Hawai‘i Farm to School Toolkit

The purpose of this toolkit is to improve access to experiential farm to school education for all of Hawai‘i’s students through systematic integration of farm to school programming into school culture. Based on several decades of grassroots relationship building, and successful development and piloting of Hawai‘i-based resources and professional development offerings, the Hawai‘i Farm to School Toolkit builds capacity to regenerate sustainable food systems across the pae‘āina ‘o Hawai‘i through farm to school.

This component is designed to help students find a lasting sense of purpose and place within Hawai‘i’s food systems transformation. Recommended activities begin with an overview of context, including feelings of overwhelm or anxiety that can be associated with climate change. What is needed? What do your students love to do? What are they best at? This is their ikigai – reason for being!

Experiential education is the key to increased fruit and vegetable consumption among students! This component is designed to help schools get students excited about the unique and culturally-significant foods of Hawaiʻi. Included here are lessons, recipes, planting information, and other resources that support educators, food producers and distributors, and community organizations with promoting locally-sourced foods.

Safety is important for students, staff, and volunteers! This component supports schools with implementation of best practices for safety within their garden programs and classroom food preparation activities. You’ll find a safety poster to display near your gardens, safety checklists to guide your activities, and a manual to answer your safety questions!

Garden to Cafeteria is designed to offer clear protocols for guiding students, staff, and volunteers to safely grow, harvest, and deliver fresh fruits and vegetables from a school garden to their cafeteria for use within school meals. Garden to Cafeteria is an excellent opportunity to connect keiki with where their food comes from while building practical skills around food production, food safety, and entrepreneurship.

Creation of the Toolkit

The Hawai‘i Farm to School Hui was awarded the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (FASLP) in 2020. The toolkit was organized in partnership with the Island Networks.

Mahalo to the Kapi‘olani Community College, Service Learning & Sustainability Program for providing technical expertise on the service learning component of the toolkit and Groundswell Services, Inc. for project evaluation. 

Island Network Partners

About Hawai‘i’s Farm to School Movement

Farm to school programs involve school gardens and farms, education/curricular integration, and school food improvements through local food procurement to enhance the total well-being of students, families, schools, and community food systems. 

The Hawai‘i Farm to School Hui is a statewide network founded in 2010 with a collective mission to strengthen Hawaii’s farm to school movement by supporting our Island Networks in the areas of capacity building, resource development and sharing, professional development, and policy development and advocacy. The Hawai‘i Farm to School Hui is a program of Hawai‘i Public Health Institute; learn more at hiphi.org/jointhehui. 

Funding

Development of the Hawai‘i Farm to School Toolkit was supported by the Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (FASLP) Grant No. 2020-70026-33222 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.