Minnesota Grown
Farm to School
District of the Year Contest
Does your school district value local?
We want to celebrate our Minnesota school districts who support local farmers. Are you one of them?
The Farm to School District of the Year contest recognizes school districts that promote foods produced by Minnesota Grown farmers and producers!
Contest Period
Minnesota Grown is excited to host the first annual Farm to School District of the Year Contest during the month of October – which is National Farm to School Month. To enter the contest, school districts will submit photos and accompanying information that document how they served and promoted local foods during the contest period and their commitment to Farm to School.
Scoring will be based on 70% of total points for the one-month contest period (October 2023) and an additional 30% of points will be awarded for their overall Farm to School efforts beyond the MN Grown contest period.
All entries must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1 through the online entry portal. Winners will be announced in mid-November 2023.
Contest Details
Download and review the Contest Overview Document to learn about contest procedures, judging criteria, and privacy notice.
The first place winner will receive an on-site, school-focused culinary training for a group of staff!
Questions? Email Kate Seybold, MDA Farm to Institution Coordinator at Kate.Seybold@state.mn.us
How to Apply
School districts will submit their entry for Minnesota Grown Farm to School: District of the Year through an online form. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Create account with Minnesota Department of Agriculture online platform
2. Review entry form as you get started with your promotional efforts by:
- Selecting “2023 Minnesota Grown Farm to School: District of the Year” within the portal.
- Reading the PDF version of the entry questions in the link above.
3. Upload required information and photos anytime during the contest period – you can return at any time to add more information, edit your responses, etc.
- Information: Enter written responses about your Farm to School efforts
- Photos: Please only submit photos in the provided upload slots on the application. Any outside links with photos or marketing materials will not be considered as part of the submission.
- Make sure to review contest rules as you finalize your entry.
4. Submit your entry by 4 p.m. on November 1, 2023. Incomplete entries will not be considered.
Entries should be uploaded into the online application portal. If you cannot utilize the online portal or have questions, contact Kate Seybold at kate.seybold@state.mn.us.
Resources
To learn more about Farm to School month in Minnesota and how to celebrate, visit farmtoschoolmn.org/f2smonth.
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