The Arizona Department of Education hosted the first Farm to School training in the form of a farm tour. Farm to School Programs provide an emphasis on purchasing from local producers in an effort to enhance school meals. On December 5, 2012 school food buyers had the opportunity to connect with their local vegetable producers in Yuma, Arizona. This was the first of three trainings to be offered this school year in an effort to launch Farm to School Programs in Arizona. This day-long training covered marketing fresh vegetables in the National School Lunch Program, best practices for procurement, and fresh produce safety. During this farm tour, participants visited two farms and a produce cooling facility that emphasized some of the high-quality standards and practices used in agriculture today.
