Summary

Farm to school programs can improve student nutrition and support local farmers, but fresh produce can pick up harmful germs from manure, soil, water, or food handlers and is hard to fix once contaminated. This overview highlights key protections from farm to cafeteria, including Good Agricultural Practices and possible third party audits, clear buying specifications and questions for growers, and school controls such as HACCP, proper storage and temperature monitoring, quality checks at delivery, and traceability for rapid response if problems occur.