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Ohio Farm to School Monthly Newsletter
Cultivators + Classrooms + Cafeterias
Issue #16 | February 2023
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 Jennifer Tagliarino from the American Dairy Association Mideast takes part in the “Smoothie Slurp” at The Summer Food Service Program Summit on February 6th.
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Welcome to the February edition of the Ohio Farm to School monthly newsletter. This edition includes highlights from the Summer Food Service Program Summit and Ohio Proud Summit, contains exciting grant opportunities and important dates for farm to summer planning sessions and the next Ohio Farm to School State Network meeting.
Summer Food Service Program Summit
The Ohio Department of Education’s Office of Nutrition hosted their first in-person Summer Food Service Program Summit at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective earlier this month. Program sponsors, community partners and summer food service program stakeholders convened to kick off planning and preparation for this summer. Summit events included an educational session on using local foods and a roundtable discussion on Farm to Summer planning. The American Dairy Association led a “Smoothie Slurp” and provided smoothie samples and recipes to event goers.
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School Garden Tips for February
Keep raised beds covered with row covers to protect plants from the elements during colder days, and at night. When the weather warms, open the covers, but make sure to close them tightly afterwards if the temperature drops. Chilly February days are also the perfect time to try growing seeds indoors under an LED light or by using a hydroponic kit. For more information on growing, harvesting, and cooking produce, check out OSU Extension Franklin County YouTube Channel or Growing Franklin for weekly school garden tips.
 Students in Mrs. Bridges’ classroom at Devonshire Elementary School in Columbus, Ohio work with Extension educator Tim McDermott, setting up their new hydroponic garden tower.
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“Smoothie Slurp”
The American Dairy Association Mideast and the Ohio Farm to School Network promoted a Smoothie Slurp from February 6th to February 10th! You can still take part in this great event during the rest of this month! Smoothies are an excellent way for kids to try new foods and increase their fruit and vegetable intake. Smoothies are also an easy addition to a breakfast or lunch meal and pack a variety of nutrients, including calcium, protein, potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. Local foods can be included in smoothies in the form of dairy products and fruit and vegetable produce.
Show us how you slurp! Share photos or videos on social media using #OHSmoothieSlurp and tag @adamideast and @OhioFarm2School.
Northgate Intermediate School in Columbus, Ohio held a Family Fitness Event to educate children and their families about the importance of exercise and nutrition to optimize their health. OSU Extension brought a smoothie bike and prepared air fried kale chips!
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Ohio Proud Food Summit
 On February 15th, The Ohio Department of Agriculture hosted the Ohio Proud Summit at their office in Reynoldsburg. Ohio Proud products are a food or agricultural product that is at least 50 percent grown, raised or processed in Ohio and is differentiated by an Ohio Proud logo. A variety of Ohio Proud partners participated in the summit and provided a display and samples of their products to attendees. Schools participating in Child Nutrition Programs who utilize Ohio Proud products on their menus can feature a special logo highlighting their use of these local foods. Apply here to use the “On the Menu” logo.
Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Guide
The USDA Procuring Local Foods for Child Nutrition Programs Guide provides an overview of federal procurement principles and covers a host of topics related to sourcing and purchasing local foods for state agencies and child nutrition program operators. This guide highlights the variety of mechanisms schools can use to purchase local products while staying in accordance with federal procurement regulations. The guide features examples of how to target local foods when conducting both formal and informal procurements, use the geographic preference option, and use the USDA Foods and DoD Fresh Programs to enhance local purchasing.
Recipe of the Month
The USDA created a Fruit and Yogurt Roll-Ups recipe for Family Child Care Centers, a great option for a Valentines Day breakfast. The recipe provides one-fourth cup of fruit, one-fourth ounce of meat alternative, and three-fourths ounce equivalent of grains.
Special Request for Farm to School Photos
We are requesting photos associated with Ohio producers and school districts in preparation for upcoming producer training sessions. These training sessions allow producers in Ohio to gain valuable information about partnering with schools to provide local foods. Photos of growing produce, harvesting produce, high tunnel/hoop houses, school lunches with local produce, and more would be especially helpful. Please send photos Hannah Hart, education consultant at the Ohio Department of Education.
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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!
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News & Events
Ohio Farm to School Network Quarterly Meeting
Mark your calendar for the next Ohio Farm to School State Network meeting on March 9, 2023. For more information on Ohio Farm to School, visit the website and Facebook page.
Farm to Summer Upcoming Planning Sessions
Farm to Summer brings Farm to School programming during the summer months. Activities can include food and agriculture education, school and community gardening, and serving locally produced foods. The Office of Nutrition will host Farm to Summer planning sessions and seeks individuals across child nutrition programs interested in providing feedback on Ohio Farm to Summer initiatives such as the Cucumber Crunch and the 2023 Farm to Summer Week. Register here to receive meeting links.
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March 7 (virtual) 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
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April 4 (virtual) 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
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Grant Opportunities
American Dairy Association Mideast Grant Opportunity
The American Dairy Association Mideast, on behalf of Ohio’s dairy farmers for K-12 schools, is offering a Smoothie Equipment Grant. This equipment grant includes an immersion blender, 2 5-gallon buckets with lids, a 1-gallon pouring pitcher, two long-handle spatulas and a pull-up merchandising banner. For more information, please visit the American Dairy Association Mideast website.
Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) Seeding Solutions
FFAR is now accepting pre-proposal applications for the 2023 cycle of Seeding Solutions, a competitive grant program that supports research to solve urgent issues across six Challenge Areas and AgMission priorities. FFAR will award a total of up to $10 million in grants through the 2023 Seeding Solutions program, with individual awards ranging from $300,000 to $1 million. Seeding Solutions grantees are required to provide matching funds from non-federal sources and identify an innovation that advances sustainable food and agriculture research within one or more of FFAR’s Challenge Areas or AgMission. Successful applications will also serve the public by making data open and accessible. The deadline to submit pre-proposals is March 8, 2023. Full application criteria and eligibility requirements are available on the 2023 Seeding Solutions webpage. Funding is for a five-year period, pending the continued availability of funding. No more than one eligible applicant per state will receive funding.
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Thank you to the following newsletter contributors:
Lauren Preston, Ohio Farm to School Program Intern, Ohio State University Extension
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