In this Issue: Stories from Arkansas Farm to School Partners Events In the News Grants and Opportunities

What is Farm to School?

Procurement: Local foods are purchased, promoted and served in the cafeteria or as a snack or taste-test Education: Students participate in education activities related to agriculture, food, health or nutrition School gardens: Students engage in hands-on learning through gardening

Farm to school empowers children and their families to make informed food choices while re-directing schools’ purchasing dollars toward the local economy and contributing to vibrant communities.

Stories of Farm to School in Arkansas

Arkansas Farm to School partners meet together for the first time at the Arkansas Children's Research Institute. Statewide Farm to School Collaboration  Several Arkansas agencies and organizations are uniting to promote farm to school together. Read more

Students explore seeds through a school activity. . Upcoming Seed Exchange Program . Cynthia Rorie from The Delta School in Wilson, Arkansas is looking to start a seed exchange program for schools. Read more to get involved! Read more

Pictured (left to right): MPS Candidates Joshua DeBruyn, Nicole Hellthaler, and Amy Stewart. Groundbreaker Profiles Three students at the Clinton School of Public Service have been traveling across the state to interview Arkansas Farm to School Groundbreakers about their programs and projects. . Read more 2018 Statewide Farm to School Summit This year's Statewide Farm to School Summit was held at Carolyn Lewis Elementary in Conway, Arkansas. See below for a quick recap and some photos! Read more

Raised beds in the greenhouse at Yellville-Summit School District Farm to School at Yellville-Summit Hear from Katherine Quinn, the Garden Program Specialist and Agriculture Teacher at Yellville-Summit School District, about what she and the students are up to. Try some of their ideas at your school! Read more National Farm to Cafeteria Conference The National Farm to Cafeteria Conference was a blast! Over 1,000 diverse stakeholders were able to share their stories, tips and tricks, and plans for the future. We're already looking forward to the next one! Photos and Highlights

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars for upcoming events!

National Days & Months June: National Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Month July: National Picnic Month

Events & Webinars July 12: NFSN Farm to Summer webinar July 23-24: Child Nutrition Directors' Conference (Little Rock)

Check out the links above for celebration ideas and more information!

Featured Event

Via Instagram: @ralstonfamilyfarms Ralston Family Farms Tour July 27! Interested in purchasing locally grown rice? Join us on July 27 for a a tour of Ralston Family Farms, presenting the entire process to Child Nutrition Directors who are interested. Come see how they sustainably grow, harvest, and mill their many traditional and aromatic varieties! Register for the tour

In the News

Education Matters: Gardens on School Campuses Students in an Arkansas school district are learning where their food comes from and about healthy eating by working in an on-campus garden. Those lessons carry over into the classroom and the cafeteria, where some of the vegetables make their way into school meals. KARK-TV (Little Rock, Ark.) (3/12)   Fifth generation Arkansas farm family continues tradition “In the past few years, farm-to-school programs have been really good for us,” Morgan said. “Lamar school actually had an opportunity through the NFL’s Play60 program where they brought the kids out to us, picked their own peaches and then returned to their school’s cafeteria to process everything.” ( Farm Talk Newspaper ) Farm to School program provides healthy choices for students The Danville School District is one of several in Arkansas participating in the Farm to School program which is designed to enrich the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local farmers. (Arkansas Farm Bureau) (5/17) School Vegetable Garden in NLR Gets Donation A local school's vegetable garden is getting a major upgrade, thanks to a generous donation . (KARK) (5/6)

Grants and Opportunities

Grants: Chef Ann Recipe Contest (due June 30) Seeds for Education Grant Program (opens July 1) Surveys: Farmers: Take this survey about your motivations for certain farming practices for a chance to win $500! Opportunities AmeriCorps VISTA position at Tri Cycle Farms (deadline July 8) Are you ready to make a difference and serve your community? Tri Cycle Farms needs your help and is looking for dedicated, enthusiastic people to serve as AmeriCorps VISTAs for 2018-19. Send your resume NOW to director@tricyclefarms.org.

Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance

What's Available in the Garden?

Time to Plant Cucumbers Green beans Eggplant Okra Peppers Pumpkin Squash Tomato Zucchini Click here for a great Vegetable Harvest Calendar Fruit Harvest Calendar

Time to Harvest Beet Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Chard Lettuce Spinach Strawberries Turnip

Cooking Matters Garden-Based Addendum

Studies show that children are more likely to prefer fresh fruits and vegetables and have a greater willingness to try new foods when they receive hands-on gardening education along with nutrition education. With this in mind, The Access to Healthy Foods Research Group received grant funding to develop a garden-based addendum to the Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters ® for Kids/Teens curriculum. Courses using the addendum will be piloted in the coming months.

Cooking Matters

Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance

Become an Arkansas Farm to School Participating Partner

Click the button below to fill out a short form to register as an Arkansas Farm to School Participating Partner and be featured on our website and on our new interactive map of Partners!

Register as a Participating Partner!

Arkansas Farm to School ArkansasFarmtoSchool.org

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Access to Healthy Foods Research Group and Arkansas Farm to School efforts supported in part by Kohl’s and the National Farm to School Network.