August 10, 2023

This Week in Farm to School 

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

NC Farm to Summer Challenge

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!

Sign up for the NC Farm to Summer Challenge!

Knowledge is Pollinator Power: A Webinar of Experts to Prep for the Great Southeastern Pollinator Census

Today! August 10, 2023 // 1 pm to 3 pm ET

Join the Great Southeastern Pollinator Census team to learn about the Census, how to participate in the Census, and how to bring the Census to your community or organization. You'll also have a chance to ask questions of the experts. If you want to help scientists understand what kind of insects are in your backyard, this is the project for you!

Learn more and register.

School Lunch Practices and Policies that Promote Participation

Today! August 10, 2023 // 3-4 pm ET

School lunch is critical to student health and well-being and provides the nutritional foundation needed for academic achievement and lifelong success. However, far too many students, particularly those from low-income households, miss the benefits of a healthy school lunch. Well-designed policies and practices can help engage students and reduce barriers to school lunch participation. Join the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) on August 10 at 3 pm ET to learn from experts across the nation on how they are promoting participation in their school lunch programs. 

Learn more and register.

State Program Flash Talks: Local Food Purchasing Incentives 

August 14, 2023 // 2:30 pm ET

Join the National Farm to School Network and Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems for a two-part series that explores ten different local food purchasing incentives (LFPIs) across the nation. In recent years, there has been a significant growth in support for LFPIs and more than a dozen states have established programs that provide direct reimbursement to Child Nutrition Programs in schools and early care and education settings to offset the costs of buying local foods. Speakers will share their experiences with their respective established programs, pilot initiatives, or introduced LFPI bills. The featured states in this webinar are Colorado, Utah, Michigan, Vermont, and Pennsylvania. 

Learn more and register.

Local Budget Advocacy Basics

August 16, 2023 // 12 pm to 1:30 pm ET

Join the Center for Environmental Farming Systems' Community Food Strategies Initiative and the NC Farm to Senior Services Initiative for a Local Budget Advocacy Basics training. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a budding advocate, they will help you understand the roles of key players in local government, interpret budget documents, and identify how to align advocacy priorities. 

Learn more and register.

School Garden Support Organization Network Open House

August 24, 2023 // 2 PM ET

Come learn all about the School Garden Support Organization Network! You’ll get a taste of what the SGSO Network seeks to do as a network: connect their members with one another and continually gather feedback on what you need to be successful in your programs. As a result, there will be time to meet other folks on the call and time to engage in a listening session where you’ll share your biggest school garden challenges, needs, and solutions.

Learn more and register.

How School Lunch is Made and How You Can Help

Inspired by questions the U.S. Department of Agriculture receives from students about school lunch, this publication was developed as part of the Fueling My Healthy Life collection. This article is connected to eighth-grade educational standards and provides students with information about what’s in a school meal, who decides what’s on the menu, and how students can have a voice in the process.

Learn more.

Companion Planting Chart

Companion planting determines which vegetables and flowers pair together! This is a tried and tested way to reduce pests, attract pollinators, and boost growth. The Food Gardening Network has created a free companion planting chart.

Download the chart.

Turnip the Beet 2023!

Deadline: September 8

The Turnip the Beet Award, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), recognizes outstanding Summer Nutrition Program Sponsors who work hard to offer engaging, educational enrichment and appealing, nutritious meals featuring locally-grown food to kids and teens. Sponsors may self-nominate or be nominated by another party. Submit 2023 Turnip the Beet Award applications to NCDPI at summernutritionprogram@dpi.nc.gov by 5 pm on September 8. More details, including the nomination form, scoring rubric, and a one-pager are accessible from the NCDPI, Office of School Nutrition website. 

EmbraceRace Kidlit Conversations and Resources

Children’s books are one of the many tools adults can use to raise kids who are thoughtful, informed, and brave about race. But it takes more than simply reading the books to kids to do this work. These archived webinars and action guides from EmbraceRace are less about which specific books to read and more about how to choose and read with children to invite conversations about race and other dimensions of difference. 

Learn more.

Racial Equity in the Farm Bill: Recommendations and Opportunities

This blog post is the third and final post in a three-part blog series by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s Policy Intern Noah McDonald, which examines how the Farm Bill can take steps to advance racial equity within the food system. This third post proposes some solutions and examines what institutional changes are needed to achieve greater racial equity in future Farm Bills.

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.

Native Agricultural & Food Systems Scholarship

Deadline: August 10, 2023

The Native Agriculture and Food Systems Scholarship encourages more Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian college students to enter agriculture and food systems fields so that they can better assist their communities with their food systems efforts. First Nations will award 20 to 25 $1,000 to $1,500 scholarships for the 2023-24 academic school year to Native college students majoring in agriculture and agriculture-related fields.

Learn more and apply.

2024 CHS Foundation Classroom Grant Application

Deadline: September 15, 2023

CHS Foundation provides $500 grants each year to pre-kindergarten to 12th-grade teachers who have classroom projects that use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and more. Eligible projects include classroom and schoolyard gardens, embryology projects, aquaculture projects, and agricultural literacy reading programs to name a few. Teachers have until June 1 the following year to complete the project and submit a final report. Only-state certified classroom teachers employed by a school district or private school teachers are eligible to apply.

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.

Meals Matter: The Community Eligibility Provision and Student Success in North Carolina

This brief by the Education Policy Initiative at Carolina and the North Carolina Alliance for Health describes Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and looks at differences in student outcomes between schools with similar income levels that do and do not participate in CEP. 

Learn more.

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!