93.49 Farm to school programs.

(1) Definition. In this section, “farm to school program" means a program to connect schools with nearby farms to provide children with locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and other nutritious, locally produced foods in school breakfasts, lunches, and snacks; help children develop healthy eating habits; provide nutritional and agricultural education; and improve farmers' incomes and direct access to markets.

(2) Department responsibilities.

(a) The department shall promote farm to school programs. The department shall encourage schools, as part of farm to school programs, to purchase food produced in this state and to provide nutritional and agricultural education, including farm visits, cooking demonstrations, and composting and gardening at schools.

(b) The department shall do all of the following in carrying out its responsibilities under par. (a):

1. Identify impediments to providing locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and other nutritious, locally produced foods in school breakfasts, lunches, and snacks and seek to reduce those impediments.

2. Advise other state agencies and local agencies on actions to promote farm to school programs and coordinate the department's activities under this subsection with related activities of other state agencies, including the department of public instruction and the department of health services, local agencies, and nonprofit organizations.

3. Promote communications between local farmers and schools and sales of food from local farmers to schools.

4. Conduct training and provide technical assistance for school food service personnel and managers, farmers, and food distributors and processors concerning farm to school programs and food safety and procurement.

5. Promote farm to school programs through a public education campaign.

6. Provide information on its Internet site concerning farm to school programs.

7. Consult with the farm to school council and other interested persons.

(3) Grant program.

(a) From the appropriation under s. 20.115 (4) (as), the department shall provide grants to school districts, in coordination with the department of public instruction, and to nonprofit organizations, farmers, and any other entities for the creation and expansion of farm to school programs. The department shall give preference to proposals that are innovative or that provide models that other school districts can adopt.

(b) The department may provide funding under this subsection for projects that do any of the following:

1. Create, expand, diversify, or promote production, processing, marketing, and distribution of food produced in this state for sale to schools in this state.

2. Create, expand, or renovate facilities, including purchases of equipment for the facilities, that would ensure the use of food produced in this state in schools in this state.

3. Provide, expand, or promote training for food service personnel, farmers, and distributors.

4. Provide, expand, or promote nutritional and agricultural education in the classroom.

(c) The department shall consult with the farm to school council and other interested persons to establish grant priorities for each fiscal year.

(4) Rules. The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of this section.

(5) Reports. At least annually, the farm to school council shall report to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) and to the secretary on the needs and opportunities for farm to school programs.

History: 2009 a. 293.