The Kansas State Department of Education, along with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Nebraska Department of Education, is accepting applications for the Heartland Farm to School Institute.  

This institute aims to promote the three tenants of Farm to School (procurement, school gardens and education) as well as the Three C’s (classrooms, cafeterias and communities) through school-led Farm to School initiatives.  

Click here for the Heartland Farm to School Institute application that is due Dec. 6. Participation in the institute is free.  

The institute will kick off in May 2025 with a retreat where school teams will learn through educational sessions and set programmatic goals with the assistance of a coach. Following the retreat, teams will implement their Farm to School action plans with the support of their coach, organizations across the three states, and the cohort of additional participating teams. 

 The eligibility requirements are as follows:  

• Applicants must participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).   
• Teams must be comprised of one (1) nutrition/food service professional, one (1) administrator, and one (1) other representative from the three C’s.    
• Teams chosen to participate must attend the institute retreat at the Mill Creek Lodge at Volland Point and the Volland Foundation, May 28-30, in Alma. 
• Each team chosen commits to participating in institute activities as a team throughout the 2025-26 school year.    
• Applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. CST, on Dec. 6.  

Contact Eryn Davis, edavis@ksde.org,  or (785) 296-5060, with questions.