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October 5, 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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October is National Farm to School Month!

Farm to School connects farmers, parents, students, and advocates in a shared mission. Together, we are creating an abundant, nourishing, and equitable food system. During Farm to School Month, the Farm to School Coalition of NC will be spotlighting stories from partners around the state, sharing how you can get involved with the Coalition, and communicating how you can celebrate Farm to School. Share with us how you are celebrating Farm to School this month by tagging us on Facebook or Instagram.

Envisioning “Farmer-Focused” Local Food Purchasing Incentives

October 11, 2023 // 2 pm ET

This virtual roundtable discussion, hosted by the National Farm to School Network, will feature two short presentations about past and current programs that use a farmer-focused approach. Then, presenters will discuss the vision for these types of programs together, looking for the collective expertise of this community to help shape the conversation around this opportunity for policy and practice. State-level local food purchasing incentives (LFPIs) typically provide funding to schools to purchase local foods - but what if we flipped the narrative? What would LFPIs look like if they directly subsidized local farmers and food hubs to sell to schools and other institutions? Further, how could we design these programs to support values-aligned school food purchasing by directly incentivizing small, regenerative, BIPOC-led, women-led, veteran, and/or emerging farmers? Who else across the nation is interested in a “Farmer-Focused” LFPI? 

Learn more and register.

Paid Experiential Learning Programs to Serve K-14 Teachers in NC Information Session

October 12, 2023 // 6:30 pm ET

Please join Dr. Kathleen Liang at NCA&T for the first information session discussing a new project in supporting 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 competency for K-14 teachers and administrators, and (2) fulfill shared efficacy and 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.

Virtual Nutrition Education Series

October 18 - November 15, 2023 // 6:30 pm ET

Carolina Hunger Initiative Nutrition Education is excited to announce an upcoming virtual nutrition education series using the Food Smarts curriculum! Food Smarts uses discussion and activities to empower you to create healthy habits and make nutritious food choices. Lessons will be held on Zoom and the Zoom link will be sent out after registering. 

Learn more and register.

North Carolina Crunch

October 18, 2023 // 12 pm ET

Join the state of North Carolina in celebrating Farm to School and Early Care and Education Month by crunching into a locally grown fruit or vegetable on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at noon or any time during the month of October that works for you. The NC Crunch is also a great opportunity to thank all those involved in feeding our communities. This event is about uniting together to celebrate North Carolina agriculture, locally grown fruits and vegetables, and healthy eating. Participants of all ages are invited to crunch with their schools, early care and education sites, organizations, families, or communities. Help us reach all 100 counties and 500,000 kids and adults with the NC Crunch! 

Learn more and register.

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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National Farm to School Network (NFSN) - Farm to School Month Resources

Gear up to celebrate National Farm to School Month this October! The National Farm to School Network’s theme this year is Rooted in Community: Growing Stronger, Together. To help you celebrate, NFSN has put together newly updated resources, including a fact sheet and free downloadable posters, stickers, bookmarks, and other templates. 

Learn more.

North Carolina Produce Availability Chart

Get ready for the 2023 NC Crunch by learning what produce is in season! The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has created a produce availability chart to help you choose the freshest and best-tasting produce. 

Learn more.

Growing Strong: A Comprehensive Guide to Support All School Garden Programs in the District

Growing Strong: A Comprehensive Guide to Support all School Garden Programs in the District is designed to support school garden programs at any stage of development. Whether you are looking to start a new school garden, maintain an existing school garden, or provide high-quality garden-based instruction, they hope you will find this guide useful. This guide is a collaboration between the United States Botanic Garden, City Blossoms, and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

Learn more.

Visit our Resource Library!

Racial and Social Equity Assessment Tool for Farm to School Programs and Policy

This resource was created by the National Farm to School Network to help advance NFSN’s racial and social equity priority by increasing understanding of the work in the context of structural, institutional, and interpersonal racism. This tool is designed to be utilized to increase capacity to identify racial and social inequities, support decision-making processes, create a community of practice, and embrace our collective power to address systemic changes.

Learn more.

Finding Hope in Anti-bias Education

This resource was created by EmbraceRace. Children are often trying to make sense of what is happening around them. They have their own curiosity about differences and bring those ideas into the classroom. Educators must affirm and respond to children’s questions about differences and counteract their pre-prejudicial ideas. The four anti-bias goals of identity, diversity, justice, and action provide a framework for children to develop positive social identities; have empathetic, caring interactions with people who are different from them; and notice and stand up against unfairness they see in their community. 

Learn more.

Farm to School Technical Assistance-Cooperative Agreement

Deadline: October 10, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service has released the request for application for their Farm to School Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement. The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to support nonprofit entities and Indian Tribal Organizations to implement national and/or regional-level farm to school activities. Awardees under this cooperative agreement will undertake projects supporting USDA’s priorities of Food System Transformation, Improving Child Health through Nutritious School Meals, and Indigenous Food Sovereignty. Eligible applicants are national and/or regional-level nonprofit entities and Indian Tribal Organizations with a history of meaningful engagement with the target audience for this cooperative agreement.

Learn more and apply.


2024 Budding Botanist Grant

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 Grants

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.


Kids 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 us 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

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.

More than 250 Schools Selected to Participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

A record-setting 256 elementary schools across North Carolina will participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) for the 2023-24 school year, the largest number of schools ever to participate in a given school year.

Learn more.


Transforming Community Food Systems: 2022 Report on Policy & System Change Actions of The NC Food Network

In this 2022 Report, Community Food Strategies dive into inspiring stories of how food councils from around NC have been tackling some of the biggest issues facing our community food systems. From advocating for policy change to supporting local farmers and addressing food insecurity, these groups have been leading the charge to build a more equitable and resilient food system for all North Carolinians. 

Learn more.

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