February 9, 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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North Carolina Rural Partners Network Briefing

Tomorrow! February 10, 2023 // 3pm ET

Join the White House and USDA for a virtual briefing for North Carolina stakeholders on the Rural Partners Network. The Rural Partners Network is an alliance of federal agencies and commissions working directly with rural communities to expand rural prosperity through job creating, infrastructure development, and community improvement. During this briefing, you will hear from officials at the White House and USDA Rural Development, as well as rural community leaders in your state.

RSVP here.


The Implications of Natural Disasters on US Agriculture 

February 13, 2023 // 12 pm ET

This webinar, hosted by the Council on Food, Agriculture, and Resource Economics, will discuss the effect of extreme weather events on agriculture and the challenges for policymakers in ensuring federal programs assist farmers with their demanding risk management needs while also facilitating adaptation to a changing climate. 

Register here.


Become a Qualified Vendor for USDA Food Commodities Purchases Webinar

February 15, 2023 // 2 pm ET

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Commodity Procurement Program at the US Department of Agriculture is hosting an interactive webinar on becoming an approved USDA food vendor. AMS purchases approximately $6 billion of US-grown and processed foods annually for both domestic and international food assistance programs. Find out how your company can participate in these purchases that support American agriculture.

Register here.


Decolonizing Garden Education

February 15, 2023 // 2 pm ET

Join the School Garden Support Organization Network for their Growing Garden Summit Webinar Series. This session highlights Grow Portland’s new initiatives to center equity and inclusion by facilitating BIPOC farm partnerships, incorporating Indigenous knowledge frameworks, diversifying staffing, and prioritizing professional development focused on uprooting white supremacy constructs.

Register here.


Food Solutions New England February Intensive Series - Belonging 

February 17, 2023 // 10 am - 4 pm ET

Join Food Solutions New England co-hosts Karen Spiller and Curtis Ogden for the second installment in their February Intensive Series. During this session, they will be talking with the Othering and Belonging Institute at the University of California-Berkeley, a community of scholars, organizers, communicators, researchers, artists, and policymakers committed to building a world where all people belong. 

Register here.


2023 NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference

February 22, 2023 

Save the date for the 12th annual NC Child Hunger Leaders Conference hosted by the Carolina Hunger Initiative. This annual day will be full of celebration and inspiration for everyone in our state interested in making sure kids have access to healthy food. The conference will be in-person at The Friday Conference Center in Chapel Hill.

Register here.

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Supporting Ag Ed in the Classroom

Application Deadline: February 15

Know a North Carolina teacher who emphasizes agricultural concepts across the various areas of study? Encourage those teachers to apply for the North Carolina Farm Bureau, Ag in the Classroom (NCFB AITC) Teacher of the Year Award.


Agriculture is an important part of everyone’s life. Clothing, food, fuel, housing, medicine, and much more are rooted in agriculture. Agricultural issues can support the teaching of many academic disciplines. Recognizing this, the NCFB AITC would like to honor educators across North Carolina that are effectively integrating agriculture into the classroom curriculum. Teachers are encouraged to submit award applications that describe their methods for incorporating agricultural concepts into their classrooms. Licensed North Carolina teachers currently teaching Pre-K through eighth grade in public, private, charter, or home schools are eligible. Awardees receive attendance at the N.C. Farm Bureau Annual Convention, a stipend to attend the National Ag in the Classroom Conference, presentation opportunities at future AITC workshops/events, and professional development opportunities in their home school district.

Learn more here.

Effects of a School-Based Nutrition, Gardening, and Cooking Intervention on Metabolic Parameters in High-risk Youth

This study explores the impact school-based gardening, nutrition, and cooking has on the metabolic outcomes in elementary school children. The findings suggest that school-based gardening interventions may improve metabolic parameters in children.

Learn more here.

Job Opportunity - Seed Saving Lab Educator

The Seed Saving and Gardens Lab Educator will be charged with helping move the Old Salem Museums and Gardens’ Seed Saving and Gardens Lab forward as a place of continued discovery, learning, and sharing as it relates to the histories of plants and their connections to people and cultures. This position will be a part of the Horticulture team and participate in the development of place-based learning opportunities for the K-12 school community, as well as walk-in visitors and adult group tours.

Learn more and apply here.

Job Opportunity - Business Associate to CEFS CORE & Educational Programs

The Business Associate for the Center for Environmental Farming Sytems' Committee on Racial Equity in the Food System & Educational Programs position will play an important role in the administration of all educational programs, including internships, apprenticeships, and graduate fellowships for CEFS.

Learn more here.

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21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge

Food Solutions New England will host the 9th version of its food system-oriented 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge from April 3, 2023 to April 23, 2023. Each year, thousands of individuals and hundreds of officially participating organizations join in a shared journey of learning and charting a course of action to dismantle racism in our food system and our world. 

Learn more here.

 

Reflections on Children’s Racial Learning 2023

In this first-ever Reflections on Children’s Racial Learning, EmbraceRace begins to chronicle the emergence of a field of learning and practice centered on children’s racial learning – how and what children learn about race, including but not limited to their explicit efforts as parents and caregivers to teach children about race. EmbraceRace reached out to leaders in five key sectors in which the seeds of field-building have deep roots: Parenting Practice, PK-12 Education, the Health Professions, Children’s Media, and Social Science Research. These leaders reflect on the movement they are seeing to support healthy children’s racial learning in their sectors. 

Learn more here.

GroMoreGood Grassroots Grants

Tomorrow! Deadline: February 10, 2023

The GrowMoreGood Grassroots Grant, brought to you by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and KidsGardening, is designed to bring the life-enhancing benefits of gardens to communities across the United States. The Grassroots Grants are part of The Scotts Miracle-Gro’s larger GroMoreGood initiative, which will bring the life-enhancing benefits of gardens and greenspaces to 10 million children by the end of 2023. 

Learn more here.


Growing Minds Farm to School Funding Opportunities in Western North Carolina

Deadline: February 15, 2023

The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project's Growing Minds program wants to help fund your farm to school project in Western North Carolina! This mini-grant program connects K-12 schools throughout the 18 westernmost counties of North Carolina with local agriculture and gives children positive experiences with healthy local foods through the four components of farm to school: farm field trips, local food cooking and taste tests, school gardens, and local food served in school cafeterias. Farm to school activity mini-grants will be provided up to $1000. 

Mini-grant applications are due every month on the 15th through April 15, 2023 and will be awarded by the 30th of each month!

Learn more here.


Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant Program

Deadline: March 1, 2023

The Whole Kids Foundation Garden Grant program provides a $3,000 monetary grant to support a new or existing educational garden located at either a K-12 school or a non-profit organization that serves youth in the K-12 grade range.

Learn more here.


2023 NCDA&CS Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

Deadline: March 3, 2023 

The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is accepting grant applications for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Nonprofits and government agencies wishing to apply should send a pdf draft application to jenni.keith@ncagr.gov. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program aims to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops in the marketplace. The department will accept grant requests up to $200,000.

Learn more here.


School Nutrition Foundation Equipment Grants

Deadline: March 31, 2023

The School Nutrition Foundation is teaming up with industry partners to provide new kitchen equipment to districts. Apply now for the 2023 SNF Equipment Grant Program, featuring applications for five grants! Eligible applicants have the opportunity to win equipment grants, each worth between $20,000 to $100,000 of equipment. Applications and photos must be submitted by a School Nutrition Director. There is a submission cap of 30 applications for each grant. 

Learn more here.

School Meals: Who’s at the table?

The National Farm to School Network has been exploring a movement toward values-aligned universal meals focused on equity for the most impacted stakeholders across the food system. Universal meals embedded with the core values of farm to school have the potential to radically transform our food system for the better. Six key values, put into action, get us closer to a just, equitable food system that promotes the health of all school children and benefits producers, workers, educators, and their communities.

Learn more here.

Learn about and Comment on the New School Meal Standards

On February 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) released a new proposed rule, “Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans”. The new proposed rule addresses added sugars, sodium, milk, and whole grains for school meals. The standards are available for public comment for 60 days from February 7 through April 10, 2023. School Nutrition professionals and other stakeholders are encouraged to review the proposed rule and related materials and submit comments.

Learn more here.

U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) Announce 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

On January 19, 2023, HHS and the USDA announced the appointment of 20 nationally recognized nutrition and public health experts to serve on the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The Committee will be tasked with reviewing the current body of nutrition science and developing a scientific report that includes its independent, science-based advice for HHS and USDA to consider. The Committee’s review, along with public comments on its scientific report and agency input, will help inform HHS and USDA as they develop the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030.

Learn more here.



Farm to School Coalition 2019 - 2021 Report


Check out the Farm to School Coalition of NC's new report! In this report, the Coalition highlights some amazing success stories across our state that have provided a beacon of hope.


Read here.

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