Beef fuels
communities
California beef farmers and ranchers play a vital role in feeding families, supporting local economies, and caring for the land. From pasture to plate, their work provides nutritious beef while maintaining open spaces, protecting natural resources, and contributing to healthy communities. This page offers tools and resources to help producers share their story and connect with schools through Farm to School efforts.
Farm to School Connection
Farm to School programs connect California beef farmers and ranchers with students, educators, and school nutrition professionals. These partnerships bring the story of beef to life, from how cattle are raised to the role beef plays in a healthy diet, while helping schools serve high-quality, locally sourced meals.
Featured Resource:
Farm Tour Toolkit
This step-by-step guide makes it easy to plan and host a farm tour for students, school staff, or your community. The turnkey toolkit includes planning timelines, checklists, safety tips, and activity ideas to create an engaging and educational experience on the farm. Use it to connect people with agriculture in a fun and memorable way, from seeing crops and animals up close to learning how food gets from the farm to the table.
Why It Matters
For Beef Farmers and Ranchers:
Share your story, highlight your stewardship of the land and cattle, and build lasting community connections.
For Schools:
Give students hands-on learning about where their food comes from, add high-quality, nutrient-rich protein to school meals, and strengthen ties to local agriculture.
Ways to Connect
- Serve beef in school meals through approved procurement channels
- Host ranch visits or virtual tours for students and school staff
- Visit classrooms to talk about beef production, animal care, and sustainability
- Share educational posters, videos, or fact sheets for use in lessons or meal sites
Partnering with Schools
Ready to share your story and your beef with the next generation? This quick-start guide covers the basics of connecting with districts, meeting requirements, and supporting Farm to School programs.
Raising Beef Responsibly
Learn how California cattle producers raise beef with care for the land, the animals, and the community. Download infographics that show the lifecycle of beef, sustainable practices, wildfire prevention, and responsible management tools.
Purchase beef directly from the producer.
Check out the California Beef Council’s Local Beef Directory to connect with beef producers near you.