Farm to School links school children with farm fresh food and educational activities that bring the whole world of agriculture to life and help instill lifestyle choices that nurture their bodies, their communities, and the planet. Farm to School activities include school gardens, nutritional education including food preparation and tastings, agricultural and pollinators education (in the classroom as well as in the garden).
Farm to Table was instrumental in forming the New Mexico Farm to School Alliance, a coalition of organizations and agencies aligned with national farm to school goals and practices. The NM Farm to School Alliance's focus is to further programs and policies which support farm to school activities, education, outcomes, and policies and the local and state levels.
The Farm to School Alliance, NM Food & Ag Policy Council and partners produce the annual New Mexico Food & Farms Day and the Local Food and Farm to School Awards at the Legislature.
Farm to Table’s mission is to build a local, healthy, equitable and sustainable food system.
Core Value Statement:
Farm to Table firmly believes that food is a basic human right. We also affirm that access to regionally grown healthy and culturally relevant food is paramount to the wellbeing and sustainability of communities.
We see our role as a leadership organization facilitating collective vision, and creating stability and accountability in furthering policy goals.
Values Statement
A just, equitable, and sustainable food system is one that provides physical, economic and community health; regenerates, protects, and respects natural resources and animals; and ensures that all people live with dignity and freedom from oppression and exploitation.
To achieve this Farm to Table
Encourages the leadership, decision making, and community self –determination of small and medium scale farmers, ranchers, farm workers, food chain workers, indigenous people, low-income people, women, and communities of color;
Effects policy change, and systems and institutional practices to target resources and benefits towards historically disinvested communities with particular attention to the health and well-being of all people in these communities;
Supports systems and policies that promote resilient local food and farm economies grounded in sustainable agriculture and just distribution of economic benefits;
Supports environmental stewardship; and,
Respects and sustains cultural and indigenous food traditions.