SAN DIEGO COUNTY
FARM TO SCHOOL TASKFORCE
Mission, Vision, and Goals Statement
Vision: We envision all San Diego County school meals and snacks are fresh, healthy, delicious, and
made with select local products.
Mission: The mission of the San Diego County Farm to School Taskforce is to increase food literacy and
access to local, healthful foods in the school environment through collaboration, education,
environmental change, program development, and outreach.
Purpose: The purpose of the San Diego County Farm to School Taskforce is to increase understanding of
the food system and its connection to human, environmental, and economic health; share and develop
best practices for farm to school; and promote collaboration and coordination among local, state, and
national farm to school stakeholders to increase the amount of healthful and local foods in the school
environments of San Diego County.
Definition of Local: The San Diego County Farm to School Taskforce gleans its three-tiered definition of
locally-grown and raised foods from the San Diego Unified School District’s Food Services Department:
1. San Diego Local. Grown/raised within 25 miles from the San Diego County Line.
2. Local. Grown/raised within 150 miles from the San Diego County Line.
3. Regional. Grown/raised within 250 miles from the San Diego County Line.
Goals:
1. Increase education and awareness about the connection between regional food systems and
student health and well-being.
Suggested activities:
 Visit 1 - 2 farms a year to promote on-going communication and learning among
institutions, farms, and good food stakeholders
 Identify and share nutrition education and food literacy resources and curricula to help
support connections between the classroom, cafeteria, and the greater food system
 Identify 1 - 2 months a year to collaboratively source, serve and highlight the same local
product
2. Create and promote opportunities for networking among farm to school stakeholders,
including but not limited to school food services, farmers, chefs, public health professionals,
and community members.
Suggested activities:
 Host bi-monthly farm to school taskforce meetings

Conduct a minimum of 1 professional development training about the preparation of
fresh and local foods in schools
3. Provide technical assistance to school districts, farmers, and distributors to support more farm
to school programming in San Diego districts.
Suggested activities:
 Support school districts in defining and setting goals for a farm to school program in
their district
 Increase school district commitments to source sustainably-raised, hormone- and
antibiotic-free, local animal protein sources, when possible
 Increase school district commitments to source local fruits and vegetables, when
possible
4. Assist in the promotion of the San Diego County Farm to School Taskforce and its members’
farm to school activities.
Suggested activities:
 Develop outreach materials to educate the public about the role of, goals, and
activities of the San Diego County Farm to School Task Force
 Identify and share marketing and outreach materials for school districts to use in the
promotion of farm to school
 Partner with school districts to host special events that publicize and promote its
good food work
Distributor
Farm to School
Food System
Local Food System
Glossary of Terms
A company that purchases produce and other food products from a producer
or buyer in bulk and supplies them to institutions
Broadly defined as a program that connects schools (K-12) and local agriculture
(school gardens and farms, commercial farms) with the objectives of serving
healthy meals in school cafeterias; improving student nutrition; providing
agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities; and supporting local
and regional agriculture (Adapted from National Farm to School Network)
Generally includes production, processing, distribution, and consumption of
food – in short, everything from farm to table (Project for Public Spaces)
A system of small-scale food production focused on growing and selling food
locally, sustaining local economies and ecosystems (WorldLink, Nourish Curriculum
Guide)
Locally-Grown
Locally-Produced or
Refers to fresh or lightly processed fruits; vegetables and meat; milk or protein
sources which have been grown and/or raised within the area defined above
to be local. (Adapted from San Diego Unified School District’s Food Service Department)
Foods which are manufactured in San Diego, but may not contain food grown
Made
or raised within the area. Products that do not contain food grown or raised
within the area are not considered locally-grown. (Adapted from San Diego Unified
School District’s Food Service Department)
No-spray
A term often used to describe produce that is not certified organic, but raised
in adherence to organic growing practices (Adapted from Gardening 101: How to Grow
Your Own Food)
Organic
Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural
product has been produced through approved methods that integrate cultural,
biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote
ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage
sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used. (United States
Department of Agriculture)
Reimbursable Meal
School Garden
Small to Mid-scale
Farm
Sustainable
National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program meal service
that meets the food and nutrient requirements outlined in United States
Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Services federal reimbursement
guidelines. (Adapted from Institute of Medicine)
A piece of land cultivated for instructional purposes that produces fruits,
vegetables, and/or ornamental plants
A farm ranging from 1 – 1,000 acres in size that produces $1,000 – $250,000 in
gross annual sales (Adapted from United States Department of Agriculture)
Meeting current environmental, economic, and social needs without
compromising the well-being of future generations (WorldLink, Nourish Curriculum
Guide)