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Farm to Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) Newsletter
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New Episodes: We have new episodes of the Farm to School Podcast! Check out the latest Farm to School Podcast episodes below!
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Farm Lab-DREAMS Campus with Julie Burton
Join us as we talk with Julie Burton of the award-winning Farm Lab DREAMS Campus (Design, Research, Engineering, Art, Math & Science). It's an amazing story of how they were able to establish a certified organic farm that feeds into their nationally recognized farm to school program in Encinitas, California.
For show notes, podcast transcripts and contact information please visit the OSU Farm to School Podcast website.
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Growing food changes lives: a discussion with Big Green’s Sam Koentopp
Many organizations provide educational programming for school gardens across the USA. But what about the infrastructure of building the garden? How do you start?
Join us as we talk with Sam Koentopp from Big Green. They work with partner organizations to install raised beds in schools, and have a goal to start one million gardens with their home gardening kits! In this episode we explore Big Green's mission to get everyone in the country growing food!
For show notes, podcast transcripts and contact information please visit the OSU Farm to School Podcast website.
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The Farm to School Podcast is a project by Oregon State University (OSU) and Oregon Department of Education (ODE), funded by the USDA. It is hosted by Oregon Farm to School coordinators Rick Sherman of ODE, and Michelle Markesteyn from OSU.
AM Northwest (AMNW), a morning show on KATU, did a segment on Oregon Farm to School.
Umatilla School District Nutrition Services Director, Rikkilyn Starliper, joined AMNW to speak about the importance of the Farm to School Grant dollars they have received over the years.
Give it a watch!
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USDA Farm to School Census - 2023 Findings pt. 3
Although farm to school participation has grown a lot over the past decade, not all schools participate. How do we continue to develop the work so that all children enjoy meals with locally produced foods and engage in food and agricultural education?
According to findings from the 2023 Farm to School Census, the top three resources that would encourage schools to participate in farm to school are more funding for school food service programs, training and technical assistance related to finding local foods, and training on procurement and delivery of local foods.
In Oregon, School Food Authorities that do not currently participate in farm to school
also noted that more training and technical assistance on paying for local foods, paying for farm to school activities, and preparing local foods would encourage them to participate in farm to school in the future.
ODE is here to help! We offer information on our website about purchasing and preparing local foods. Once you've checked that out, connect with your Regional Hub Coordinator to see what other technical assistance is available in your region!
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 at https://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 USDA administered 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.
**Please note, this grant program is administered at the federal level and is separate from the state-administered ODE Farm to CNP Grant Program.
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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.
In 2025 the Oregon Department of Agriculture will administer the LFS grant. ODE will provide updates and information via our newsletter as it becomes available.
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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.
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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 Grant’s start date is retroactive and you can 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.
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Starting in the 2025–2027 grant biennium, the list of reimbursement-eligible items will be updated to prioritize Oregon agricultural products and processed foods containing Oregon agricultural products
Starting in the 2025-2027 biennium grant cycle, pizza products, tortillas, and tortilla chips will no longer be eligible for reimbursement through the Farm to CNP Reimbursement Grant.
- Pizza products include, but are not limited to:
- Pizza (whole or slices), pockets, sticks, bites, crust, dough, etc.
- Tortilla products include, but are not limited to:
- Hard and soft shells, wraps, chips, etc.
The 2023-2025 grant biennium allowables/ unallowables remain unaffected by these changes.
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.
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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.
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January 1-31, 2025 | Vol 6 Issue 1
Questions or suggestions for future issues?
Please send an email to the Farm to CNP team at FarmtoCNP@ode.oregon.gov.
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