This Week in Farm to School | |
Farm to school connects local agriculture, schools, and partners to benefit students, educators, farmers, families, and communities. | |
Celebrate NC Farm to Summer!
North Carolina Farm to Summer is an extension of the Farm to School initiative encouraging NC Summer Nutrition Programs to incorporate local foods in their summer meals and offer engaging activities around agriculture and nutrition education. Participating in NC Farm to Summer is a great way to support local North Carolina farmers and increase NC Summer Nutrition Program participation by improving the quality of meals with these tasty, fresh foods!
Celebrate NC Farm to Summer Week July 17-23 and keep incorporating local foods and activities in your Summer Nutrition Programs all summer long. Take the NC Farm to Summer Challenge, by serving locally grown food in meals and/or snacks, teaching or learning about agriculture, nutrition, and local food, sharing or posting about #NCFarmtoSummer activities, and signing up for the NC Crunch!
Learn more and sign up to take the NC Farm to Summer Challenge.
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Making Academic Standards Engaging
July 18, 2023 // 6 pm ET
The Edible Schoolyard Project’s Virtual Summer Training features interactive workshops with a focus on boosting student engagement in gardening and cooking classes. For this session, participants will take a deep dive into the world of academic standards in edible education. Through a combination of lecture and structured independent work time, participants will leave this session with a better understanding of how to use academic standards to support – rather than inhibit – deep student engagement, and concrete tools for designing awesome, hands-on, standards-aligned kitchen and garden lessons.
Learn more.
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Farm to School: The Common Thread in Successful Universal Meals Campaigns
July 20, 2023 // 3 pm ET
Join the National Farm to School Network to stay updated on universal school meals policies in the U.S. and gain insights from advocates in California, Colorado, Maine, and Vermont. After a brief presentation, a panel of members who contributed to NFSN’s universal meals case studies will share their own advocacy experiences, valuable lessons learned, and potential for replication.
Learn more.
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USDA Future Scientists Program
July 31 - August 1, 2023 // Raleigh, NC and Clayton, NC
Join the researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service for a free two-day Future Scientists Program workshop! Discover how to bring cutting-edge agricultural research to life in your classroom. The goal is to inspire teachers and students to explore STEM-based science, develop student potential, and encourage students to pursue science courses in college and ultimately enter the science career pipeline as Future Scientists.
Learn more.
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Conference for Farmers & Teachers
August 2 -4, 2023 // South Bend, Indiana
Hosted by Good Shepherd Montessori School (GSMS), this conference invites teachers and small farmers interested in developing farm to school, or school to farm partnerships to explore topics on sustainability, environmental stewardship, and restorative farming with a variety of experts from the field. Participants will learn a whole systems approach to sustainability education and take home a host of hands-on, cross-curriculum experiences that can be integrated into the classroom or on a farm. A whole system approach to farm education is mutually beneficial to students, teachers, and farmers while supporting public health and food security in the community.
Learn more.
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The Poe Center’s GrowWELL Garden
The GrowWELL Garden is an interactive outdoor classroom designed to make connections between edible gardening and nutrition while students learn about growing fruits and vegetables, why pollinators matter, how to compost, and the science of plants.
Learn more.
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Register for the NC Crunch!
Annual NC Crunch events offer kids and adults an opportunity to taste and learn about locally-grown NC produce as well as honor those who contribute to feeding our kids and communities. Register for the NC Crunch to receive a free guide with tips and resources to help you plan for the NC Crunch. In addition to the guide, a new NC Crunch logo, flyer, “I crunch” sticker template, and social media graphics are available. More resources are in the works.
Learn more and register.
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Seeds of Success Toolkit
Created by Kids Gardening, the Seeds of Success Toolkit compiles a wealth of knowledge from school gardeners across the country to provide the necessary resources to initiate and sustain a successful school food garden.
Learn more.
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Culture and Values in Hawai’i Farm to School Policy
The National Farm to School Network is happy to release a new partner spotlight entitled Culture and Values in Hawai’i Farm to School Policy. For many years, Farm to School champions in Hawai’i have advocated for legislation that can transform the food system through culturally responsive, values-based institutional purchasing. This report provides an overview of the state’s farm to school policy and shares how this legislation and advocacy strategies have been guided by traditional Hawaiian culture and values. Learn about culturally relevant and Indigenous foodways as well as concepts such as aloha, ʻāina, and kuleana in the context of policymaking. This report concludes with takeaways from advocates for how farm to school policy can uplift culture and place across the nation.
Learn more.
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Serving Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) understands the importance of serving traditional Indigenous foods and encourages all operators of Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) to source locally grown and raised foods. FNS has a variety of resources to assist CNP operators in determining how traditional Indigenous foods may contribute toward a reimbursable meal.
Learn more here.
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Green Our Planet Grant Programs
Deadline: July 21, 2023
School gardens are some of the best tools for hands-on learning and engagement, and Green Our Planet is here to help by offering two programs, GardenConnect and HydroConnect, to provide schools and students more access to gardens and garden-based learning. The GardenConnect program is valued at $3,500 and Green Our Planet will cover the full cost of the program for up to 100 schools. The HydroConnect program is valued at $10,000 and Green Our Planet will cover 80% of the costs of the program for up to 300 schools. Schools are responsible for $2,000 in total.
Learn more.
Organic Market Development Grants
Deadline: August 8, 2023
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service has approximately $75 million available for FY 2023 for the Organic Market Development Grants program. This grant aims to boost the consumption of domestic organic agricultural commodities by developing new and expanded organic markets. Eligible applicants, including business entities, non-profit organizations, and government entities, can receive funding running from $10,000 to $3 million for projects focused on production, processing, distribution, and consumer market development.
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.
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How to Meet With Your Legislator: Message Template & Best Practices
Having an in-person meeting or hosting legislators at site visits can be a crucial tool for advocating for the Farm Bill or other policy priorities. It provides a tangible and firsthand experience for lawmakers to witness the positive impact of farm-to-school programs and builds relationships that can drive meaningful policy change. Use this resource, created by the National Farm to School Network, to schedule an in-person visit with your legislator to talk about our collective Farm Bill priorities!
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