Growing Minds Farm to School
ASAP’s Growing Minds Farm to School Program offers numerous resources for local food education and experiences for preschool to high school age kids. The Growing Minds website features lesson plans, recipes, a searchable database of local food and farm children’s literature, and more. Growing Minds also provides seeds for school gardens, grants, and promotional materials. Visit the Growing Minds website for a full picture of available resources.
Farm to Institution
Hospitals, universities, and other institutions can act as community role models for proactive healthy choices. When these institutions feature fresh, local foods and offer food- and farm-related educational programming, everyone sees the results: improved public health, education, and connection to community, all while sustaining our family farms. ASAP can work with institutions to implement local food procurement strategies and facilitate connections to local farms. In the past, ASAP has worked with UNCA, Appalachian State University, Mission Hospital, Park Ridge Hospital, and others. Contact David Smiley to get started.
ASAP also works with healthcare systems and providers through many of our Farm Fresh for Health programs.
Local Food Guide: Institutional Listings
Is your institution or school currently sourcing food from local farms? School systems, child care centers, and educational institutions located in ASAP’s 60-county Appalachian Grown region can create a free institutional listing in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide. Being listed in ASAP’s Local Food Guide can help you connect with local farms who need buyers for their products, while also recognizing the important work your school or institution is doing to support local food systems and connect children to local food and farms.