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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Participate in the NC Crunch at the NC State Fair!
If you are visiting the NC State Fair, plan to participate in the NC Crunch while you are there. The NC Crunch is an opportunity for youth and adults to taste and learn about North Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables and thank all those involved in feeding our communities. Look for the NC Crunch station in the Got to Be NC Agriculture pavilion. Culinary demos will feature NC-grown produce in the pavilion located in Dorton Arena. Snap your photo, post to social media using #NCCrunch, and tag @NCAgriculture, @NCStateFair, @F2SCoalitionNC, and the @NCFarmtoPreschool Network.
Also, check out the Children’s Barnyard, Mobile Dairy Classroom, Garden Show, learning stations in the Graham Building and the Agri Supply Exposition Center, and the educational activities and farm to school student artwork in the Field of Dreams exhibit.
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Paid Experiential Learning Programs to Serve K-14 Teachers in NC Information Session
October 23 & 25, 2023 // 6:30 pm ET
Please join Dr. Kathleen Liang at NCA&T for the second information session to learn about a new project in supporting NC K-14 teachers, staff, and administrators to engage in a 7-day innovative agricultural experiential learning program. This training is open to all disciplines. The information session will discuss expectations, timeline, financial support, and application process. The objectives of the program are to (1) deliver integrated training involving innovative hands-on research, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary curriculum design to fulfill soft skills and technical competence for K-14 teachers and administrators, and (2) fulfill shared efficacy to equip participants with knowledge and training materials of the historical context of diversity and equity in agri-food systems and supporting networks.
Learn more and register.
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2023 Farm to School Census Information Session
October 24, 2023 // 1 pm - 2 pm ET
The USDA’s Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program is conducting its fourth Farm to School Census in Fall 2023! This Census is the only national survey that examines local food purchasing, school gardens, and agricultural education efforts in schools. High participation rates will help illustrate the scale and impact of farm to school within North Carolina and show us where there is room to grow. Learn more about the Farm to School Census and North Carolina farm to school programs. We encourage School Food Authorities (SFA) representatives, Extension agents, non-profit partners, and farm to school advocates to attend this webinar to learn more! This webinar will have specific data and resources related to North Carolina but all are welcome to join!
Webinar objectives include:
1. Outlining the purpose and importance of the 2023 Farm to School Census
2. Demonstrating the impact of past Census data
3. Highlighting Census resources provided by the USDA and other state-level farm to school partners
4. Sharing how SFAs and community partners can participate in the Census.
Learn more and register.
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Session I: Key Components of a Youth-Led Entrepreneurship Cooperative
October 26, 2023 // 3:30 pm - 5 pm ET
City Blossoms, the Farm-Based Education Network, and the U.S. Botanic Gardens have teamed up to offer a four-part workshop series highlighting the ins and outs of farm and garden youth entrepreneurship programs. Join the series and a group of guest presenters to explore how to support young people as they start, manage, and grow their own youth-driven businesses. The first session in the series explores the components of a youth-led entrepreneurship cooperative.
Learn more and register.
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Chatham County 4-H Youth Participate in Great Southeast Pollinator Census
This was the first year North Carolina participated in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, a citizen science initiative started in Georgia a few years ago and has since spread to South Carolina and North Carolina. Debbie Roos, Chatham County’s Agriculture Extension Agent, organized an event with 4-H youth on the morning of August 23 at the Pollinator Paradise Garden.
Learn more.
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Cook Up New School Meal Recipes with the NC Jr. Chef Competition
High school students can work with their teachers and local School Nutrition Programs to create school lunch recipes that adhere to National School Lunch Program standards, feature at least two North Carolina-grown ingredients and one USDA Foods item, and appeal to students. The first place N.C. Jr. Chef team advances to the Southeast Jr. Chef Competition. Student members of the top three teams at the state and regional level win scholarships. See below for the proposed timeline for the 2024 N.C. Jr. Chef Competition. The guidelines and application materials will be posted soon.
Stay tuned with the NCDPI, Office of School Nutrition.
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The Local and Regional Food Systems Resilience Playbook
The Local and Regional Food Systems (LRFS) Resilience Playbook is a collaborative effort between university-based researchers, LRFS leaders, and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) experts. The Playbook is designed to support food systems leaders seeking to broaden and deepen their understanding of the distinct strengths and vulnerabilities of LRFS in times of disruption. This resource is intended to function as part primer, and part inspirational guide. Beginning with the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic (and the first iteration Local and Regional Food Systems Response to COVID-19 cooperative agreement that spurred this project) the project team worked to codify key principles, approaches, and insights gleaned from those experiences.
Access the full resource.
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School Meals for All NC National School Lunch Week Poster Contest
The School Meals for All NC campaign would love to see your artistic skills by participating in their poster contest. The contest ends tomorrow, October 20, 2023 and winners will be announced after the surveys have been completed. This contest is for students!
Learn more.
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Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Evaluation: Improving Philanthropic Practice
This First Nations report highlights the need to change evaluation and data collection practices in Native American communities. Indigenous peoples have been some of the most studied peoples around the globe. But in most cases, research and evaluation studies have been extractive and predatory and continue to perpetuate false narratives that frame Indigenous life and communities through a deficient-based lens. This new report highlights ways to improve data and research practices, especially in philanthropy, by following principles and practices of Indigenous data sovereignty and Indigenous evaluation.
Learn more.
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Everybody Eats: Communication and the Paths to Food Justice
Everybody Eats tells the story of food justice in Greensboro, North Carolina–a midsize city in the southern United States. The city’s residents found themselves in the middle of conversations about food insecurity and justice when they reached the top of the Food Research and Action Center’s list of major cities experiencing food hardship.
Learn more.
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2024 Budding Botanist Grant
Tomorrow! Deadline: October 20, 2023
The Klorane Botanical Foundation is committed to supporting programs that teach respect for the environment and protect nature through the preservation of plant species and biodiversity. Designed to further their mission, the Budding Botanist Grant will help our students learn about plants, explore their world, and inspire them to take care of the life they discover in their local ecosystems. In late 2023, twenty high-need schools across the United States will be awarded $500 in grant funding to support their youth garden programs.
Learn more and apply.
Whole Kids Foundation Bee Grant: Traditional Bee Grant
Traditional Bee Grant
Deadline: October 31, 2023
The Traditional Bee Grant allows for K-12 schools or non-profit organizations that serve any grades K-12 to start a new or enhance an existing bee program hosting live bees on their campus.
Learn more and apply.
Kid Kindness Grants
Deadline: November 1, 2023
Kindness Grows Here believes every child is inherently kind and can make positive changes in their community. Kids and teens have amazing ideas for spreading kindness in their schools, neighborhoods, and larger communities. For this reason, Kindness Grows Here dedicates the largest portion of their budget to their "Kid Kindness Grants" program. Every year from September 1 to November 1 they accept applications directly from kids between the ages of 5-18 who have ideas for spreading kindness. To apply, kids need to complete a simple application that tells what they want to do, why, who their project will impact, how much money they need, and exactly how they will spend it.
Learn more and apply.
NC Farm Bureau Going Local Grants
Deadline: November 15, 2023
The 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.
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2023 Farm to School Census
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service released the fourth Farm to School Census on October 2nd, and your participation counts! The Census surveys all public, private, and charter school food authorities (SFAs) operating the National School Lunch Program about their farm to school relevant activities. The Census results are publicly available, and the information is vital to help schools, partners, advocates, and producers understand the role of farm to school in supporting resilient local food systems and contributing to student experiences at school.
Learn more.
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