Vermont's Farm to School Newsletter Resources to support your Farm to School needs, brought to you by members of the Vermont Farm to School Network.

A Vermont Farm to School Case Study: Bennington County Head Start & Early Start

"Really, when you enroll a child, you enroll their family." –Betsy Rathbun-Gunn, Director We recently completed five case studies from around the state to illustrate the various paths to Farm to School programming. Learn more about how an early childhood center is bringing Farm to School to their community.

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Free Seeds for School Gardens

Vermont Community Garden Network has a variety of vegetable, flower, and herb seeds available to their members. Not a member? Become one today! Submit a request, and receive a big bundle of seeds along with seed starting tips and other resources for your garden project.

DETAILS & REQUEST FORM

Maple in Every Classroom

We've been working to create resources and tools to bring local maple syrup into Vermont cafeterias and classroom learning.

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Additional Resources We're Using

Vermont Community Garden Network's Garden Organizer Toolkit Whether you’re just starting out or working with an established school garden, this toolkit has tips and guides to support the work of garden coordinators, educators, and gardeners. Vermont Harvest of the Month: Maple Celebrate maple in your school with Harvest of the Month resources. Sign up for their newsletter to stay updated with their featured local food. Vermont's Farm to School Data Harvest Webinar Recording Watch the recent webinar that helps to make the incredible amount of data found in 2018 more accessible. Youth Voice & Engagement in Farm to School Webinar Recording Hear from educators and students from urban, suburban, and rural communities as they share how they are promoting healthier and more just food systems in their communities through Farm to School.

Farm to School & Early Childhood Day at the Vermont Statehouse

As a Network, we've been working all year in Action Teams on strategic projects to advance Farm to School statewide, including advocating for support in the Statehouse. [Above: NewBrook Elementary students prepare to sing “Dirt Made My Lunch” as the February 6th devotional on the House floor to celebrate Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Day]

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Events & Professional Learning

MARCH 16: 12th Annual Jr Iron Chef VT competition  MARCH 20 & 27 : Food Connects Spring Garden Planning Workshops for Schools, Bellows Falls and Brattleboro MARCH 30: Cultivating Farm to Early Childhood Workshop, Morrisville APRIL 2-4: 2019 New England Farm to Institution Summit April 4: Get Up and Grow: Youth Gardening Symposium APRIL 27: Vermont Community Garden Network's Day in the Dirt JUNE 25-27: Vermont FEED's Northeast Farm to School Institute Summer Retreat *** Application deadline had been extended to March 14!*** Grow It! Statewide Garden Leader Workshops Shelburne Farm's Workshops for Educators

Celebrating School Breakfast

This month, the School Nutrition Association celebrates National School Breakfast Week. Vermont schools take seriously the notion that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and we’ve embraced serving breakfast to students in a variety of new and creative ways.

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Grant Opportunities

KidsGardening's Carton 2 Garden Contest due March 25 Use empty cartons to design and construct school garden structures. Prizes to the top 15. APPLY

Action for Healthy Kids Grants various deadlines 2018-19 school grants include Game On grants, Breakfast grants, and Parents for Healthy Kids grants. APPLY

The Vermont Farm to School Network is a statewide network engaging students and school communities in a local food and farm culture that nurtures children's health, cultivates viable farms, and builds vibrant communities. Please contact Betsy Rosenbluth at   brosenbluth@shelburnefarms.org with questions, comments, or additions.