Farm to Cafeteria is a relatively new term that is now traversing the landscape of conversation in instructional institutions around the country. The most recent USDA data spanning 2018-19 revealed that already 65.4% of school districts registered with the School Food Authority (FSA), a requisite to participate in the National School Lunch Program, reported participating in farm to school activities. That translates to 42.8 M students from 67,369 school districts impacted (farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov). 

In an effort to address this phenomenon, Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension partnered with the Kentucky Association FFA to place a local food aquaponics demonstration system at the Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center in Breckinridge County. Along with the camp’s solar array, the tilapia fish and leafy greens production constituted the basis of the curriculum for the Sustainability Workshop. All FFA members attending camp over the six-week period in June and July completed the workshop. This included instruction on biofiltration, the nitrogen cycle, fish health, water testing, fertilization and conservation topics. As a train the trainer program, I had the pleasure of educating staff member Emma Sherman on the basics of both farm to cafeteria modeling and aquaponics production before turning the sections over to her for daily presentations to the 2200 campers from middle and high school Agricultural Education programs. Plans are underway to expand the project in 2024 to include a year two course.

Moving forward, the lettuce and other vegetables grown in the system will be served on the camp’s salad bar that is included as a part of every midday and evening meal during camping season. Teachers and students alike were made aware of the potential for farm to cafeteria modeling at their own schools. By working with food service directors, produce grown in Agriculture Department greenhouses, high tunnels and outdoor gardens can make its way to cafeterias around the district. 

Middle School FFA members learning about Aquaponics and Farm to Cafeteria modeling at the Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center as a part of the Sustainability Workshop taken by all 2023 campers.