Connecting Food, Education, and Community Across Oregon
The Oregon Farm to School Network brings together educators, producers, and school nutrition staff to create a thriving local food system that benefits Oregon's children, communities, and economy. We're dedicated to getting more locally produced foods into school meals while providing valuable food education and garden-based learning experiences.
Our Mission
The Oregon Farm to School Network connects and supports members of Oregon’s Farm to School community to create a just, equitable food and education system that provides access to healthy, local school meals and food, farm and garden education.
We provide resources, technical assistance, training, networking and policy advocacy, to build a stronger farm to school movement in Oregon.
Farm to School through the years
Network Begins
The Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Network is formed, establishing a foundation for statewide collaboration.
Agriculture Partnership
Oregon creates a dedicated "Farm to School" position in the Oregon Department of Agriculture, showing early commitment to connecting farms and schools.
Education Integration
A parallel position is established in the Oregon Department of Education, making Oregon the first state in the country to support farm to school programs through positions in two state agencies.
First Funding
The Farm to School and School Garden grant program launches with initial funding of $200,000, creating a pilot to help schools purchase local foods.
Expanded Reach
Grant funding expands significantly to $1.2 million for 2013-15, supporting 21 school districts across Oregon in purchasing local foods and providing food, agriculture, and garden-based educational activities.
Growing Investment
Program funding grows to $4.5 million for 2015-17, reflecting the increasing recognition of farm to school's importance to children's health and local economies.
Unanimous Support
Advocates successfully rally to preserve farm to school funding, with HB 2038 (championed by Representative Brian Clem) passing unanimously in both chambers, securing $4.5 million for the grant program.
Historic Expansion
A watershed moment: HB 2579 passes with unanimous legislative support, more than tripling funding from $4.5 million to $15 million, including $5 million in recurring funding for Oregon Department of Education programs.
Pandemic Challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic threatens farm to school grant funding, highlighting the vulnerability of even established programs during crisis.
Sustained Commitment
Oregon legislators affirm their commitment to farm to school by approving $10.2 million for the grant program, with assurances that this funding level will be sustainable into the future.
Official Recognition
The Governor of Oregon issues the state's first-ever Farm to School Month Proclamation in October, officially recognizing the program's importance to education, health, and agriculture in Oregon.
Independent Nonprofit
The Oregon Farm to School Network achieves 501(c)(3) status, becoming an independent nonprofit organization to further strengthen its mission of connecting schools, farms, and communities across Oregon.
Our Impact across oregon
Our network's strength comes from statewide collaboration and connection:
- Hub leaders in 94% of Oregon counties
- Active constituents in 100% of Oregon counties
- Biannual conference bringing together 338 educators, producers, and nutrition service professionals
This interconnected community works collectively toward bringing more money to Oregon farmers, providing nutritious local food in school meals, and educating children about where their food comes from and how it's grown.
our work
Our Vision
We envision an Oregon with just and equitable food and education systems that support the wellbeing of all our diverse communities, where:
Our Core Values
These values represent the aspirational principles of the Oregon Farm to School Network's staff and steering committee. By articulating these values across our diverse network of partners, we aim to foster a shared understanding of how we approach our work. These values aren't just internal guidelines—they're conversation starters.
We invite our network members to engage with these principles, ask questions for clarification, or explore their deeper meaning. Please reach out to connect with us and join this important dialogue about the values that drive our collective efforts.
*Driven by the influential work of Adrienne Maree Brown
All youth deserve culturally relevant, healthy food. We prioritize historically underserved communities to ensure access for all.
We work to shift power and resources to historically disenfranchised groups and eliminate barriers to nutrient-dense, culturally relevant food.
We honor the wisdom and expertise of network members, valuing diverse perspectives as a source of collective strength.
We embrace discomfort, challenge oppressive systems, and approach food justice with curiosity and openness to complexity.
We maintain clarity about our work, objectives, and priorities while holding ourselves accountable to our network, communities, and mission.
We move at the speed of trust*, building authentic connections based on integrity, humility, and respect rather than transactional exchanges.
Our work is driven by love for each other, the environment, community, and their interconnectedness. As Cornel West reminds us, "Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public."
Meet The Team
Melina Barker
Wren Huff
Casey Berg
Patrick Newson
Board of Directors
Co-Executive Director of Programs & Staff, Rogue Valley Farm to School
Rebecca has worked with Rogue Valley Farm to School for over a decade, witnessing its growth and evolution. She enjoys collaborating with a small, creative team to connect kids with food, gardens, and farms. For Rebecca, the most meaningful part of her work is being outside with students, watching them make connections or experience moments of peace and contentment. Her passion for fostering those meaningful experiences makes her role deeply fulfilling.
MPA Candidate, Princeton University
Kelso is a graduate student studying domestic policy, focusing on inclusive urban policy. She previously worked for FoodCorps for eight years, both on the Finance team and as an AmeriCorps service member in Arkansas, connecting kids to food in schools. With experience in food education and nonprofit management (budgets, audits, grants, strategy), Kelso is passionate about community-driven solutions. She is happiest in the PNW mountains, swimming in alpine lakes and hiking ridgelines.
Founder & Garden Leadership, Keep Growing Seeds
Reeba Daniel (she/they), founder of R&ARIE and Keep Growing Seeds, creates intentional wellness products, manages events, and builds small business collectives. As a farmer, they cultivate culturally specific medicinal and culinary herbs, focusing on food autonomy and teaching others to grow their own food. Reeba serves as the DEI chair for the Farmers Market Fund and provides seed rentals through Keep Growing Seeds. Passionate about social justice, foraging, and self-care, they empower others to build resilience.
Program Officer, Gray Family Foundation
As Program Officer for Gray Family Foundation, Nell works to increase access to resources that unite youth and communities in becoming stewards of their environments, health, and each other. With experience as a garden-based educator, program manager, evaluator, and grant manager, she has worked in schools, youth organizations, local government, and national child health nonprofits. Nell holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Policy from Portland State, focusing on food justice and place-based education.