This Week in Farm to School from NFSN and NC

October 29, 2020

This Week in Farm to School

Farm to school is a program that brings together local schools, state agencies and organizations together with local farmers to supply healthy nutritious food to our childrens’ schools.

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Upcoming Webinars and Events

Virtual 2021 SGSO Leadership Institute: Paid Working Groups - Call for Applications

Deadline: November 6

The School Garden Support Organization Leadership Institute provides an opportunity for school garden professionals from across the country to collaborate, learn from one another, and develop resources to share with a national audience. The 2021 School Garden Support Organization Leadership Institute will be entirely virtual. This year’s School Garden Support Organization Leadership Institute is open to newcomers and SGSO Institute Alumni! Applications are due November 6, 2020. To learn more about this exciting opportunity and apply, visit: lifelab.org/sgso.

Virtual Conference: Food in Uncertain Times

November 5-6

The Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation (CRAFT) at Chatham University and the Chatham University Eden Hall Fellows will host a 2-day, virtual event focused on the present day challenges within our food system, including racial inequity, the colonization of food, and lack of representation and access. The many efforts of resilience throughout a global pandemic will also be highlighted. Learn more and register.

Grant Opportunities

2020 Carton to Garden Contest

Deadline: December 1

Evergreen Packaging and KidsGardening.org are proud to present our sixth annual national Carton 2 Garden Contest! Open to public and private schools, contest winners will be selected based on their implementation of an innovative garden creation featuring creative and sustainable uses for repurposed milk and juice cartons. Your school can get started by collecting at least 100 empty cartons from your home, community, or cafeteria. After gathering cartons, it’s time to design and construct purposeful garden items and structures using them. Learn more.

Additional Grant Opportunities

For more grants like this one, please visit our list of available grants for Farm to School Programs in North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic. This list will be updated with grants as we are notified of them.

Please send grant opportunities to Arneisha Smallwood, ansmallw@ncsu.edu, or Tessa Thraves, tes_thraves@ncsu.edu.

Racial Equity Resources

Latinx Organizing in Food and Agricultural Systems: Culture, Power, and Change

Tuesday, November 17, 9am-11am, EST, (or 12:00–2:00 pacific

During September – November 2020, we have planned three Story/Skillshares around the broad and intersectional theme of Food, Agriculture, Land and Racial Justice. There will be story–shares from members of this network of partners, as well as time for breakout conversations and deepening our relationships. You are welcome to join any of these Story/Skillshares and invite partners in your network, too. Register here.

Additional Racial Equity Resources

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), one of our Farm to School Coalition of NC partners, has created a document of current webinars as well as resources to facilitate engagement and learning around Racial Equity, both in general and especially as it relates to food systems and education. View webinars/ resources here.

National Farm to School Network

NFSN Recording: 2020 Movement Meeting: Food Justice is Racial Justice

How can we shift power in our communities to create a more just food system? What community capital and resources can help us create systemic change in the ways we grow, prepare and eat food? The National Farm to School Network hosted a virtual Movement Meeting on Wednesday, Oct.14 featuring Karen Washington, a food justice activist, with deep conversation and action-oriented reflection on racial justice in the farm to school movement and wider food system. Watch the recording here.

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North Carolina Farm to School Storybooks and Activity Guides

ASAP Growing Minds Day by Day Resources

NCDPI Lighting Our Way Forward Guide

Mealtimes with Toddlers: New Team Nutrition Training Resource

Identifying and Countering White Supremacy Culture in Food Systems