This Week in Farm to School from NC

May 5, 2022

Culturally Responsive Garden-based Learning

May 10, 2022 // 4 pm EDT

Edible school gardens are ideal spaces to talk about and celebrate diversity and cultural traditions around food and agriculture. Join KidsGardening for a lively discussion with renowned garden educators and authors Dr. Dilafruz Williams, Amoreena Guerrero, and Lori Koenick to discuss what culturally inclusive garden-based learning looks like and how we can make it the norm across our edible school garden programs.

Register here.

Women in Ag Local Foods Farm Tour

May 15, 2022 // 10 am - 6 pm EDT

Discover local food and fiber farms in Franklin County, North Carolina! Nine county-wide farms will be open to the public rain or shine. This year’s first annual Women in Ag Local Foods Tour is dedicated in honor of the late Bob Sykes, formerly of Turtle Mist Farm in Franklinton, a pioneer, and promoter of agritourism in Franklin County. 

Learn more here.

Policy and Advocacy For Food Systems Change: A Conversation With Seasoned Leaders

May 18, 2022 // 12 pm EDT

The Wallace Center’s Food Systems Leadership Network is excited to invite everyone to the upcoming panel discussion. Political advocacy is one of the most effective ways of achieving lasting systems change in our communities and in our food system. With an unprecedented amount of funding coming from the federal government to protect and advance local food systems, and with the Farm Bill up for renewal in 2023, now is the time to get motivated, excited, and ready to act to ensure that Congress continues supporting programs that build more equitable, resilient, and climate-smart food systems in the United States.

Learn more and register here.

2022 Pollinator Garden Tours

Various dates and times throughout the spring

The pollinator garden tours of NC Cooperative Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden are led by Agriculture Extension Agent Debbie Roos. The garden features over 225 species of perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, and grasses, and 85% of them are native to North Carolina. This is a great opportunity to visit the popular gathering spot for honey bees, native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and beneficial insects in addition to their human admirers! These free tours take place rain or shine and will last an hour to an hour and a half.

Register here. 

Create an Accessible Garden for Those with Physical Limitations

For individuals with challenged mobility, gardening opportunities may at first appear limited. However, by designing your garden with accessibility in mind, you can create a garden that can be enjoyed by everyone. This resource shares some ways to plan a garden that is welcoming to all. 

Learn more here.

NC Cooperative Extension Planting Guide

School Gardens can be rich, vibrant spaces for young people to deepen their understanding of local foods. Browse this webpage for resources, ideas, and materials that can support a school garden program.

Read more here.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Reducing Food Waste at K - 12 Schools

K-12 schools have a special role in not only reducing, recovering, and recycling food waste on their premises but also in educating the next generation about the importance of food conservation and recovering wholesome excess food for donation to those less fortunate. Most importantly, increasing consumption and reducing wasted food means children get the nutritional benefits from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP).

Learn more here.

No Kid Hungry & Save the Children Grant Opportunity: Promising Practice to End Rural Child Hunger

Deadline: May 9, 2022

There is a new funding opportunity from Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign and Save the Children for rural school districts, food banks, Tribal communities, faith-based organizations, and other community-based providers seeking support in their efforts to alleviate child hunger and food insecurity. Grant requests will be considered for amounts up to $50,000 with a minimum grant amount of $10,000. 

Apply here.

Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP)

Deadline: May 16, 2022

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened grant applications under the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP). This funding is available through three channels, with the USDA including a focus on Farm to Institution (FTI) projects for two of the funding streams: The Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grants will develop food businesses that connect local food to institutions, and the Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant supports public-private partnerships that build and strengthen the viability of local or regional food economies. The third stream, the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), supports direct-to-consumer markets such as farmers' markets and CSAs. The Wallace Center has created this set of resources on applying.

Learn more here.

Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program - Produce Prescription Program

Deadline: June 30, 2022

The National Institute for Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program - Produce Prescription Program focuses on projects that improve dietary health through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables; reduce individual and household food insecurity; and reduce healthcare use and associated costs. Submissions for grants have now opened. Applications may only be submitted by government agencies and non-profit organizations; however, award recipients may sub-award to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.

Apply here.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture Grant

Deadline: July 28, 2022

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Sustainable Agricultural Systems supports approaches that promote transformational changes in the U.S. food and agriculture system. NIFA seeks creative and visionary applications that take a systems approach for projects that are expected to significantly improve the supply of affordable, safe, nutritious, and accessible agricultural products while fostering economic development and rural prosperity in America. 

Learn more here.

National Farm to School Network State (NFSN) Policy Map

NFSN recently launched an exciting new State Policy Map resource. State legislative sessions are in full swing, and they would love to learn about state policies that should be highlighted and shared through this interactive tool.

View the map here.

Let Your Voice Be Heard: Help Shape the Next Dietary Guidelines

Deadline: May 16, 2022

Every five years, USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services partner to provide the latest, science-based nutrition guidance to empower Americans to make dietary choices that will improve their health and lifestyles. Starting last week, the USDA and HHS began the process of developing the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans by posting proposed scientific questions for public comment.

Submit your comment here.

U.S. Black Farmers Lost $326 Billion Worth of Land in 20th Century - Study

Black farmers in the United States lost roughly $326 billion worth of acreage during the 20th century, according to the first study to quantify the present-day value of that loss.

Read here.

Seven Ways to Fight For Food Justice

Food Justice comes in many forms - protecting human rights and restoring the environment, as well as creating jobs and expanding access to healthy, culturally appropriate food. 

Read here.

Pollution is Segregated 

The United States of America is segregated and so is pollution. These words come from the so-called "father of environmental justice," Robert Bullard. As a sociologist in the 1970s, he shone a light on the fact that minority communities in Houston suffered most from pollution. Since then, he's written more than a dozen books on sustainable development, environmental racism, and climate justice. As part of the "Chasing the Dream" initiative about poverty, jobs, and economic opportunity in America, Bullard spoke with Walter Isaacson in Texas. Originally aired on March 3, 2020.

Watch here.