Feed BC in kindergarten to grade 12 schools

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is working together with the Ministry of Education and Child Care, B.C. school districts, and food supply chain partners to integrate Feed BC into Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) school food programs through the Province’s Feeding Futures initiative.   

Feed BC is a program that supports K-12 school food programs to source and incorporate more B.C. foods, with a goal of working towards 30% B.C. food purchases, while also creating more opportunities for students to learn about local food and producers and processors.

This work aligns with Feeding Future’s Guiding Principles by supporting B.C. foods to grow local communities, economies and food system resilience.

More B.C. food in school food programs increases students’ access to quality, fresh, local food and creates opportunities for B.C. food producers and processors.  Every dollar spent on B.C. food by public institutions brings a two-fold impact to B.C.’s economy including new local jobs and local economic activity (Feed BC B.C. Input-Output model (BCIOM) study (PDF, 856 KB)).

To learn more about B.C. foods and local food literacy in Feeding Futures, visit the B.C. foods and local food literacy webpage.

Resources for B.C. food business interested in selling to K-12 schools

While many school districts are in the early stages of developing their school food programs, here are some steps interested food businesses can take to prepare for opportunities to sell to K-12 schools:

• Read Selling into K-12 overview (PDF, 125 KB)
• List your business and products on the BC Food Directory
• Access B.C. producer and processor resources

Resources for K-12 school food program decision makers

Local food sourcing and tracking resources

• Getting Started: A Guide to Sourcing B.C. Food in Kindergarten to Grade 12 School Food Programs (PDF, 2.2 MB): information and resources to support the use of B.C. food in school food programs
• Getting Started: A Guide to Tracking B.C. Food Purchases in Kindergarten to Grade 12 School Food Programs (PDF, 2.5 MB): information to start tracking B.C. food purchases for school food programs
• BC Food Directory: a free searchable database of B.C. food and beverage products
• Buy BC – What’s in season: information about when B.C. foods are grown and available
• Cooking in Two Worlds resources for public institutions on Indigenous and traditional foods

Local food literacy resources

• The Great B.C. School Food Cookbook (PDF, 33 MB): recipes and stories created by classes across B.C. using B.C. ingredients.  
• All about B.C. food posters and scrolling slideshows to support learning about B.C. food, agriculture, and food systems:

For more local food literacy resources, check out:

• BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation: access resources, farm and food maps, and engaging programs that connect students with B.C.’s agriculture
• Farm to School BC: discover lesson plans, guides, and teacher mentorship programs that focus on local food, hands-on learning, and fostering school-community connections
• Hands on Food: dive into a practical, hands-on food literacy curriculum tailored specifically for elementary school educators
• BC at the Table: utilize workshops and teaching materials to help Grade 7 to 12 students explore B.C.’s diverse food systems
• FarmFolk CityFolk: explore info sheets, lesson plans, games, and activities focused on seeds and sustainable food systems

Need more support?

We’re here to help! Email us at FeedBC@gov.bc.ca.