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!

The History of School Gardens: A Conversation With Author Rose Hayden-Smith

Most people Haven't heard of the term "Farm to School."  Once the concept is explained to them, usually the next thing to explain is.. what is a school garden?  Typically, folks assume that school gardens are a relatively new thing.  Join us as we talk with Rose Hayden-Smith about the very long and interesting history of school gardens in the USA and the world.

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

Food Lab: A small school where the kids scratch-cook their own meals

Often times we highlight very large school districts with meal programs offering food made from scratch whenever possible. Because those places are large districts with many resources, there might be more opportunities to get local, fresh food into the cafeteria. But what about a very small, rural school? How can they do the same thing with limited resources? Join us as we interview Emilia Miguel of Food Lab, from Pacific Elementary in Davenport, California.

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

Congratulations to ODA's Farm to School Producer Equipment & Infrastructure Grants Recipients!

Our partners at the Oregon Department of Agrigulture (ODA) announced the recipients of their Farm to School Producer Equipment and Infrastructure (F2S EI) Grants. The F2S EI Grant is the first state-funded grant program to help producers and processors overcome financial barriers to entering or expanding into the school marketplace.

The award recipients are:

• And the Plot Chickens (Burns)
• Danish Honey Farms LLC (Chiloquin)
• Full Cellar Farm (Boring)
• Happy Curry Foods (Salem)
• Little Wings Farm LLC (Eugene)
• Poole Family Farm (Hood River)
• Rusted Gate Farm (Central Point)
• Salsa Garcia (Eugene)
• Sufiya Farm (Portland)
• Terra Sol Organics (Williams)
• Valley Flora (Langlois)
• Whistling Duck Farm LLC (Grants Pass)

The goal of this competitive grant program is to provide financial resources for Oregon producers (farmers, ranchers, seafood harvesters and processors) with specific equipment and infrastructure needs, and who intend to sell food produced or processed in Oregon to NSLP sites, CACFP sites, SFSP sites and/or Tribal youth meal programs. We can't wait to see products from these grant recipients on menus across the state!

Visit ODA's Farm to School website to learn more about this grant and other ODA Farm to School Programs.

Photo credit: Little Wings Farm.

Educational Opportunity: Life Lab-Certified School Garden Educators Course

Looking to start or enhance an educational garden program, or elevate an existing one? Life Lab's 8-week virtual course will guide and support educators in becoming Life Lab-Certified School Garden Educators! This series is open to all who want to earn this certification—no experience or degree required to join!

Next Cohort: 2/3/25 - 3/26/25

This prestigious program will provide educators with tools and techniques to create inclusive and engaging school garden classrooms, integrating environmental stewardship, science-based learning, nutrition education, and community building to foster children’s social, emotional, and academic growth.

Learn more and register on Life Lab's website.

Photo credit: Lifelab.org

USDA Farm to School Census - 2023 Findings pt. 2

Locally produced foods are appearing in school meals across the country. During the 2022-2023 school year, schools spent $1.8 billion on local food, with 74 percent of all schools serving local food items. Many schools included local food as part of school breakfast, lunch, or snack on a weekly basis. What local foods are being served in school meals? Nationwide, the top five products School Food Authorities bought locally were milk, apples, beef, poultry, and lettuce.

The USDA Farm to School Census reports that in Oregon 85% of school food authorities (SFAs) feature local foods on their school menus! 

To learn more about farm to school and how schools can buy and serve local foods in school meals, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/f2s/farm-to-school. You can find additional farm to school Census data athttps://farmtoschoolcensus.fns.usda.gov/.

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USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Opportunity

The fiscal year (FY) 2025 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program requests for applications (RFAs) are now open. This grant program is designed to increase the availability of local foods in schools and connect students to the sources of their food through education, taste tests, school gardens, field trips, and local food sourcing for school meals. Grants can launch new farm to school programs or expand existing efforts. Learn more and apply on the USDA website.

Do You Have a Bold Idea to Improve the School Food System?

Consider applying to join the USDA's second cohort of Project SCALES (Supporting Community Agriculture & Local Education Systems) grantees. Grants are available from $500,000-$1,000,000 for up to 3 years. Applicants should propose innovative and collaborative approaches that reimagine the school food system and that could be sustained and scaled elsewhere. Read more about eligibility requirements, review the Request for Applications, and apply on their website. Applications are due
on December 13, 2024.

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. The Claims Review period ended October 14, 2024. We do not yet have updates on if this funding opportunity will be made available again.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)

The 2023-2024 FFVP Program is officially fully closed, the last day to submit 23-24 September claims was Friday, November 29th.

The 2024-2025 FFVP Awards have been announced. The grant period is October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. While we await funds to arrive from the USDA, awardees should continue to submit their claims for review.

New this year:
• 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. 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 is available again this biennium. A Request for Application (RFA) has been developed and is available for applications. The Competitive Reimbursement Grant is only available for Sponsors that use all their available Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant Funds. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed in the order they are received. Recipients of rounds 4-6 were recently notified about their awards. Future awards may be granted as additional funding becomes available.

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.