About the conference:

The Louisiana Farm to School Program will host the annual Louisiana Farm to School Conference on October 23, 2019 at the Pennington Biomedical Conference Center. A special Meet the Buyer, Greet the Grower event will kick off the conference on the evening of October 22 to provide farmers and school nutrition staff the opportunity to network and identify opportunities for increasing local food in school meals. The general conference on October 23 will address topics such as school gardening challenges, child nutrition, produce safety, barriers of farm to school, educational resources, and sourcing local food in schools. The conference will include panel discussions, breakout sessions, and opportunities for networking throughout the day.

View the conference agenda- click here!

Registration:

We have several registration options depending on your activities during the conference.Details for each ticket can be found in the registration options. Enter your promotional code (if applicable) before selecting your ticket in the registration options.

• The Meet the Buyers, Greet the Growers Procurement Networking Event is FREE to attend, but registration is required to accommodate all attendees. This event will take place on the evening of October 22, before the general conference and is a great place to connect whether you are a farmer, wholesale buyer, produce distributor, or child nutrition director.
• For the general attendee, please select the $33 general conference admission. This will cover the full day October 23- breakfast, lunch, and sessions throughout the day. If you feel you are unable to cover the cost of the event or you are an extension agent, non-profit exhibitor, or state exhibitor please fill out our request for financial assistance form at https://lsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_87liF133aJfnDzD. Recipients of financial assistance will be notified beginning September 12.
• There are four different sponsorship levels for exhibitors. The Seedling level is a donation only and does not exhibit. Exhibitor registration deadline is September 12.

For more details on supporting the conference, click here to view our Sponsor & Exhibitor Packet.

Lodging:

We have reserved a block of rooms at the Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel (7000 Bluebonnet Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70810) for $100/night. The hotel offers shuttle service to and from the Pennington Biomedical Conference Center where the conference will be held. The room block is available through September 24 at the following link: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1559938114266&key=GRP&app=resvlink

Champion for Change Award:

A Champion for Change exemplifies one or more of the tenets of farm to school: local food procurement, education, and school gardening. Anyone who has made a significant impact on farm to school in Louisiana may be considered for this award including students, teachers, volunteers, gardeners, or other community partners. To learn more about the Champion for Change award or to nominate someone, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/LACFC2019. Nominations due by September 12!

Visit LSUAgCenter.com/LouisianaFarmtoSchool to find more information on the Louisiana Farm to School Program, educational resources, taste test guides, procurement help, marketing information, and more! If you have any questions, please contact us at louisianafarmtoschool@agcenter.lsu.edu or call 225-578-1037.