Farm to School

Science, Health, and Green Club teachers can request classroom visits from members of our Food Services team to present to classes about farm-to-school sourcing and sustainable food systems. BVSD teachers at any grade level can request a class visit through this form. 

Teachers are encouraged to sign up their classes to come to the BVSD Culinary Center for fun fields to learn about how our school food is made! Student groups are led on a tour of our state of the art facility and engage in short learning activities related to our local sourcing and delicious school food. BVSD teachers can request a field trip date through this form.

Farm Field Trips provide hands on experience for students to learn about farm operations, where food comes from and how it is grown. Students in Boulder Valley School District have the opportunity to choose local food every day by selecting school breakfast or lunch, however many do not understand what that means because they have never seen a farm near their homes or schools. A class field trip to a local farm is an excellent way to connect school lunches, gardens, and local farms. Curricular connections are endless, and the hands-on experience for students, teachers, and parent volunteers alike can be life-changing. 

Farmer Visits enable students to meet BVSD farmer partners who grow the beautiful produce for our salad bars and lunch menu.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is a grant opportunity for schools to provide children with fresh fruits and vegetables during the school day, at no cost to the children. The goal of the program is to promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables among school-aged children, educate students about the benefits of fruits and vegetables, and expose them to new varieties. Teaching children healthful eating habits may help promote a healthy school environment, improve student health, and help combat childhood obesity.

BVSD will be serving FFVP at Emerald, Columbine, Sanchez, and Uni Hill Elementary Schools this year.

School gardens have a variety of functions, and several unexpected benefits. Along with providing an “outdoor classroom” where student experiments and learning activities can be hosted, participation in the planting, growing, and harvesting of crops in a school garden has been shown to increase a student’s willingness to try new vegetables, and generates learning about healthy diets and activities. Additionally, harvested produce can be used in school cafeterias; it can also be sold—either as part of a lesson in economics within the social studies curriculum or simply to raise funds.

In 2015, BVSD published a Garden as a Classroom Curriculum Manual with resources, tips and tools to start or maintain a school garden and incorporate it into the classroom.

Food Services took over BVSD's largest greenhouse in 2016 after the greenhouse management program closed at CTEC. Instead of allowing the greenhouse to sit empty, we decided to start growing plants for school gardens and our annual Plant & Seed Sale. What started out as a small experiment has now grown into an amazing opportunity to support farm to school programs in BVSD.

We also use the greenhouse to provide opportunities for students from schools without gardens to partake in hands-on planting activities.

Throughout the school year, we serve Harvests of the Month (HOTM), which celebrate the seasonality of local foods. Our HOTM menu items (noted by a tractor on the printed menu) and tasting programs cultivate students' understanding and appreciation of the foods grown in Colorado.

Watch for HOTM info in the printed calendar, Harvest Collector Cards and HOTM stickers and bracelets for our elementary students and local produce on our menu and salad bars each month. Elementary students may receive a Harvest card or sticker when they try the HOTM item. We encourage students to take their cards home and talk about the fruit/veggie or local farm with their families. Harvest Collector Cards are used in various ways by teachers, schools and Food Services to offer prizes for students.

Rainbow Days are a special event we hold in each elementary school in the district where everyone in the school gets to make a salad at the salad bar for free! We challenge the students to “Make a Rainbow” on their tray, and take and eat at least 3 colors of fruits and vegetables. Volunteers are stationed at the salad bar to encourage the students to try new things and “Eat a Rainbow”. Getting three colors can sometimes be a challenge for the students, but with a little extra encouragement, and the incentive of a sticker, they are willing to be adventurous. Rainbow Days are high energy and sometimes a little chaotic, but the students love it and it is a great way to generate excitement about the salad bar!

Tastings provide an opportunity for students to try samples of our menu items and Harvest of the Month featured side dishes.

Volunteers at tasting events provide lunch menu food samples to our students. This gives students the opportunity to provide feedback on current and future menu items. 

Getting feedback on students' likes and dislikes becomes a vital part of the School Food Project's menu planning. We consider all feedback we receive and use that information to help guide menu selection in the cafeteria.