Schools invited to enroll in Fresh from the Farm program

The Ontario government is supporting school fundraising and promoting fresh Ontario grown food and healthy eating through its Fresh from the Farm initiative. Schools can enroll in the program for 2019 by visiting Fresh from the Farm.

Fresh from the Farm - a collaborative initiative between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ontario Ministry of Education, and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association -  is committed to helping:

• Encourage healthy food choices
• Provide opportunities for learning about agriculture and food in the classroom
• Support local economies
• Raise funds to support school extracurricular initiatives, such as class trips or school yard improvement projects, with 40 per cent of all fresh produce sales going directly towards the school.

“This fresh approach to fundraising is a great way for students to access healthy, delicious local food while raising money to provide students with opportunities such as class trips or school yard improvement projects,” said Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “Fresh from the Farm connects students with farmers because learning where their food comes from helps them understand the value and importance of local food.”

More than 1,700 Ontario schools have participated in Fresh from the Farm to date. The schools have collectively distributed about 1.7 million kilograms of fresh, local fruit and vegetables to Ontario families, and generated a total of around $4 million in local food sales.

Quick facts:

• In 2018, 554 participating Ontario schools retained an average of $800 through sales of almost 770 kilograms of fresh produce per school.
• The program offers two fundraising bundles: a 14-pound vegetable bundle of fresh Ontario carrots, onions, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, and an eight-pound apple bundle.