We are proud to launch the Farm Exchange, a new initiative from WV Harvest that connects schools, students, and farmers across different regions of the country through seasonal food and education. The idea is simple: when students understand where food comes from, they make healthier choices and build stronger connections to agriculture and their communities.
Through this multi state farm to school partnership, schools can feature peak season produce from different regions throughout the year, helping make Farm to School possible year round no matter where a School Food Authority is located. Students might enjoy Appalachian apples in the fall, Florida citrus in the winter, and Georgia strawberries in the spring, discovering how climate, geography, and growing conditions shape what farmers produce. Each item becomes more than a meal. It becomes a story and a lesson.
The Farm Exchange supports schools by expanding access to fresh, seasonal produce, supporting American farmers, and bringing education into the cafeteria. Farmers benefit from new institutional markets and steady demand during their peak harvest windows, while students gain exposure to a wider variety of fresh foods and real world connections to science, geography, and nutrition.
This is more than a food program. It is a way to connect students to farmers, classrooms to communities, and learning to everyday meals. Food can teach, food can connect, and food can inspire. That is exactly what the Farm Exchange is built to do.
