Celebrate Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week from September 28 – October 2

ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 28, 2026) – Governor Wes Moore has declared September 28 – October 2, 2026 as Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week! This annual celebration encourages school districts across Maryland to include local food in their school lunches and celebrate the farmers and watermen that help feed our state.

Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week is just one part of the Maryland Farm to School Program, which is administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). It aims to bring locally-produced foods into schools, provide hands-on experimental learning to students and integrate food-related education into curriculum while promoting the benefits of local, nutritious food.

"Homegrown School Lunch Week is about more than putting local foods on our students' lunch trays. It helps them understand where that food is coming from and introduces them to the farmers and watermen that produce it," said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks. "When students taste a locally grown apple, learn how milk gets from a dairy farm into their milk carton or meet the people behind their food, we build a connection to Maryland agriculture that can last a lifetime. Those experiences help create informed consumers who understand the value of buying local and supporting the agricultural community that feeds our state."

"Maryland's Homegrown School Lunch Week reflects our commitment to meals that support students' health and learning while maintaining community connections," said Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright. "Fresh, Maryland-grown ingredients in school meals provide a deeper understanding of local farmers and producers. I am proud of the partnerships across our state that help bring local foods into our schools, and I appreciate the school nutrition teams whose dedication fuels student success."

Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week kicked off with a special event at Ruth Ann Monroe Primary School in Hagerstown, Maryland on September 28, 2026. Students participated in over 10 different hands-on activities, sampled local foods and enjoyed a reading of The Dog Who Saved the Bees, with each student receiving a copy of the book to take home. The event was held in partnership with MDA, MSDE, Washington County Public Schools Food & Nutrition Services, Washington County Public Schools Career and Technical Education, American Dairy Northeast, Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation and Ruth Ann Monroe Primary School.

"Farming and agriculture is a rich part of our community's heritage and our local economy, so Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week is especially meaningful for us across Washington County Public Schools," said Washington County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Gary Willow. "Our Food and Nutrition Services team places great care in serving nutritious meals to students every day. This week in particular provides an opportunity to help students better understand the connection between the food on their trays and the people who grow it."

"To me, farm-to-table means ensuring that every child, regardless of their background, can enjoy fresh, healthy food and know where it comes from," said Ruth Ann Monroe Primary School Principal Jamie Hade. "We are proud to celebrate our local farmers while creating experiences that support the well-being of our students. A majority of our students rely on school meals, so it's critical that they have nutritious options. Every fresh meal from our cafeteria contributes to their health, learning and success well beyond their time with us at Ruth Ann Monroe Primary School."

Participating farms and activity partners included Clear Spring Middle & High School Future Farmers of America (FFA), Hancock Middle & High School FFA, Boonsboro Middle & High School FFA, Smithsburg High School FFA, North Hagerstown High School Culinary Program, Washington County Health Department, Washington County Business and Economic Development, Rinehart Orchards, Dairy Maid Dairy, Moon Valley Farm and Hoffman's Meats.

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Throughout the week, Washington County Public Schools Food & Nutrition Services will feature Maryland-grown and produced foods at schools throughout the county, including all-beef hot dogs from Hoffman Meats, fresh apples from Rinehart Orchards and salad mix from District Farms.

School districts across the state will also participate in Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week by providing students with locally-sourced school meals and educational materials. Some activities will include:

Calvert County Public Schools

• September 30: Schools will feature locally-sourced menu items, including ground beef from Battle Creek Beef and romaine lettuce from Ben's Creek Produce. Students at Dowell Elementary will enjoy lunch that includes corn on the cob from Swann Farms while learning about seeds, planting, crops and farm animals from local farmers and agricultural service providers, including Milling Ritter Meat and Wood Farms, University of Maryland Extension, College of Southern Maryland and Calvert Soil Conservation District.

Caroline County Public Schools

• September 30: The University of Maryland Extension (https://extension.umd.edu/home/) will host Ag Career Day for 8th graders, which will include tastings from local farmers. Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks will kick-off the day.
• October 2:  Preston Elementary School will feature a locally-sourced school lunch featuring blue catfish cakes and a Maryland Crab Soup competition courtesy of school cafeteria staff.

Carroll County Public Schools

• September 28-October 2: The 40 institutions that make up Carroll County Public Schools will enjoy watermelon, corn, tomatoes and apples from Baugher's Orchards and Farms (https://www.baughers.com/); green squash and potatoes from Wike Family Farm; and yellow squash and cucumbers from Moon Valley Farm.
• October 2: All schools will enjoy a roasted vegetable flatbread pizza for lunch.

Frederick County Public Schools

• September 28-October 2: Frederick County Public Schools will focus the week on their rural schools, including Centerville Elementary, Carroll Manor Elementary, Emmitsburg Elementary, Liberty Elementary and Woodsboro Elementary. Students will have the opportunity to taste rainbow carrot coins from Moon Valley Farm, highlighting a fresh and colorful vegetable option during school lunch.

Garrett County Public Schools

• Thanks to Appalachia Farm and Food Alliance (https://www.appalachianfarmandfood.com/), with funding from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School grant (https://www.fna.usda.gov/f2s/farm-to-school), students at Garrett County Public Schools will have a local Maryland product on their school lunch menu each week during the year as part of "Maryland Mondays."

Harford County Public Schools

• October 2: Harford County Public Schools will offer corn on the cob courtesy of Jones Family Farm (https://jonesfamilyfarmmd.com/), who along with growing and harvesting the corn, graciously shucked it. Thanks to this partnership, students will enjoy this local favorite countywide.
• Throughout the fall, while supplies last, students will have the opportunity to enjoy apples from Shaw Orchards (https://www.shaworchards.com/index.php). Additionally, students regularly enjoy fresh lettuce from District Farms in Frederick throughout the year. This product is sourced from a partnership with Moon Valley Farm in Woodsboro.

Montgomery County Public Schools

• September 28-October 2: Montgomery County Public Schools will enjoy local apples and grape tomatoes from Moon Valley Farm, local spring mix from District Farms and Maryland-made cinnamon rolls from Hadley Farms (https://www.hadleyfarms.com/).
• October 7: Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor and Board of Education representatives will join students from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School for a blue catfish lunch.

St. Mary's County Public Schools

• October 2: Ridge Elementary School will feature outdoor learning activities, while serving local beef burgers from Trossbach Family Meats (https://www.trossbachfamilymeats.farm/) and local watermelon and corn shucked by 5th graders.
• October 7: Lexington Park Elementary School will feature outdoor learning activities, serving local beef burgers from Trossbach Family Meats and local watermelon and corn shucked by 5th graders.
• October 13: Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary School will feature outdoor learning activities, while serving local beef burgers from Part Green Hill Farm (https://southernmarylandmeats.com/farms/index.html?id=part_green_hill_farm) and local watermelon and corn shucked by 5th graders.

Wicomico County Public Schools

• October 30: Wicomico County Public Schools will celebrate "Local Food Day" and serve blue catfish entrees, Sloppy Joes made with local ground beef, local red cabbage, hydroponic lettuce and apples.

According to the 2022–23 U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School Census (https://farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov/census-results/states/md), more than 85% of Maryland school authorities participated in Farm to School activities, reaching 971 schools and 585,877 students with opportunities to learn about local foods. Many school authorities also serve local foods weekly with milk, fruits and vegetables among the most commonly offered.

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The Maryland Farm to School website (https://mda.maryland.gov/farm_to_school/Pages/2020-MDHomegrown-School-Lunch-Week.aspx) offers educational materials, including Harvest of the Month posters (https://mda.maryland.gov/farm_to_school/Pages/harvest-of-the-month.aspx), produce seasonality charts (https://marylandsbest.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/Whats-In-Season.pdf), information on where to find local products and many more resources for parents, teachers and food service providers. The MSDE Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (https://marylandpublicschools.org/programs/schoolandcommunitynutrition/pages/default.aspx), in collaboration with the University of Maryland Extension SNAP-Ed Program (https://extension.umd.edu/programs/family-consumer-sciences/snap-ed) and Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (https://maefonline.com/), developed "Exploring Maryland Food (https://mdteachertoolkit.org/maryland-farm-to-school-resource/)," a five module curriculum geared toward elementary school students and containing a teachers' guide, activities and videos.

For more information on Maryland's school meal programs, please visit the MSDE website (http://marylandpublicschools.org/Pages/default.aspx). Any questions related to Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week may be directed to MDA Farm to School Program Director Karen Fedor at [email protected] (https://news.maryland.gov/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#32595340575c1c5457565d40725f53404b5e535c561c555d44) or (410) 841-5773.

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