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 Join CA Farm to School Network Monthly Calls!
The CDFA California Farm to School team is hosting monthly California Farm to School Network calls via Zoom. These informal, collaborative gatherings are an opportunity to check in with CDFA staff and engage in peer-to-peer learning.
The next CA Farm to School Network Call will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday, February 27, 2025: Register Here
We hope to see you there!
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Grant Project Highlights
 Photo Credit: Fresno Unified School District (Fresno USD Nutrition Services team training and new school menu items)
California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program grantees are hard at work implementing grant projects and transforming the school food system! Read below to learn more about the Fresno Unified School District's grant project!
The Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) was awarded 2022 California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program funds to establish a Farm to School Coordinator to work with schools to create educational opportunities for students; work with procurement to increase vendors that practice climate smart agriculture; increase the nutrition educational opportunities at schools; and collaborate with the Fresno Unified Wellness Manager to increase outreach to the Fresno community.
Recently, the FUSD Farm to School Coordinator toured Shanley Farms' finger lime farm to get a better understanding of how the citrus fruit grows and to talk to farmer Marcus about coming to school sites for a farmer's visit and taste test of the finger limes. FUSD also met with Loren Werth, from Food 4 Thought, to add his farmers' market assembly throughout the school year. Starr Elementary School will be the first site to have the farmers' market assembly!
Additionally, the Nutrition Services team provided a taste test opportunity for the Student Advisory Body during their first meeting at the nutrition center. The food consisted of new items in development and new items rolled out earlier this year!
FUSD was also awarded a 2023-24 California Farm to School Incubator Grant, in which they will be able to expand their farm to school work to additional hands on education opportunities and procure more local, California-grown or -produced, whole or minimally processed foods for incorporation into school meals.
Do you want to learn more about the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program? Let's talk! Please email your questions to cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov.
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New Partnership Developed Across Counties in North Coast Region
 Recently, Farm to School Regional Network Lead Pamela Lee helped form a partnership between the Humboldt County Office of Education (HCOE) and the Del Norte and Tribal Lands Food Policy Council, both recipients of the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. HCOE School Garden Coordinator and Farmer Jesse Alm announced free bareroot strawberry plants for school gardens but they needed to be picked up by the next day. Pamela reached out to see if partners in Del Norte County could partake in the strawberry bounty and drove the baby bare root plants up to Margaret Keating Elementary School in Klamath, just over the Del Norte County line.
As a result, School Garden Educator Melanie Cross of the Del Norte and Tribal Lands Food Policy Council was able to plant the strawberries with her students (pictured above)!
To get involved and join the farm to school momentum in the North Coast Region, reach out to Farm to School Network Lead Pamela Lee at Pamela.Lee@cdfa.ca.gov.
To connect with a farm to school team member in your region, visit the About Us dropdown on the CA Farm to School Program page.
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Long Beach Unified School District Procures Rainbow Carrots from Bolthouse Farms
 Recently, one of Long Beach Unified School District's farm to school features of the week included rainbow carrots from Bolthouse Farms! Located in Bakersfield, CA, Bolthouse Farms has been growing carrots since 1915!
The rainbow carrots are packed with nutrition, grown in California, and provide an opportunity for students to enjoy a familiar veggie in a new way with their red, purple, orange, and white colors.
Click here to learn more.
California School Nutrition Association Poppy Magazine Features CA School Districts
 The Winter 2025 edition of the California School Nutrition Association (CSNA) Poppy Magazine features several California school districts and their farm to school work being accomplished throughout the state.
Highlights include Bakersfield City Unified School District hosting its annual Nutrition Night, Capistrano Unified School District partnering with local farms and organizations to promote locally sourced foods, Colton Joint Unified School District students' field trip to Soil Born Farms, Lakeside Union School District's tour of their Central Kitchen, Jurupa Unified School District's first ever farmers' market, and so much more!
Click here to learn more or read the full magazine.
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143 California School Sites Participating in Charlie Cart Project
 In California, 143 sites are participating in the Charlie Cart Project, a turnkey food education program with recipes and lesson plans aligned to math, science, and English language arts, making it seamless to connect classroom, lunchroom, and after-school programs. Schools are using the Charlie Cart program for food and cooking education in the classroom, for after-school programming, to augment meals in the lunchroom, alongside school garden programs, and more.
The mobile teaching kitchen includes a convection oven and induction cooktop, stainless steel sink with spray nozzle and gray water system, storage cabinets for all included equipment, power and electrical system optimized for classroom use, and a one-year fit and finish warranty. In addition to the kitchen, equipment, and curriculum, the program provides on-going professional development and resources.
Click here to learn more or reach out directly to Michelle Derheim at info@charliecart.org
Friends of the Earth Offers New Procurement Resources and Peer Support Groups
Friends of the Earth recently launched a new webpage for nutrition service teams interested in purchasing California-grown, organic offerings including fruits, vegetables, grains, poultry, meats, and dairy. These farm procurement resources are intended to support districts in adding organic foods to school menus. Click here to visit the new webpage, or email Leah Smith at lsmith@foe.org if your district is interested in sourcing more organic offerings and/or needs support connecting with these vendors.
Additionally, the Friends of the Earth is offering two free peer support group opportunities for nutrition service directors:
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Organic Farm to School Procurement Peer Support Group: Opportunity for nutrition service directors to receive one-on-one and peer networking support to help expand access to organic, local food procurement. Participants will join a cohort group starting March 2025 through June 2026. To learn more and apply by February 21, visit: www.foe.org/organic-cohort-form
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Plant-Based Elementary School Menus Peer Support Group: Opportunity for nutrition service directors to help expand plant-based options on elementary school menus. Participating districts will join a cohort group and receive customized technical menu development support, starting March 2025 through June 2026. To learn more and apply by February 21, visit: www.foe.org/plant-based-cohort-form
Dairy Council of California Celebrates National Milk Day with Northgate Market
 On January 11, the Dairy Council of California honored milk’s rich legacy on National Milk Day with a celebration at Northgate Market in Anaheim. The celebration featured banana licuados (smoothies), nutrition education, raffles, and free gallons of milk for the community.
As a result of the event, over 200 families received fresh milk while learning about its vital role in healthy eating patterns!
Click here to learn more about the Dairy Council of California.
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Registration Open for 37th Annual California Small Farm Conference
 February 23-28, 2025
Online via Zoom + Regional Gatherings
Join the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) for the 37th annual California Small Farm Conference, a week-long event featuring over 40 online workshops as well as a dozen in-person gatherings around the state. This year’s theme, “Rooted in Place,” honors the vital relationship between farmers, communities, and the land they steward.
Click here to learn more or register.
Join CA Foundation for Ag in the Classroom at Virtual CA Farm Day Next Month
 Thursday, February 27, 2025
Join the California Foundation for Ag in the Classroom (AITC) extraordinary virtual journey into California agriculture during the Virtual CA Farm Day event on February 27, 2025! Through a mix of pre-recorded segments and live interactive hosts, classrooms will explore what it means to work in the wide and wonderful world of agriculture.
The newest edition of AITC's "What's Growin' On?" student newspaper with the theme of “Imagine your Future in Agriculture” will also act as a guide for the Farm Day adventures taking place at the following times:
- February 27 @ 10 a.m.: Pre K-5th grade
- February 27 @ 1 p.m.: 6th-12 grade
Click here to learn more or register.
CDE Requests Input to Enhance Farm to School Strategic Plan
The California Department of Education (CDE) is developing a strategic plan to guide the Farm to School (F2S) Program for Child Nutrition Program Operators. The CDE Nutrition Services Division would like to know what technical assistance, trainings, materials, and resources you need. Your input shared through the survey linked below will be used to help shape the F2S program.
Deadline to submit: Monday, June 30, 2025
Click here to learn more or access the survey.
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Healthy Hearts Institute Hiring Farm Manager
 The Healthy Hearts Institute is seeking a full-time Farm Manager, who is friendly, energetic, purpose driven, and committed to the mission and vision of Healthy Hearts Institute, to manage its 1.5-acre Farm located in Pittsburg, CA. This candidate will have regenerative or organic urban farming experience, a bachelor's in agriculture or related degree, or a minimum of five years of farming experience. Candidate should have a commitment to working toward health equity, environmental sustainability, and social justice.
The Farm Manager’s primary responsibilities will be to direct and manage the planning and operation of all farming activities and programs, with a secondary focus of helping to provide oversight of the community garden.
To learn more or apply for the Healthy Hearts Institute Farm Manager position, please send your resume, cover letter, and references to info@healthyhearts.co.
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We Want to Hear From You!
Do you have feedback, ideas or a success story for the CA Farm to School Network? Please reach out to us and share! Whether it's sending us an email or tagging us on social media, we are here to help you grow!
Instagram - @cafarmtoschool
Email - cafarmtoschool@cdfa.ca.gov
It's our goal to support changemakers on the ground however we can, and the best way for us to provide that help is through clear communication! Choose your favorite method to get in touch!
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