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Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter

Issue #11  |  September 2022

Welcome!

Welcome to the September edition of the Ohio Farm to School monthly newsletter highlighting the upcoming Apple Crunch, late summer school gardens and a fall planting update, and a chance to adopt your classroom’s very own cow!

Photo: A child and educator at Kids Care Academy in Columbus observe a sign in the garden which reads “Be nice, bees working”.  

Want to be featured in the next monthly newsletter and on Ohio's Farm to School Websites? Share your F2S success stories with us! Submit your F2S Success Story here!

Celebrate National Farm to School Month in October with the Great Apple Crunch!

Registration for the Great Apple Crunch is open! Looking for a fun way to support farm to school, Ohio farmers, and resilient communities? Join the annual Great Apple Crunch on October 13th! Register at https://go.wisc.edu/uzj4eq, purchase local apples, and celebrate your Crunch in October. It’s simple and easy to participate! Get FREE Crunch stickers and the Crunch Guide when you register! Anyone can join “the Crunch heard around the region”, including schools, early care and education sites, after school and 4H clubs, farmer’s markets, colleges, Extension offices, and hospitals across Ohio. Questions? Contact Haley Scott. Tune in to the Ohio Farm to School facebook page for an educational video which will be shared on October 13th. Help us spread the word about the Crunch! We appreciate your support sharing the following information through your listservs, partners, newsletter, and social media. Simply copy/paste the text linked here download the ‘save the date’ image linked here.

School Garden Planting Update and Highlights

Now that school is back in session, it is a great time to engage students in outdoor growing. Lettuce, radishes, carrots, or leafy greens such as kale or collard seeds can all be planted now. Reference the fall planting guide in last month’s newsletter for details. Normal precipitation is projected this fall with a good chance of above normal temperatures which means great gardening weather through November.

If your outdoor garden was uncovered over summer, make sure to address any weeds before you plant. If you grow inside the classroom with LED lights, start seedlings under the lights for lettuce, kale, collards, and bok choi now and plan to transplant later in the year. If growing in a hydroponic unit, start herbs, leafy greens, and tomatoes now for a fall harvest.  

Kids Care Academy in Columbus

Children at Kids Care utilize the garden for daily activities and play time. Educators helped students harvest zucchini and summer squash from the garden in late August.

Children explore in the garden and harvest summer squash and zucchini with pride!

Civic Garden Center in Cincinnati

Civic Garden Center’s Summer Sprouts Seed to Table program included children ages 6 -10 from Peaslee Neighborhood Center Summer Camp. Each week during the summer, children harvested food from the garden and made a snack highlighting the seasonal ingredient.

Children tending to the garden throughout the summer and harvesting radishes to snack on.

Adopt a Cow

Do you know an educator looking for a classroom mascot? Are your students interested in learning more about the dairy industry? Sign up for this FREE opportunity here by September 15th.

News & Events

1. Ohio Farm to School Network Quarterly Meeting

Mark your calendar for the next Ohio Farm to School State Network meeting on December 8^th. Register for the meeting here.

State-level updates will take place at 9:30-11, with region-specific discussions 11-noon. For more information on Ohio Farm to School, visit the website and Facebook page.

2. School Gardens of Ohio

Visit the Newark High School sustainable garden, the Sanctuary garden, and the developing food forest on September 14th 4:30 – 6pm with the School Gardens of Ohio network! Students will be presenting on insights they gleaned during their recent trip to Germany--and the applications they have been able to bring home. Wear comfortable shoes for this walking tour. From Granville Road, turn down Wright Street. Parking lot and Sanctuary Garden will be to the left. Contact Leona Vrbanac with any questions. 

3. Local Menu Takeover Webinar from Pisanick Partners and Feed our Future

Join us for updates and inspiration with our special guest Feed our Future’s Alison Patrick. Turn up your Farm to School Month celebration with turnkey resources - that are FREE and easy! Recipes, no problem we’ve got you covered. Register here and happy networking 🌽

4. School Nutrition Association Expo & Education Event

Join school nutrition professionals across the state on September 28^th at Cherry Valley Lodge and Ohio Event Center in Newark, Ohio. Make sure to stop by the Ohio Department of Education’s booth for Farm to School information. Stay updated on event information here.

5. Ohio School Garden Conference

Network and learn from other school garden enthusiasts around the state this fall! The annual School Garden Conference will be held at the 4-H Center on October 28. Find more information and register here.

Job Opportunities

• Community Connection Coordinator- Green Umbrella is hiring a Community Connection Coordinator for the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council! More details can be found here: https://greenumbrella.org/Green-Jobs/12899673
• Marketing Coordinator- DNO Produce is looking for a talented and qualified Marketing Coordinator to join the growing team. Find the position description here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3228409257/

Thank you to the following newsletter contributors:

Kids Care Academy
The Civic Garden Center
Tim McDermott, OSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resource Educator
The American Dairy Association Mideast

Authors:

Haley Scott, Ohio Farm to School Program Assistant, Ohio State University Extension
Lauren Preston, Ohio Farm to School Program, Ohio State University Extension