▁the ▁school ▁l unch ▁programs ▁which ▁generally ▁include ▁the ▁health iest ▁food ▁options . ▁ ▁Adv oc ates ▁of ▁farm ▁to ▁school ▁argue ▁that ▁it ▁will ▁have ▁a ▁benef icial ▁effect ▁on ▁the ▁regional ▁economy ▁but ▁there ▁are ▁few ▁compreh ensive ▁anal ys es ▁that ▁have ▁evaluated ▁this . ▁ ▁At ▁least ▁one ▁analysis ▁evaluated ▁the ▁potential ▁economic ▁impact ▁of ▁farm ▁to ▁school ▁programs ▁for ▁an ▁entire ▁region ▁( Cent ral ▁Minnesota ) ▁in ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁manner . ▁ ▁The ▁investig ators ▁empir ically ▁developed ▁a ▁real istic ▁set ▁of ▁potential ▁food s ▁to ▁include ▁in ▁farm - to - school ▁l unch ▁programs ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁Their ▁analysis ▁took ▁into ▁account ▁the ▁impact ▁on ▁output ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁employ ment ▁and ▁labor ▁income ▁in ▁the ▁regions . ▁ ▁Depending ▁on ▁the ▁price ▁paid ▁for ▁the ▁farm ▁food s ▁and ▁how ▁often ▁the ▁farm ▁food s ▁are ▁util ized ▁in ▁school ▁l unch es , ▁the ▁regional ▁economic ▁impact ▁r anged ▁from ▁$ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁almost ▁$ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁their ▁analysis . ▁ ▁Though ▁initial ▁pilot ▁studies ▁and ▁economic ▁anal ys es ▁provide ▁hope ▁that ▁farm - to - school ▁programs ▁are ▁finan cially ▁vi able ▁options ▁for ▁schools ▁and ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁benef icial ▁to ▁local ▁econom ies , ▁this ▁research ▁is ▁in ▁early ▁stages ▁and ▁no ▁longer ▁term ▁controlled ▁studies ▁have ▁been ▁completed . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁ ▁Environment al ▁groups ▁and ▁resources ▁serving ▁K – 1