Farm to School Hub - Alachua County Public Schools

Students learn about the local food system from seed to plate while helping bring more fresh, local food into Alachua County lunchrooms.

The Alachua County Farm to School to Work Hub Began as a joint venture between the Food and Nutrition Department (FNS) and the Exceptional Student Education Department (ESE) of the Alachua County Public Schools. The GET program (Growing Educational Training) of the ESE department had been teaching students horticultural skills. FNS had recently been awarded a USDA Farm to School grant to ensure mo

re healthy, local fruits and vegetables were served in the school lunch program. Soon a dilapidated greenhouse at Loften High School was being transformed into a vegetable-producing machine, providing 150 heads of lettuce weekly for use in school salads, as well as a number of other vegetables appearing on the weekly menus. During the first year, the Loften school kitchen became an aggregation facility where produce from local farms was packaged along with the Loften produce for distribution to local schools. School garden teachers and champions were being trained at the Hub where they also picked up garden transplants grown from seed by the GET students (which would provide produce for school lunches). And GET students began creating tasty dishes featuring local produce to test at the high school and take on the road to local elementary schools with the hope that some of these dishes will find their way to school lunch menus on a regular basis. The Farm to School to Work Hub is working, and students are receiving valuable training in horticulture, food production, food safety, and nutrition while operating it. The amazing progress of the program is a result of an outpouring of community support. Forage Farm and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences were involved from the very beginning of the project and have been vital partners to its success. In addition, numerous other community supporters and donors have contributed money, equipment, and expertise that the project would not have been able to move forward without. This is a fruitful collaboration that mirrors the diversity and unity found in healthy food systems. The fruit is our students, growing healthy and preparing for the future.

Photos from Farm to School Hub - Alachua County Public Schools's post

04/23/2026

Today was a day full of sunshine, curiosity and hands-on learning!

Students from Metcalfe Elementary took a field trip to the farm and dove into all things Florida agriculture - from how crops grow to why supporting local farmers matters. They explored, asked great questions and got a first hand look at where their food comes from along with learning about chickens, ducks and mini-cows.

Experiences like this help connect the classroom to the real world and inspire the next generation to appreciate fresh, local food.

Alachua County School Meals-Your Choice Fresh proudly sponsors these field trips to help grow our future.

Photos from Duval Early Learning Academy's post

04/22/2026

We are so honored to be their friends; they are so intrigued and have a willingness to learn!

04/13/2026

New Momma on the farm! We love celebrating new life here at Farm 2 School! If anyone would like to sponsor chicken/s, we do accept donations (all types - cash, chicken feed, chicken treats, equipment).

04/10/2026

Come follow the lettuce through Alachua County School Meals-Your Choice Fresh! Our lettuce is grown right here in Florida; it is an aquaponic lettuce that is fresh and healthy!

04/09/2026

Today is Sunshine’s birthday…and she’s turning TWO!

Since joining us here on the F2S farm, Sunshine has brought so much joy to everyone she meets. From curious students to first-time farm visitors, she’s quickly become a favorite.

Students love feeding her treats while learning about agriculture-and let’s just say…she definitely enjoys that part too!

Here’s to two moo-riffic years and many more to come!

04/08/2026

Jamie and Chrystal are excited to be presenting on April 9th at the Florida Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness, Annual Farm to School Conference.

We’ll be sharing tips on starting a Farm to School program and connecting students to local food and agriculture.

04/03/2026

Today was harvest day at Mebane Middle School and our students pulled up some beautiful, vibrant carrots straight from the soil! There’s nothing quite like seeing the excitement on their faces as they discover what they’ve grown with their own hands.

From planting tiny seeds to harvesting crunchy carrots, this experience is all about connecting students to their food, learning where it comes from and having a little fun along the way.

Look for these carrots to be a part of Alachua County School Meals-Your Choice Fresh!

Way to grow, Mebane Middle!

03/25/2026

The spring gardens at the schools have begun! The GET students grew all of these seedlings for these garden beds. Great job GET students!! Ian has been delivering them this week.

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Location

Gainesville

Website

http://www.farm2schoolalachua.com/

Address

2802 NE 8th Avenue
Gainesville, FL
32641

Farm to School Hub - Alachua County Public Schools

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