Foley Public Schools, Foley, MN

A Foley student with sweet corn grown for the cafeteria

During the 2023-24 school year, Foley Public Schools partnered with 10 different local producers, including three standout local farms that are practically in the schools’ backyard.

These strong local partnerships help provide high quality, fresh meals for students, featuring crowd favorites like rhubarb crisp, Philly beef steaks, corn on the cob, and plenty of winter squash. During the fall months, a fresh veggie stir fry is oftentimes even made using entirely local produce. Farmers are occasionally invited into the cafeterias to serve meals and showcase their fresh food, giving students a deeper connection to the food they eat and the community that grows it.

Staff buy-in is also essential to get these local ingredients onto students’ lunch trays. The dedicated child nutrition team at Foley Public Schools work hard to clean, prep, and freeze labor-intensive items like winter squash, ensuring students can enjoy them throughout the year.

Foley students have the unique opportunity to engage with local food from start to finish, as every year students help grow, pick, and shuck sweet corn for the cafeteria in an exciting community collaboration. Local farmers donate both farmland and corn seeds, and students spend the summer caring for the crops, culminating in a large harvest in early September.

Receiving several MDA AGRI Farm to School grants has been instrumental for Foley to support their local food purchases and to keep their kitchen updated with equipment that can handle a high volume of scratch cooked meals. Grant dollars were utilized over several years to purchase tilt skillets, sectionizers, choppers, and combi ovens, greatly improving the school's ability to prepare local food.

Looking ahead, Foley plans to expand their farm to school initiatives and continue building community connections through food. Future goals include hosting a community corn boil to highlight local food, farmers, and the ongoing collaboration between the child nutrition and agricultural departments.

Lunch tray at Foley Public Schools