Farm to Cafeteria

Farm2Fork

Farm2Fork is a new initiative of North Coast Opportunities/Community Action aiming to ramp up institutional purchasing of local food in Mendocino County.   Launched at the beginning of February, Farm2Fork is coordinated by Susan Lightfoot, who will be facilitating connections between local farmers and the schools, hospitals, restaurants and stores that purchase significant volumes of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year.   Funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), this 2-year Specialty Crops Grant aims to increase the capacity of both local farmers and Food Service professionals to get fresh, healthy food from the field to the plate. 

While the grant focuses primarily on creating Farm to School partnerships across the county, providing resources for training and equipment for schools to meet this goal, Farm2Fork will also work with restauranteurs, chefs, and produce managers who are interested in offering more locally-produced food on their menus and shelves.  By capturing the significant purchasing power of these community partners, we will infuse the local food economy with dollars grown and raised right here in Mendocino County, ensure food security for our community, and improve the quality of food served to children, patients, customers and ourselves.
Susan is eager to connect with interested community members, farmers, food purchasers, chefs and distributors across the county to identify opportunities, trouble-shoot challenges, and synergize efforts towards a thriving local food system in Mendocino County.  For more information, please contact her at (707)467-3238 or email

The Farm to School Program:

A collaboration between Brookside School Farm, the Willits Unified School District, North Coast Opportunities and the Little Lake Grange has brought the goals of Farm-to-Cafeteria to fruition.   Beginning in the summer of 2010 produce from Brookside School Farm was harvested and brought just a few blocks down the street to the commercial kitchen at the Little Lake Grange.  There, generous volunteers met weekly to wash and prepare the food for delivery to any of the four public schools within the Willits Unified School District. 

The Goal:  

Research collected by the non-profit Action for Healthy Kids has shown that students who eat healthy, nutritious meals learn better and perform better in school. The goal of the Farm-to-Cafeteria program is to create healthier children, schools and communities by educating students about good nutrition through lessons and activities based around the new items in the school cafeteria, and about agriculture and food production through educational time in the gardens.

While those veggies were being implemenented into school lunches and snacks throughout the school year, the team began planning an event dubbed Food-for-Thought in which an entire meal made with local ingredients would be served at the Willits High School along with presentations and educational components about the importance of knowing where your food comes from.  Food-for-Thought kicked off successfully on June 2nd with help from the WHS Peer Counseling Class for promotion and an enjoyable audible atmosphere created by the WHS Jazz Band.  The meal was comprised of food from Brookside School Farm, the Willits High School Farm and Ridgewood Ranch. 

The event helped get students and administration in Willits excited about food and nutrition!  Currently the Farm-to-Cafeteria team is working closely with teachers and cafeteria staff to develop a culinary club at the high school.  The afterschool club will provide the students with hands on experience washing and preparing fresh food and will be an extremely beneficial step to getting students involved in the process of getting healthy, local food served in the school cafeterias!