South Dakota Partners
Dakota Rural Action is a statewide nonprofit community organizing group that works on a variety of local food issues. South Dakota's farm to school efforts have benefited greatly from Dakota Rural Action's SD Local Foods Directory resource and the Dakota Rural Action Farmer Network. Each of these tools have helped schools find producers in their area to begin serving local foods and hosting activities such as farm tours and hands-on learning sessions.
Dakota Rural Action has been working on Farm to School issues across South Dakota since 2010. In 2016 DRA helped start the Farm to School Taskforce which serves as a connection to resources, state and federal agencies, regional support groups, training, networking opportunities, and more geared toward statewide farm to school efforts and creating a culture of health in South Dakota’s school system. The Task Force aims to focus on healthy communities, healthy environments, healthy relationships, and a healthy local economy, while supporting ongoing sustainability of farm to school programs and classroom nutrition education.