•Thursday, August 14: Final day to enter all reviewed and approved 2023-2025 Farm to CNP claims into EGMS. *Submit claim sheets for review at least 2 business days prior to deadline to allow time for processing.
•Friday, August 22, 5pm: FFVP application deadline for the 2025-2026 grant period.
•Friday, August 22: 2025-2026 Preliminary budgets due for returning FFVP grantees.
•Saturday, September 20: - 2023-2025 Farm to CNP NCRG Final Report is due.
•Tuesday, September 30: 2023-2025 Farm to CNP Education grant Final Report is due.
|
- Farm to School Podcast: New episodes are now available! (New)
- Farm to School in the news! (New)
- ODE School Garden Survey (Repeat)
- Save the Date: 2026 Growing School Gardens Summit (Repeat)
- National Farm to Cafeteria Conference: New Date (Repeat)
- USDA Farm to School Census - 2023 Findings pt. 10 (New)
- Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (Updated)
- 25-27 Grant Biennium Updates (Repeat)
- EGMS is Re-Opened (Updated)
- Farm to CNP Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant (Updated)
-
Updated Allowables/Unallowables for the 2025-2027 Grant Biennium (Repeat)
- Farm to CNP Competitive Reimbursement Grant (Updated)
- Farm to CNP Education Grant (Updated)
New Episodes: We have new episodes of the Farm to School Podcast! Check out the latest Farm to School Podcast episodes below!
|
Curries, Culture & Cafeteria: Bringing Bold Flavors to Schools. Happy Curry Foods & the Power of Cultural Cuisine!
Meet Krishna Bhattarai of Happy Curry Foods, a former finance executive turned food entrepreneur who is bringing bold global flavors like curries, dumplings, and samosas to Oregon school cafeterias—at the same time, bridging cultures, cutting down on preparation time, and winning over kids' taste buds.
You can listen to the episode here.
Available on approximately 30 platforms! Simply search for “Farm to School Podcast.”
For show notes, podcast transcripts and contact information please visit the OSU Farm to School Podcast website.
|
Meet Lucy DeLeon, the tamale maker who is turning family tradition into a statewide school lunch success. From migrant roots to feeding thousands of students in her state, Lucy shares how culture, hustle, and heart are transforming school meals—one tamale at a time.
You can listen to the episode here.
Available on approximately 30 platforms! Simply search for “Farm to School Podcast.”
For show notes, podcast transcripts and contact information please visit the OSU Farm to School Podcast website.
|
The Farm to School Podcast is a project by Oregon State University (OSU), funded by the USDA. It is hosted by Rick Sherman and Michelle Markesteyn.
AMNW Farm to School Segment Series Airing on KATU
This series has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy!
This series highlights recipients of the Oregon Farm to Child Nutrition Program grants. Grantees receive an economic boost while giving kids a chance to experience healthy foods!
Special: Oregon's Farm To School!
Check out this hour-long Farm to School special, originally aired on AMNW on July 11, 2025.
Watch the full segment here!
|
"How many school gardens ARE there in Oregon?”
As of March 2024, there are 788 school gardens in Oregon! We know this number thanks to all respondents of the ODE School Garden Survey.
Now, we need your help to keep that information accurate.
Please take 15-20 minutes to complete the survey for each garden at your school site. We ask that everybody fill out a new survey, even if you have filled one out in the past.
Thank you for the 10 responses we have already received!
The results of the survey will be shared on the ODE website!
Take the survey here.
|
Mark your calendars for February 19-22, 2026 - the Growing Schools Gardens Summit is heading to Phoenix, Arizona! This event brings together over 700 school garden educators for four days of hands-on learning! Now in its third year, this event continues sparking new ideas, strengthening connections, and supporting the growth of school garden programs nationwide.
Key Dates & Deadlines
• May 2025 — Calls for Sessions Open
• Fall 2025 — Scholarship Application Opens
• Fall 2025 — Registration Opens
Learn more at SchoolGardenSummit.org
|
Shared on behalf of the National Farm to School Network:
The 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference is officially scheduled for December 2-5, 2025! Hosted by the National Farm to School Network, this conference is the premier event for anyone passionate about bringing local food to institutional settings and driving positive change in the food system. Whether you’re a food service professional, farmer, educator, policymaker, entrepreneur, or student, this conference offers invaluable opportunities to network, learn, and share knowledge with others who are shaping the future of food access and sustainability.
*An important date change was made to the conference, originally in June 2025, to December 2025.
|
USDA Farm to School Census - 2023 Findings pt. 10
Oregon was the first state to identify all of its school gardens! It’s no wonder then, that according to the USDA 2023 Farm to School Census, Oregon has a higher number of edible school gardens than the national average.
- 6,539 schools across the county have school gardens - that’s 9% of schools!
- In Oregon? As of 2022, 784 schools in Oregon have school Gardens. That’s more than 50% of Oregon schools!
If your school hasn’t yet started a school garden, or if your school garden could use some development, check out the resources available on the ODE Webpage!
|
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)
The current grant period is October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. Awardees should submit FFVP claims monthly.
2025-2026 FFVP Applications Are Open - Deadline August 22. There are grant funds available for new FFVP participants! Schools interested in participating in the 2025–2026 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) (October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026) can learn more about the program on the FFVP webpage and apply for funds. The application for the 2025–2026 FFVP grant closes at 5pm, August 22nd, 2025.
- Reminder for Returning FFVP Participants: Preliminary budgets are due by August 22.
- New Allowable/ Unallowable items for the 2025-2026 grant period. Updates have been made to the list of items considered by ODE as “standard fare.” These changes will take effect at the start of the 2025–2026 grant period, beginning October 1, 2025.
New allowable: Granny Smith apples.
New unallowable: Carrot coins; Fuji and Gala apples; Valencia and Cara Cara oranges.
- FFVP has a new email address. As of March 2025, FFVP has a new email address: ODE.FFVP@ode.oregon.gov. Please send any FFVP related emails, including monthly claims, to the new address.
-
Bimonthly FFVP open office hours: Starting Wednesday, August 6th, the ODE FFVP team will host bimonthly virtual open office hour sessions on the first Wednesday of every other month from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Join the call anytime during the hour to ask FFVP-related questions, get technical assistance on claims, or connect with the team about program operations and best practice.
- Curious what other schools are purchasing with their FFVP funds? A list of fruits and vegetables purchased during the 2023-2024 school year is available on the ODE FFVP webpage.
-
Have an FFVP success story, best practice, or hot tip to share? Send it to ODE.FFVP@ode.oregon.gov and it may be featured in an upcoming Farm to CNP/FFVP newsletter or in future FFVP trainings!
Any questions can be sent to us at ODE.FFVP@ode.oregon.gov.
|
We are thrilled to report that the Oregon Legislature approved funding for the Oregon Farm to Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) Grant Program for the 25-27 biennium!
See below for grant-specific updates.
Any future updates will be communicated by the ODE Farm to CNP team via email listserv, individual emails, and our newsletter as soon as possible.
Questions can be sent to the ODE Farm to CNP team at FarmtoCNP@ODE.Oregon.Gov.
Thanks to your efforts, the annual EGMS shutdown was successful. The EGMS shutdown ended on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, and is now re-opened for submission of approved claims.
• Please note: Thursday, August 14, 2025 is the final day to enter all reviewed and approved 2023-2025 Farm to CNP claims into EGMS.
While August 14th, 2025 is the final day to enter claims for the 2023-2025 grant period, we strongly encourage you to submit your final claim sheets to the ODE Farm to CNP team for review far in advance. This will allow sufficient time for review and EGMS entry approval and ensure that you have time to enter your approved final claims into EGMS before the deadline.
All eligible NSLP, CACFP, and SFSP CNP sponsors were automatically opted in to receive a Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant award for the 2025-2027 biennium (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2027). Informal award announcements were sent to CNPWeb Contacts on July 21, 2025. The announcement includes important startup information and next steps. Official award announcements and grant agreements will be sent via email by an ODE Procurement Specialist in approximately late September/early October.
Claims may be submitted for review once the required startup processes outlined in the informal award announcement are complete. Purchases eligible for reimbursement may be claimed retroactively to the start of the grant period—July 1, 2025. Please note that reimbursements will not be processed until grant agreements are executed and subgrant setup is complete in the EGrant Management System (EGMS).
2023-2025 Biennium reminders:
•Tuesday, August 12, 2025 - Please submit your final claims to the ODE Farm to CNP team for approval, allowing 2 business days for claim approval before the final day to submit claims to EGMS.
•Thursday, August 14, 2025 - Final day to enter all reviewed and approved 2023-2025 Farm to CNP claims into EGMS. Please submit your claims to the ODE Farm to CNP team for approval at least 2 business days prior to allow time for processing.
• September 20, 2025 - Final Report is due. 2025-2027 grant period claims will not be reviewed until the 2023-2025 Final Report is submitted.
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.
|
Beginning in the 2025–2027 grant biennium, the list of items allowable for reimbursement will be updated to more closely align with the core goals of the grant: to increase the purchase of Oregon-grown and Oregon-produced foods, and to enhance the variety of these foods offered in school meals. These changes are intended to support Oregon’s agricultural economy while complementing existing meal programs with Oregon grown and produced products that may not typically be part of standard menus.
Starting July 1, 2025, 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 (ending June 30, 2025) allowables/unallowables remain unaffected by these changes.
A list of Allowable and Unallowable Products is always available on the ODE Farm to CNP Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant webpage.
If you have questions please contact the ODE Farm to CNP Team at FarmtoCNP@ode.oregon.gov.
Competitive Reimbursement Grant
The Competitive Reimbursement Grant will be available again in the 2025-2027 biennium. The Competitive Reimbursement Grant is only available for Sponsors that use all their available Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant Funds. $2 million is allocated to the Competitive Reimbursement Grant.
Applications are expected to open for the 2025-2027 biennium in early winter of 2026.
|
Education Grant
The 2025-2027 Education Grant RFA will be available soon. Announcements will be sent via the ODE Farm to CNP listserv. This competitive grant is for funding to teach Oregon students about Oregon grown & processed food. Typical projects include activities such as tasting tables, classroom instruction, farm field trips, video lesson production, etc. Visit the Education Grant webpage for more information.
2023-2025 Biennium reminders:
• Thursday, August 14, 2025 - Final day to enter all reviewed and approved 2023-2025 Farm to CNP claims into EGMS. *Please submit your claims for approval in advance, allowing at least 2 business days for the ODE Farm to CNP team to process your claims.
• September 30, 2025 - Final Report is due. The Final Report was sent to sponsors via email in March 2025.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at FarmtoCNP@ode.oregon.gov.
|
|
