Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner proclaims October Farm to School Month

Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner, Ryan Quarles, has proclaimed the month of October as Farm to School Month.

The Farm to School program helps connect Kentucky school districts with local farmers and small businesses. 

Kentucky schools spent nearly $9 million on local food products in 2013 and 2014. More than 700 schools in 77 school districts had programs in place to buy local Kentucky foods for their cafeterias. 

Many students take part in planting school gardens, visiting farms and turning the cafeteria into a classroom. 

The program also runs the annual Farm to School Junior Chef competition, in which high school culinary teams compete for scholarships and the Junior Chef Trophy while learning cooking skills and gaining an appreciation for local foods.