Thanks to the participation of schools all across the state, the Colorado Proud School Meal Day has outgrown its roots. This year, Colorado Proud and the Colorado Department of Education are working together to celebrate our local agricultural heritage and teach healthy eating habits all October long.
Colorado has been an agricultural powerhouse since it became a state nearly 150 years ago. Today, 35,000 farms and ranches covering 30 million acres produce the fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fait dairy products that are an essential part of every student’s nutrition, helping fuel their scholastic success. Colorado agriculture also provides 195,000 jobs and contributes $47 billion to the state economy annually, making it the second largest industry in the state.
Sign your school up today, or read on to explore the many ways your community can participate in 2025.
Ways to Participate
Colorado Proud Farm to School Lunch
328,000 students from 830 schools participated in 2024, so don’t miss the fun this year! Let us connect you to Colorado Proud farmers and ranchers in your district who would welcome the chance to speak with your students and share the bounty of their hard work.
Crunch Off!
Join thousands of Coloradans as we compete against other states to get the most per capita “crunches” into local produce and proteins. Help our state take home the banner by registering an event for your school. Pro tip: This can be part of your school lunch event!
Farm Tours
Offer hands-on learning about agriculture and our native soil by taking a field trip to a local farm or ranch. We will help connect you to Colorado Proud members in your district to help you build farm-to-school partnerships that nourish your students’ bodies and minds.
Ag in the Classroom
From Colorado Proud Bingo and coloring pages to STEM resources from our agriculture partners, we have tons of fun and educational activities to share that will engage classrooms of all ages and teach the importance of both agriculture and healthy eating habits.
Sign Up Your School
Join us to celebrate the wonderful fruits and vegetables grown in our state and discover how farm-to-school partnerships strengthen our communities. If your school or district is interested in participating, please complete the school sign-up form to share your plans and request additional information and materials from Colorado Proud and the Colorado Department of Education.
You do not need to have all the details of your participation worked out now to sign up. Let us know you’re interested and we can help you:
- Identify the Farm to School activity that best fits your school and schedule
- Connect you with local Colorado Proud members
- Find educational resources from our network of supporting partners (see below)
- Promote your Farm to School efforts
Resources
Once you’re signed up for Colorado Proud Farm to School Meal month, you will receive email updates as new resources are made available for download.
- Local School Lunch Recipe Idea (from Nourish Colorado)
- Classroom Bingo Card
- Colorado Ag Stats Map
- Reasons to Eat Local Poster and Flyer
- Colorado Proud Activity Worksheet
- Colorado Agriculture Map for Kids
- Colorado Produce Calendar (available in English and Spanish)
- USDA Mountain Plains Crunch Off Information
- Colorado Dept of Education’s Farm to School and Summer Webpage
- Photos from Previous Colorado Proud School Meal Days
You can also contact Danielle Trotta at 970-372-9351 if you have any questions or need additional supplies.
Supporting Partners
Special thanks to our statewide partners for supporting Colorado Proud Farm to School Meal Month 2025!
