NATIONAL FARM TO SCHOOL PODCAST

New Episode

Check out the latest Farm to School Podcast episode below!

Not all School Have Walls: A Visit with Executive Director Todd Ormiston from North Country School in Lake Placid, NY

Join Michelle and Rick as they interview Todd Ormiston, the Executive Director for North Country School in Lake Placid NY. Todd shares the strategies, challenges and philosophies for farm-based education at their school.

For show notes, podcast transcripts and contact information please visit the OSU Farm to School Podcast website.

Help Create a Shared Vision for the next 10 Years of Farm to School and School Gardens in Oregon

Over 20 years ago many ideas were germinating across the country about how we could improve the meals kids ate in schools in ways that could also help farmers prosper. Those ideas grew into a movement and then institutionally took root in Oregon when in 2007 the Oregon State Legislature created the statewide Farm to School and School Garden Program.

Fast forward 20 years, and Oregon is home to the robust Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Network in partnership with public programs within the Oregon Departments of Agriculture and Education and at Oregon State University all working in concert with countless statewide non-profit organizations, Commodity Commission, individuals and private businesses. And its worked!

We have come so far, and where we go from here is up to us. Please join the conversation.

The online forum is officially open until March 20th. There are written directions on the website, or you can watch a video tutorial here. 

This online forum presents goals and strategies for your review and comment. We recommend everyone start by reviewing the Goals tab. Then you can dive deeper into one or more areas of work that matter most to you. You can offer feedback on proposed strategies as well as share any additional strategies that you believe will help. Please use the pro/con tool to share more about your perspective.

Ecotrust is hiring: Farm to School Fellow - Apply by March 25th

The purpose of the Farm to School Fellowship is to provide an in-depth work experience for an individual to contribute to and develop expertise in farm to school in Oregon. Farm to school enriches the connection communities have with fresh, culturally relevant foods and local food producers by supporting gardening, agricultural education, and local food purchasing at schools and early care and education sites. At Ecotrust, this work is focused at the intersections of equity, economy, and environment and happens in relation to broader efforts to advance equity in food systems and educational spaces. 

During this temporary (approximately 12 months), full-time fellowship, the fellow will work closely with the Senior Manager of Community Food Systems, other Ecotrust team members, and a wide variety of community partners. The fellow will play a key role in projects that support: 

• schools and early childhood sites to build relationships and knowledge that help them buy local and culturally-relevant foods; 
• schools and early childhood sites to integrate hands-on learning about food systems; 
• access to institutional markets for Oregon producers (farmers, ranchers, fishers, and value-added food businesses), specifically Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, and other people of color. 

Read more about the position and how to apply here. Questions about the position should be directed to Angela Hedstrom at ahedstrom@ecotrust.org. 

Learn more about this position: Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 12:00pm

Ecotrust is hosting an informational session about this position on Wednesday, March 13 at 12:00pm. Call in at 1-253-215-8782, Meeting ID: 88589639093 or attend via this link.

APPLY NOW! Oregon & Washington Farm To School Institute Application is LIVE!

We are excited to extend a new offering to you! The Farm to School Institute in Oregon and Washington is the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

Applications for the 2024–25 Oregon and Washington

Farm to School Institute are open!

Applications are due Friday, March 15, 2024.

Notifications of team selections will be made by April 8, 2024. 

About the Institute

Grow farm to school in your community with the support of an entire network

The Farm to School Institute model is a year-long professional learning experience that brings site-based teams together to build relationships, skills, and a collaborative action plan to further their farm to school goals. Team members bring a variety of expertise and may include classroom educators, administrators, nutrition services staff, garden educators, and community partners. With the support of a coach, teams spend the school year putting their plans into action and strengthening their capacity to integrate lasting impacts across classrooms, cafeterias, and communities.

Read more about this wonderful opportunity on the Institute Webpage.

How to Apply

Please fill out the Oregon and Washington K-12 Farm to School Institutes application here!

We encourage applicants to read through the FAQ page on the Institute webpage for more information about the program, Institute model, and in-person summer retreat details. 

Additional questions? Please reach out to institute@ecotrust.org

FoodCorps Oregon applications are open NOW!

Applications are open for the next class (2024-2025) of PAID FoodCorps AmeriCorps service members! The final deadline to apply is March 29, 2024.

As a FoodCorps service member, you’ll teach kids to grow, cook, and love the nourishing foods that celebrate their cultures and communities—and help schools serve more of those foods, too. Secure your plans for next year NOW by applying TODAY!

What makes a great paid service member?

A motivated leader who’s passionate about food education, and eager to serve—especially in a community you call home. Your unique strengths will shape your service, and with the support of our program resources, we’ll get kids excited about nourishing food together.

You’ll grow through your service, too. You’ll get access to dozens of equity-centered resources and training opportunities and gain a network of equity-centered passionate food educators and world leaders. After your service, our alumni program can help you make meaningful connections and build your career in public health, education, food justice, school food leadership, nonprofit management, and more!

Wondering what service can  look like if you become part of our team?

A Day in the Life - On Instagram, follow three service members to see what a day of service can look like. 

APPLY TODAY! If you need some inspiration to get started, check out these 5 tips for making your application stand out! 

Questions about the application process? Please contact Souhair Kenas, FoodCorps Oregon Program Coordinator at Souhair.kenas@foodcorps.org.

National CACFP Sponsors Association Virtual Conference Scholarships

We have already awarded 15 scholarships to attend the National Child Nutrition Conference, April 22-26, and are thrilled to announce that we're opening up applications for more scholarships!

This conference is a great opportunity for professionals from child care centers, home providers, sponsoring organizations, school districts, afterschool programs, Head Start programs, Food Banks, tribal nations and State Agencies.

We'll be giving away up to 100 scholarships, which is over $50,000 dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities for the CACFP, Afterschool Meals and Summer Food communities.

These scholarships are for the virtual option only. If you had previously applied for a scholarship to the conference this year, you will need to submit a new application in order to be eligible.

Apply for a Virtual Option Scholarship

The deadline to apply for a virtual scholarship is Wednesday, March 15. Recipients will be notified on Friday, March 22.

Farm to School in the News

Beef, its what's for lunch | News | bluemountaineagle.com

Local Food For Schools (LFS) Grant

The USDA Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program, (or, the LFS Grant for short), is a Federal, one-time award that enables State Agencies to reimburse School Districts for local foods that meet certain criteria. All NSLP sponsors were automatically opted into this grant.

Agreements were sent to sponsors in the fall of 2023 with follow up from ODE's contracts department through the end of the year. Please sign and return your grant agreements as soon as possible in order to make funds available for reimbursement.

Allowable Items:

• Milk from either inside the Oregon border or up to 400 miles outside of the Oregon border (Fluid milk - half pints, flavored milk).
• Unprocessed or minimally processed food from up to 400 miles outside the Oregon border.
• NEW: Unprocessed or minimally processed food from inside of the Oregon border, only after your initial Farm to CNP Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant award is exhausted.
• The mandatory training as well as the LFS Allowable/Unallowable document can be found on on the ODE Local Food for Schools Grant website under Training Resources, and Allowable and Unallowable Products, respectively. Please refer to these resources for additional details and claim guidance.

This grant begins March 1, 2023 and closes on August 31, 2024.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)

January claims must be submitted to FarmtoCNP@ode.oregon.gov no later than Monday, April 1st, 2024. The SY 2023-2024 FFVP claims deadlines can be found here. The updated FFVP claim form can be found here. 

Curious what other schools are purchasing with their FFVP funds? Here is a list of fruits and vegetables purchased during the 2022-2023 school year. 

Any questions can be sent to us at FarmtoCNP@ode.oregon.gov​.

Farm to CNP Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant

All NSLP, CACFP and SFSP CNP sponsors were automatically opted in to receive a Farm to CNP Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant for the 2023-2025 biennium (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2025).

The Grant’s start date is retroactive and you will be able to submit claims for items purchased starting July 1, 2023 when your district or grant organization’s Grant Agreement has been signed and returned to ODE.

The following is due before Sponsors can submit claims in EGMS:

• View the Mandatory Training. After viewing is complete, each grantee must fill out a Reimbursement Grant Attestation Form. The link to the Reimbursement Grant Training Attestation Form can be found at the end of the Mandatory Training.
• Baseline report (for new Sponsors) available on our grant webpage under “Reporting.” New sponsors must complete this step before submitting their first claim.
• Final report from last biennium (for returning Sponsors). The final report is available on our grant webpage under “Reporting.” Returning sponsors must complete this step before submitting their first claim.
• Sign Grant agreement.
• If you do not plan to participate in this Grant during the entirety of the 23-25 biennium, please complete this brief form to indicate you would prefer to opt out. This form will be shared with our Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Network. The Regional Farm to School Hubs may reach out to you to confirm.
• The 2023-2025 claim form can be found on the Farm to CNP Reimbursement Grant webpage. It is the first item under the "Resources for Claims" section.
• Nutrition Service Directors and Program Directors MUST sign up for the Farm to CNP listserv. ODE communicates its Grant Program updates predominantly through the listserv. Staff working on Farm to CNP activities, including purchasing and finance are encouraged to sign up as well. (Note: When you click on the link it will direct you to an "Oregon Department of Education email updates" sign-up page. It looks generic but you are in the right spot!).

Please let the Farm to CNP team know at FarmtoCNP@ode.oregon.gov if you have any questions.

Competitive Reimbursement Grant

The Competitive Reimbursement Grant is a separate sub-program that will be available again this biennium. A Request for Application (RFA) will be developed and available for applications in approximately May 2024. The Competitive Reimbursement Grant is only available for Sponsors that use all their available Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant Funds.

Education Grant

Awards for the 2023-2025 ODE Farm to Child Nutrition Program Competitive Education Grants have been announced. A full list of awardees is now available on the Education Grant website.

Grant agreements will be sent as soon as grantees meet all insurance requirements.

All Grantees will need to complete the mandatory grant training and complete an attestation form saying they have done so before claims can be submitted. The attestation appears at the end of the training.  

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at FarmtoCNP@ode.oregon.gov.