NATIONAL FARM TO SCHOOL PODCAST

New Episodes: We have new episodes of the Farm to School Podcast! Check out the latest Farm to School Podcast episodes below!

Small Bites Adventure Club

Today our special guests are Chef Asata Reid and Erin Croom of "Small Bites Adventure Club" from Atlanta, GA. Listen in as they share their journey and passion of developing a truly one-of-a-kind, innovative program educating children about nutrition and where their food comes from.

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

Critters in the School Garden

So you have a school garden. You grow beautiful fruits and veggies. Great! Now what? Once you've mastered your "green thumb" and want to try the one of the next steps in school gardens, many programs are having success with raising chickens (and other "critters") in the school garden. We talk with Sam Ullery from Washington DC's Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Sam was the first person to explore the legal and safe way to do this at a state agency level.

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

OSU PolliNation Podcast: Farm to School Guest Stars!

This week we hear about Oregon's Farm to School program and how it helps make the connection between Oregon agriculture and pollinators in the classroom. We are joined by Rick Sherman (Farm to Child Nutrition Program Manager at the Oregon Department of Education) and Michelle Markesteyn (Farm to School Specialist at Oregon State University Extension), who also host a great podcast (available on YouTube, Spotify and iTunes). Give it a listen here! And catch archived episodes on the OSU website.

October is Farm to School Month

To celebrate Farm to School Month, join the Oregon CRUNCH! Bite into locally grown produce alongside students across the state. This simple act celebrates Farm to School Programs, promotes healthy eating, and supports local agriculture. Participate easily: register your PreK-12 school, choose your produce, and get ready to CRUNCH!

Learn more and register at: oregonfarmtoschool.org

ODA Farm to School Testimonial Video

The Oregon Department of Agriculture's Oregon Harvest for Schools Team has produced a wonderful testimonial video highlighting Oregon producers' love of Farm to School! Give it a watch, and while you're there, check out some other awesome resources like the Oregon Harvest for Schools Directory!

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.

This grant closed on August 31, 2024. Claims for eligible purchases between March 2023 - August 31 can be submitted for review through October 14th, 2024.

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.
• 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 LFS Allowable/Unallowable document can be found here and the mandatory training for all grantees can be found on the Local Food for Schools Grant website under Training Resources. 

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

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)

The 2024-2025 FFVP Awards have been announced. The grant period is October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.

New this year:
• FFVP will be included in the new ODE Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) permanent agreements, meaning you will not receive a separate FFVP agreement from ODE Procurement Department. Details on the new CNP permanent agreements will be sent out in September.
• To be eligible for rollover to the next FFVP grant period (SY 2025-2026), at least one FFVP claim must be submitted by the SY 2024-2025 March deadline, regardless of whether claims are submitted after this deadline. This will allow ODE sufficient time to calculate and announce the next SY’s FFVP award amounts. Monthly claim deadlines are available on the ODE FFVP webpage

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​.

Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant

All NSLP, CACFP and SFSP CNP sponsors were automatically opted in to receive a Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant for the 2023-2025 biennium (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2025). The Farm to CNP team has recently communicated with you about the status of your grant.

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

In past years, there has been a Progress Report required halfway through the grant biennium. This biennium a Progress Report is not being required, instead ODE is tracking purchases through reimbursement claims submitted. Instead of the hour you would have spent filling out a progress report, we encourage you all to make the time to find new connections with Oregon producers, and source new food to expand youths' palates! 

Curious what other schools are purchasing with their funds? Visit the Farm to CNP Reimbursement Grant webpage for grant resources. Visit the Oregon Harvest for Schools Portal for a directory of Oregon producers ready to sell to schools!

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) has been developed and will be available for applications in May 2024. The Competitive Reimbursement Grant is only available for Sponsors that use all their available Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant Funds. As of September 2024, all available Farm to CNP Competitive Reimbursement Grant (CRG) funds have been awarded. Applications are still open, and we anticipate additional funding will become available later in the fall.

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. 

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