Crosslake Community Charter School, Crosslake, MN

Nutrition staff utilized a Farm to School grant to purchase several local products to serve in their school meals. For example, they purchased beef, cucumbers, greens, and tomatoes from Brakstad Family Farm in Pequot Lakes. Students also had an opportunity to visit the farm on a field trip. Several positive outcomes have occurred because of the Farm to School grant, including supporting local farmers, serving fresher food, and introducing students to new food.

Key elements leading to the success of the initiative: Local beef is purchased from a nearby farm and served almost weekly in the lunch program. The Farm to School grant is used to source a variety of local products for student meals. These efforts supported additional goals, including:

• Trying new foods

• Introducing new types of local foods

• Experimenting with new recipes