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August 3, 2023

This Week in Farm to School 

Farm to school connects local agriculture, schools, and partners to benefit students, educators, farmers, families, and communities.

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New Teens Talk Wellness Episode

Check out the Teens Talk Wellness Podcast episode three – Teens Talk Food Inclusivity. For this episode, our teen anchors discuss food inclusivity in school meals and how that impacts our views of cuisines worldwide. During their interview with Jennifer Ozkurt, School Nutrition Director for Chatham County Schools, the students learn about how she includes culturally relevant meals on her school menus and how students can advocate for food inclusivity in their schools.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Soundcloud.

Knowledge is Pollinator Power: A Webinar of Experts to Prep for the Great Southeastern Pollinator Census

August 10, 2023 // 1 pm to 3 pm ET

Join the Great Southeastern Pollinator Census team to learn about the Census, how to participate in the Census, how to bring the Census to your community or organization, and ask questions with the experts. If you want to help scientists understand what kind of insects are in your backyard, this is the project for you!

Learn more and register.

Local Budget Advocacy Basics

August 16, 2023 // 12 pm to 1:30 pm ET

Join the Center for Environmental Farming Systems' Community Food Strategies Initiative and the NC Farm to Senior Services Initiative for a Local Budget Advocacy Basics training. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a budding advocate, they will help you understand the roles of key players in local government, interpret budget documents, and identify how to align advocacy priorities. 

Learn more and register.

School Garden Support Organization Network Open House

August 24, 2023 // 2 PM ET

Come learn all about the School Garden Support Organization Network! You’ll get a taste of what the SGSO Network seeks to do as a network: connect their members with one another and continually gather feedback on what you need to be successful in your programs. As a result, there will be time to meet other folks on the call and time to engage in a listening session where you’ll share your biggest school garden challenges, needs, and solutions.

Learn more and register.

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s (ASAP) Farm Tour

September 23 -24, 2023

ASAP’s annual Farm Tour will share how food is grown and raised through guided tours, demonstrations, and tastings. The Farm Tour showcases the diversity of working farms in Western North Carolina, including vegetables, livestock, vineyards, orchards, flowers, fiber, and more! This is a family-friendly event and a great outing for visitors of all ages, abilities, and interests. 

Learn more.

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Regulations School Nutrition Programs Follow

The NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services has created a list of resources School Nutrition programs must follow when procuring food. School Nutrition Programs must follow federal, state, and local procurement rules. Local procurement rules can differ among districts. School Nutrition Directors are the best source of information for determining the rules they must follow. 

Learn more.

Pollinator Census Classroom Resources

The Great Southeastern Pollinator Census team has created many S.T.E.A.M. activities that you can use in your classroom! Explore the lesson plans for ideas on getting students excited about insects and the Census.

Learn more.

Fueling My Healthy Life

This resource was created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. You can use project-based learning and technology to engage students in nutrition education while meeting educational standards for English and Health. 

Learn more.

Visit our Resource Library!

Healthy Land, Healthy Food, Healthy People: A Cochiti Invitation to Join Us at the Table

The tendency for philanthropy to act in silos severs the connections between land and food, food and people, and health and environmental balance. It is past time for environmental justice-oriented philanthropy and public policy work with Indigenous nations to develop more holistic approaches that restore food systems while caring for land, the people, and the environment.

Learn more.

Timeline of BIPOC Food Sovereignty Movement

Soul Fire Farm has created a timeline of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous solidarity in food sovereignty movement work.

Learn more.

Diversity in School Nutrition Leadership

FoodCorps’ Food Operators & Leaders of Color in Schools (FOLCS) community provides opportunities for AmeriCorps service members, alumni, and School Nutrition Professionals, as well as those aspiring to careers in this field, to connect around leadership development, mentorship, and networking. They created this network in response to the need for staff of color working in School Nutrition to feel seen, heard, and valued–an essential step in promoting equity in schools. Through this growing network, they hope that you’ll find a supportive community of leaders of color in School Nutrition and join them in their mission: to ensure all kids have access to food education and nourishing food in schools. 

Learn more.

Organic Market Development Grants

Deadline: August 8, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service has approximately $75 million available for FY 2023 for the Organic Market Development Grants program. This grant aims to boost the consumption of domestic organic agricultural commodities by developing new and expanded organic markets. Eligible applicants, including business entities, non-profit organizations, and government entities, can receive funding running from $10,000 to $3 million for projects focused on production, processing, distribution, and consumer market development. 

Learn more and apply.


Native Agricultural & Food Systems Scholarship

Deadline: August 10, 2023

The Native Agriculture and Food Systems Scholarship encourage more Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian college students to enter agriculture and food systems fields so that they can better assist their communities with their food systems efforts. First Nations will award 20 to 25 $1,000 to $1,500 scholarships for the 2023-24 academic school year to Native college students majoring in agriculture and agriculture-related fields.

Learn more and apply.


NC Farm Bureau Going Local Grants

Deadline: November 15, 2023

North Carolina Farm Bureau is happy to provide agricultural outreach grants to NC teachers through their Ag in the Classroom Going Local program. These grants value up to $500. Going Local Grants help educators provide Pre-K through collegiate-level students with valuable, real-world education and experiences directly related to the agricultural industry and the NC Standard Course of Study. Teachers practicing in private and public North Carolina schools, colleges, and universities are encouraged to apply.

Learn more.

School Meals for All - Benefits in Academic Performance 

The North Carolina Alliance for Health has created a one-pager sharing the benefits of school meals for all on academic performance. Providing students with healthy meals at school make them more attentive and engaged in the classroom, leading to better grades, higher attendance rates, and higher graduation rates. 

Learn more.

Farm to School Coalition of NC | www.farmtoschoolcoalitionnc.org
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