November 3, 2022

This Week in Farm to School 

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

Grower-Buyer Meetup 

November 7, 2022 // 8 am - 1 pm // Faithful Farms, Chapel Hill, NC

This networking event, presented by Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and NC A&T University, gives growers and buyers a forum to meet face-to-face and make connections to grow their businesses. This is an interactive session where farmers are matched with wholesale distributors, food hubs, and grocers looking to source locally and purchase from small to mid-size farmers. 

Learn more here.

Finding Your Future in Food Systems

November 8, 2022 // 6 pm ET

This ongoing webinar series, hosted by the North American Food Systems Network, provides participants with connections and insights to help them identify the next steps for their careers. The series features speakers from job-creating organizations, agencies, and businesses, some working locally in their communities, others with a national and international scope. Produced by college students for college students and other emerging professionals.

Register here.

Getting Familiar with the FY 2023 Farm to School RFA

November 8, 2022 // 2:30 pm ET

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide an overview of the FY 2023 Farm to School Grant Program RFA, including updates to eligibility, turnkey programs, and how to submit a completed application. 

Register here.

Getting Your Grant Package Together

November 9, 2022 // 2:30 pm ET

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will explore the key characteristics of a competitive Farm to School grant application. If you are unable to attend, both webinars will be recorded and made available on the Resources for Grant Applicants page.

Register here.

Braiding Sweetgrass with Kids

November 9, 2022 // 8:30 pm ET

Join EmbraceRace for their Talking Race and Kids conversation. They will be talking with Monique Gray, who recently adapted Robin Wall Kimmer's Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants for young adults (ages 10 to 99!).

Register here.

North Carolina Farm to School Training Initiative

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded a two-year, $219,458 grant to North Carolina Extension/North Carolina State University and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) to expand our online farm to school course into a Farm to School Collaborative Training Initiative (NCF2SCTI). If you are interested in learning further about the North Carolina Farm to School Training Initiative, please complete the form below.

Interest form here.

Carolina Hunger Initiative Job Opening

Are you interested in working with Carolina Hunger Initiative at UNC? They are looking for a new Program Specialist to support budget management for their team. Applications are due Saturday, November 12th.

Learn more here.

Elementary Educators’ Guide to Container Gardening

KidsGardening and Crescent Garden are partnering to share the Elementary Educators’ Guide to Container Gardening. This guide teaches educators the basics of container gardening with kids, including container garden design, planting tips, and curriculum connections. It also contains ten ideas for creating engaging themed container gardens for kids, from a Salsa Garden to a Tea Garden or Sensory Garden. 

Learn more here.

Dig In! Standards-Based Nutrition Education from the Ground Up

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Dig In! curriculum explores a world of possibilities in the garden and on our plates. The curriculum uses ten inquiry-based lessons that engage 5th and 6th graders in growing, harvesting, tasting, and learning about fruits and vegetables. 

Learn more here.

From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals

Deadline: November 15, 2022

The primary goal of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals Program (NEXTGEN) is to enable 1890 institutions, 1994 institutions, Alaska Native-serving institutions and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions (specifically, the certified Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities (HSACUs)), and insular area institutions of higher education located in the U.S. territories to build and sustain the next generation of the food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences (FANH) workforce primarily through student scholarship support, paid internships, fellowships, and job opportunity matching, and facilitating pathways to employment in the federal sector.

Learn more here.

Food and Literacy Grant

Deadline: November 15, 2022

The Food and Literacy mini-grants will support food literacy and nutrition programming for North Carolina's public libraries. This opportunity will fund at least five $17,000 grants to public libraries to purchase mobile teaching kitchens, supplemental programming materials, and appropriate safety supplies.

Learn more here.

Brighter Future Fund

Deadline: November 15, 2022

The American Farmland Trust’s Brighter Future Fund application is now open. Applications for grants up to $5,000 funding farm projects building resilience and displaying innovation are encouraged. 

Learn more here.

NC Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Going Local Grant

Deadline: November 15, 2022

Going Local Grants help educators provide Pre-K through collegiate-level students with valuable, real-world education and experiences directly related to the agriculture industry and the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The grants value up to $500. 

Learn more here.

2023 Youth Garden Grant

Deadline: December 2, 2022

KidsGardening's Youth Garden Grant has supported school and youth educational garden projects since 1982. In early 2023, fifty organizations will be awarded $500 in funding and a collection of gardening supplies for their youth garden program. Among the fifty winners, ten programs will also receive a specialty award package.

Apply here.

USDA Farm to School Grant 

Deadline: January 6, 2022

The United States Department of Agriculture will award up to $12 million in competitive grants to eligible entities through the Farm to School Grant Program in FY 2023. Each grant helps implement farm to school programs that increase access to local food in eligible schools, connect children with agriculture for better health, and inspire youth to consider careers in agriculture. The RFA includes three tracks - Implementation, State Agency, and Turnkey - to support a variety of projects and implementation stages. 

Learn more here.

Increasing Access to Weekend Meals for Students

The Carolina Hunger Initiative is interested in hearing from schools, school districts, and nonprofits interested in partnering with one another to establish or expand school-based weekend food distribution programs for students. The NC General Assembly appropriated up to $2 million to Golden LEAF to provide awards to nonprofit organizations to support school-based weekend food assistance programs for students. The Carolina Hunger Initiative and Golden LEAF need your help to identify potential organizations to receive these grants! Please complete this survey if you are affiliated with a nonprofit organization or school/school district working with or are interested in working with a nonprofit that could benefit from grant funding to support a school-based weekend food distribution program. Note that this is not a grant application. Responses will be shared with Golden LEAF and will be used to help plan for this program and identify potential grant applicants.

Complete the survey here.

School Meals for All Campaign

The North Carolina Alliance for Health, Carolina Hunger Initiative, Center for Black Health and Equity, A Better Chance A Better Community (ABC2), and other partners across North Carolina are launching a School Meals for All Campaign! This campaign will work to secure funding for school meals for all so that every child in every public school in North Carolina has access to breakfast and lunch at no cost to their families. Sign up to stay updated on the School Meals for All Campaign.

Learn more here.

Biden-Harris Administration Invests $80 Million to Improve Nutrition in School Meals

The Biden-Harris Administration will provide $50 million in grants for schools to invest in new food service equipment that will allow them to continue serving nutritious meals. This funding adds to the $30 million in equipment grants that the administration gave schools earlier this year.

Learn more here.

Native Farmers Push for More Equitable Training and Support in the Farm Bill

This Civil Eats article explores how expanding the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) could level the playing field for Indigenous food producers as they address climate change and food sovereignty. 

Read here.

Building Inclusive Communities and Strong Indigenous Youth

EmbraceRace, alongside Indigenous Vision, has created a call to action that highlights culturally affirming approaches to youth development. They acknowledge that insiders and allies can support Indigenous communities by challenging anti-Native narratives that dehumanize and otherwise bring harm to Indigenous communities and youth. Warning: This article does discuss mental health information that may be distressing for some readers.

Learn more here.