community. Whether your purpose is selling food products to be served in meals, or to increase education about farming, or to connect with families to market your products directly, participating in summer meals programming could help your farm or market achieve some goals.

As the lead organization in the Kentucky Farm to School Network, CFA is promoting participation in Kentucky Farm to Summer Meals Celebration Week June 21-27, a joint event between CFA, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the Kentucky Department of Education and Feeding Kentucky. During this week, summer meal sponsors are encouraged to serve locally grown farm foods in meals and to offer ag education and gardening activities. 


Farmers and market leaders can learn more at the Kentucky Farm to School Network’s website: https://www.kyf2snetwork.com/farm-to-summer-meals.There is a toolkit for farms and farmers markets available to help with plans. Farms and markets can register for the Celebration Week by filling out this form.

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Farm to Summer Meals

CFA Admin

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/

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Grow Your Sales with SNAP and SNAP Kentucky Double Dollars

CFA Admin

Accepting SNAP and Kentucky Double Dollars (KDD) at your farm stand or farmers market is a powerful way to grow your customer base and increase your sales. With Kentucky Double Dollars, SNAP customers can double their spending power by up to $20 per day—meaning more dollars flowing directly into your business.

Why offer SNAP and SNAP KDD?

  • Earn More Income: Every Kentucky Double Dollars redemption translates into real revenue from your products
  • Attract New Customers: Position your farm or market as a reliable source of affordable, healthy food
  • Support Your Community: Help families access fresh, locally grown produce while strengthening Kentucky’s food system

If you’re ready to get started but aren’t sure how, we’ve got you covered.

Join the SNAP Cohort

The SNAP Cohort is a free webinar series for Kentucky farm stands and farmers markets interested in accepting SNAP. In this first session, you’ll learn:

  • How to apply for a SNAP permit
  • What to expect during the application process
  • What equipment you’ll need, including free point-of-sale options

This is the first of three sessions in a yearlong cohort, where you’ll also receive hands-on technical assistance and connect with peers working toward the same goals.

📅 First Session: April 20 at 6 PM ET
👉 Register here: https://forms.monday.com/forms/e08b6c0de5fb58548b61af9eabe65626?r=use1

Take the next step toward growing your market while making a meaningful impact in your community.

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Considering a high tunnel for your farm?

CFA Admin

Whether you’re exploring your first hoop house, learning the ropes as a new grower, or managing emerging pest and disease challenges as an experienced grower, a new resource can help. Plus, if you don’t know where to start, from getting a farm number to the person to contact with your questions, CFA is here to help!  Reach out to us at info@cfaky.org

Our friends at Grow Appalachia, University of Kentucky, Kentucky Horticulture Council, NRCS, and KADF have developed a comprehensive high tunnel toolkit—the High Tunnel Resource Guide for Kentucky Producers—designed to support growers at every stage. The toolkit covers everything from deciding whether a high tunnel is the right production system for your operation to implementing effective integrated pest management strategies. High tunnels, or hoop houses, create a solar enhanced environment which extends the growing season and can enable year-round production. Plants are grown directly in the ground and side walls and vents are used to regulate the temperature inside the tunnel. Although high tunnels have been part of Kentucky agriculture for decades—pioneered by Dr. Emery Emmert at the University of Kentucky in the 1950s and 1960s—their use has expanded significantly in the past 15 years, in large part due to the NRCS EQIP program.

Available through UK’s Center for Crop Diversification website, the toolkit guides growers through tunnel selection and siting, commercial production practices, ongoing maintenance, and pest and disease management. It also includes links to extension publications, videos, and other helpful resources—making it a true one-stop shop for high tunnel production.

Learn more from the links below: