October is Farm to School Month, which recognizes the partnership between Missouri farmers and the schools that serve local products on their school menu.

There are many ways for schools to plug into local products, and I appreciate those food service directors and administrators who recognize the quality of the products and the benefits to students and growers.

Where to begin

Serving local products on the school menu can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips to ease into your local school’s farm-to-school program:

Start small. I encourage schools to start perhaps with only one item. Cherry tomatoes are typically ripening in abundance as the school year begins. Those little bites of goodness are an easy step into a local product, and they are also an appealing item for students.

Put a face to the farmer. Invite growers to the school to explain to students how the produce was raised. As our society becomes further removed from the farm, even rural students need to understand how their food is raised.

Hold a taste test. Perhaps you can create an event where students can sample a new food item. It might be the perfect time for the grower to share with the students how the food was grown and harvested.

Apply for funding. The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Missouri Grown program offers money for schools to incorporate locally grown specialty crops on the menu. Schools can receive up to $1,000 per semester to cover the purchase cost of consumable specialty crops from a Missouri farmer. The school is required to complete one educational activity about specialty crop production.

Missouri Grown has reimbursed 18 schools and 16 early-care and education centers for purchasing produce from area farmers. Those programs reached nearly 20,000 students.

Come together to crunch

Another way the Missouri Grown team celebrates Farm to School Month is through an annual Crunch Off competition with surrounding states.

Each state encourages its residents to gather students, co-workers or community members to “crunch” into a locally grown food item during the month of October. The state with the highest number of crunches wins bragging rights for the year.

Missouri has seen tremendous growth in crunches since the competition started in 2019. Last October, more than 188,600 Missourians enjoyed a locally raised food item. The purchase of those crunched items brought almost $101,000 to Missouri farmers.

Missouri Department of Agriculture employees will crunch into Missouri apples in mid-October. The Missouri Farm to School team will crunch into Missouri popcorn with fans at the University of Missouri homecoming game Oct. 19.

I love seeing the ways that school groups, 4-H clubs and community members participate in the Crunch Off and learn about foods grown in their area. Find out all the details and register your crunch at agriculture.mo.gov/abd/farmtoschool.

Beyond the school cafeteria

I encourage everyone to seek out local products from area farmers and ranchers.

With apple harvest in full swing, now is a great time to get started. Find an apple orchard near you by visiting the Missouri Grown website at missourigrownusa.com.

Next spring, come back to the website to find other items, such as delicious berries, peaches and even lavender. Many locations offer a U-pick option for a day of family fun.

October is the month we celebrate Farm to School, but you can find Missouri products all year long. Visit the Missouri Grown website at any time of the year to find Missouri meat, eggs, dairy, snack foods and more.

Chinn is the director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture and lives on a diversified farming operation in northeast Missouri.