JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri is set to host the 2026 Heartland Farm to School Institute June 2-4, 2026 in Excelsior Springs.
The Heartland Farm to School Institute is offered in collaboration with Child Nutrition Program (CNP) partners from Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.
This initiative is formally led by the Kansas Department of Education, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Nebraska Department of Education. The Heartland Farm to School-ECE Institute aims to assist schools and ECEs to incorporate Farm to School-ECE programs into the classroom, cafeteria, and community.
The year-long Institute kicks off with an in-person retreat where teams will engage in action planning to set programmatic goals with the assistance of a coach and learn through educational sessions.
Following the retreat, teams will implement their Farm to School-ECE action plans with the support of the Institute network, consisting of their coach, organizations across the three states, and the cohort of additional participating teams.
Application Deadline: February 20, 2026, 11:59 pm (CT).
For more information and to register, visit the event website.
For questions, contact to Lisa Lauer, Senior Nutritionist, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at lisa.lauer@health.mo.gov.