Farm to School (FTS) is a nationwide initiative in the U.S. that aims to connect school cafeterias with local farms—bringing fresh, healthy, and locally grown food to students while supporting nearby farmers and communities. It marks a shift away from the industrialized, highly processed meals that have long dominated school lunch programs.

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FTS is often celebrated as a “win-win-win” for children, farmers, and local economies. Yet scholars have critiqued these programs for reinforcing neoliberal ideals, from an overreliance on volunteer labor to the reproduction of structural inequalities (Allen & Guthman 2006).

 

This research is based on two years of participant observation and in-depth interviews with 17 School Nutrition Directors across the state of Georgia. We found that:

• Unexpected technical challenges, such as food safety compliance, can become major barriers to sustaining Farm to School efforts.

• While some FTS programs do mirror existing inequities, this is not inevitable. These shortcomings often reflect broader policy failures—especially the “symbolic support” offered by state legislatures that endorse FTS in principle but fail to provide long-term funding or infrastructure.

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In short, this project examines how good intentions around local food collide with the realities of school systems, policy design, and uneven support, raising critical questions about who shoulders the burden of care in the name of sustainability.

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Related publication:

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With Jennifer Jo Thompson & Usha Kaila. 2017. “You can’t manage with your heart”: risk and responsibility in farm to school food safety. Agriculture and Human Values 34(3):683-699.