Farm-to-School Conference set for March 18-19

The Virginia Farm-to-School Conference will be held March 18 and 19 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Charlottesville.

Conference speakers will address issues related to procuring locally grown foods for school systems and incorporating more of those foods into school menus. Education programs will cover topics such as food safety, school gardens and community collaborations.

Virginia has embraced the farm-to-school effort since 2007, when the General Assembly passed a joint resolution requesting that partner organizations work toward advancing farm-to-school initiatives.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services was awarded a U.S. Department of Agriculture farm-to-school event grant for a statewide conference to increase the number of school systems incorporating Virginia-grown products into their menus while encouraging reliable, ongoing markets.

Registration is $40. Conference details and online registration are available atvdacs.virginia.gov/marketing/f2sconference.shtml.