This Week in Farm to School from NC

May 12, 2022

2022 School Nutrition Association (SNA) Award Winners!

National Winner for Director of the Year – Robert Rolfe, Henderson County Public Schools

Regional Winner for Employee of the Year Southeast – Annie Davis, Lenoir County Public Schools

Watch the ceremony here.

Women in Ag Local Foods Farm Tour

May 15, 2022 // 10 am - 6 pm EDT

Discover local food and fiber farms in Franklin County, North Carolina! Nine county-wide farms will be open to the public rain or shine. This year’s first annual Women in Ag Local Foods Tour is dedicated in honor of the late Bob Sykes, formerly of Turtle Mist Farm in Franklinton, a pioneer and promoter of agritourism in Franklin County. 

Learn more here.

Massachusetts Farm to School | Farm & Sea to School Conference

May 16 - 20, 2022

This Massachusetts statewide event will center on youth leadership and empowerment in the farm to school movement. This week of FREE virtual workshops and in-person field trips will bring together food service professionals, students, educators, policy makers, public health advocates, community organizers, and other farm to school advocates to build concrete skills and get inspired to make change in their schools and communities.

Workshop registration here.

Supporting Wellness with Student Leaders & Activists (Virtual)

May 17, 2022 // 3:45 EDT

Hosted by Healthier Generations, tune in to Instagram Live for a conversation with youth-led Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth Rising to learn how adults and peers can support youth advocacy and simple actions one can take to create more inclusive school communities. Join their Instagram Live @healthiergeneration.

Policy and Advocacy For Food Systems Change: A Conversation With Seasoned Leaders

May 18, 2022 // 12 pm EDT

The Wallace Center’s Food Systems Leadership Network is excited to invite everyone to the upcoming panel discussion. Political advocacy is one of the most effective ways of achieving lasting systems change in our communities and in our food system. With an unprecedented amount of funding coming from the federal government to protect and advance local food systems, and with the Farm Bill up for renewal in 2023, now is the time to get motivated, excited, and ready to act to ensure that Congress continues supporting programs that build more equitable, resilient, and climate-smart food systems in the United States.

Learn more and register here.

2022 Pollinator Garden Tours

Various dates and times throughout the spring

The pollinator garden tours of NC Cooperative Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden are led by Agriculture Extension Agent Debbie Roos. The garden features over 225 species of perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, and grasses, and 85% of them are native to North Carolina. This is a great opportunity to visit the popular gathering spot for honey bees, native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and beneficial insects in addition to their human admirers! These free tours take place rain or shine and will last an hour to an hour and a half.

Register here. 

North Carolina's Craven County Schools Celebrate Farm to School Week

Craven County School District celebrated Farm to School week this past April! This celebration provided an opportunity to connect local farmers, students, teachers, and School Nutrition professionals into the daily curriculum.

Read more here.

Policies and Practices to Increase Adoption of the Community Eligibility Provisions for School Meals in North Carolina

The community eligibility provision (CEP) is a part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act that allows schools and districts to extend free meals to all students regardless of ability to pay. The benefits of CEP and school meals have been well documented. Not only does the reliable access to meals boost student achievement and mitigate behavioral challenges, but it also reduces administrative burden on staff, as it eliminates the need to process and collect free and reduced price meal applications. 

Read more here.

United States Department of Agriculture People’s Garden Initiative

People’s Gardens empower communities to participate in local food production and provide diversity and resiliency to the food supply chain. They also teach about the benefits of sustainable, local agriculture and how gardening can foster community collaboration, provide green gathering spaces, and benefit the environment.

People’s Gardens are different sizes and types based on the needs of the community. School gardens, community gardens, urban farms, and small-scale agriculture projects in rural and urban areas can be recognized as a “People’s Garden” if they:

1. Benefit the community by providing food, beautification, wildlife habitat, education site, etc.
2. Are a collaborative effort. This can include groups working together with USDA agencies, food banks, Girl Scouts, Master Gardeners, conservation districts, etc.
3. Incorporate sustainable practices, such as using native plant species, rain barrels, integrated pest management, xeriscaping.
4. Educate the public about sustainable gardening practices and the importance of local, diverse sources of healthy food.

Read more here.

Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP)

Deadline: May 16, 2022

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened grant applications under the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP). This funding is available through three channels, with the USDA including a focus on Farm to Institution (FTI) projects for two of the funding streams: The Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) grants will develop food businesses that connect local food to institutions, and the Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant supports public-private partnerships that build and strengthen the viability of local or regional food economies. The third stream, the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), supports direct-to-consumer markets such as farmers' markets and CSAs. The Wallace Center has created this set of resources on applying.

Learn more here.

Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program - Produce Prescription Program

Deadline: June 30, 2022

The National Institute for Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program - Produce Prescription Program focuses on projects that improve dietary health through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables; reduce individual and household food insecurity; and reduce healthcare use and associated costs. Submissions for grants have now opened. Applications may only be submitted by government agencies and non-profit organizations; however, award recipients may sub-award to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.

Apply here.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture Grant

Deadline: July 28, 2022

The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Sustainable Agricultural Systems supports approaches that promote transformational changes in the U.S. food and agriculture system. NIFA seeks creative and visionary applications that take a systems approach for projects that are expected to significantly improve the supply of affordable, safe, nutritious, and accessible agricultural products while fostering economic development and rural prosperity in America. 

Learn more here.

Let Your Voice Be Heard: Help Shape the Next Dietary Guidelines

Deadline: May 16, 2022

Every five years, USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services partner to provide the latest, science-based nutrition guidance to empower Americans to make dietary choices that will improve their health and lifestyles. Starting last week, the USDA and HHS began the process of developing the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans by posting proposed scientific questions for public comment.

Submit your comment here.

Mitigating Impact of Waiver Expiration

Many waivers were not extended for the 2022-23 school year; however the USDA did announce some flexibilities available to states. Beginning on July 1, 2022, states will be able to apply for flexibilities. They do not align with all the expiring waivers, namely meal pattern requirements and area eligibility. Find more information, including options for programs that will struggle with the loss of area eligibility waivers in this USDA policy update from the 2022 National Child Nutrition Conference. In light of the upcoming waiver expirations, No Kid Hungry has updated a report on leveraging COVID relief funds to mitigate impact. 

Learn more here.

Why We're All Suffering from Racial Trauma (Even White People) and How to Handle It

Resmaa Menakem is a therapist and trauma specialist based in Minneapolis. Resmaa's work is about healing our bodies and, by extension, our nation from racialized trauma. 

Listen here. 

Rooted, Ready, & Resilient – Uplifting a BIPOC-led Vision for Crisis Proof Food Systems

This values-based messaging guide was created by the HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance and their allies to invite more people to reimagine and reinvent our world together. The values and solutions uplifted in this guide center the knowledge, wisdom, and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who have been on the frontlines of the fights for food sovereignty, racial justice, climate justice, food security, worker justice, land justice, and environmental justice.

Learn more here.

BIPOC Leaders Share Food Sovereignty Strategies

Bioneers gathered three community leaders together to discuss how they are working to break through the impacts of colonization to develop a community-owned food system that is equitable, profitable, and built on respectful relationships. 

Watch here.