Arkansas schools to teach food literacy to students through farm-fresh lunches

Arkansas is launching a new effort to bring farm-fresh, locally produced food into school cafeterias. As first reported by The 74, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture have announced the Arkansas Plate Initiative, a farm-to-table pilot program that aims to improve student nutrition while strengthening connections between schools and local farmers.The program will begin in 2026 with five public schools across the state and could later expand based on its success, according to a release from the governor’s office.

Locally grown food, classroom lessons

The Arkansas Plate Initiative will introduce “Arkansas Plate Days” each month, where participating schools serve meals made with food grown or raised within the state — including rice, poultry, and fresh produce.“Arkansas students deserve access to healthy, nutritious foods at school,” Sanders said in a statement.

“This initiative supports both student health and our farmers while helping young people learn about what it takes to feed our state.”Beyond meals, the pilot will also provide Meet the Farmer profiles, posters, and classroom materials to help students understand how local agriculture contributes to their daily lives and the state economy.

A state-level spin on federal farm-to-school programs

As The 74 noted, the new program resembles federal initiatives like the U.S.

Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School and Local Food Purchase Assistance programs, which help schools source ingredients from nearby producers. Those federal efforts faced major funding cuts during the early years of President Donald Trump’s second term, even as agriculture leaders — including Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward — voiced support for continuing them.When asked by The 74, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture did not specify whether the Plate Initiative would receive federal funding or rely solely on state resources.

Part of a broader nutrition push in Arkansas schools

The pilot follows a series of child-nutrition measures advanced by the Sanders administration in 2025. Earlier this year, Sanders signed Act 123, ensuring free school breakfasts for all Arkansas students. The state also announced a partnership with the Department of Corrections, which now supplies locally harvested produce from inmate-run farms to schools in the Marion district.Together, these efforts mark a shift toward expanding access to healthy school meals while supporting the state’s agricultural base.

Students learn food literacy as farmers face pressure

The program comes at a challenging moment for Arkansas’ agriculture sector, which has been hit hard by declining commodity prices and rising production costs. For students, however, the initiative offers more than a fresh meal — it’s also a lesson in sustainability, food literacy, and community economics.By linking classrooms to farms, the Arkansas Plate Initiative aims to remind young Arkansans that their next meal might just start a few miles down the road.