•Saturday, September 30: - 2023-2025 Farm to CNP NCRG Final Report​ is due. 

•Tuesday, September 30: 2023-2025 Farm to CNP Education grant Final Report is due.

NATIONAL FARM TO SCHOOL PODCAST

Officially at 12,000 downloads! With listeners in 54 countries!

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

First Foods, Lasting Legacy: Indigenous Foodways at Chemawa Indian School

At the Chemawa Indian School, food is more than nourishment—it's culture, tradition, and connection. Meet the staff reviving First Foods through student-driven menus, community cooking, and a deep respect for Indigenous knowledge.

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.

Shared on behalf of Ecotrust:

Save the date for Local Link 2025! Wednesday, November 12, 2025 from 9am-12pm, at The Redd on Salmon (831 SE Salmon St., Portland, OR).

Local Link is a vendor fair and networking opportunity. Want to learn more about Local Link and working with schools and other institutions? Tune in for an info session for producers and local food businesses:

Virtual Info Session: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 from 3:00-5:00pm on Zoom. Register here

Check the Local Link webpage for more details over the upcoming weeks.

Photo courtesy of ecotrust.org/local-link.

Shared on behalf of the National CACFP Association:

Get ready to grow your program from the ground up! Get equipped with the tools you need to successfully implement and grow Farm to CACFP initiatives. Dive into the heart of Farm to CACFP with real stories, hands-on strategies, and creative ideas to bring local food and learning into your care setting. From navigating procurement to sparking curiosity through agricultural education, you’ll gain the tools and inspiration to make a lasting impact in your community. Earn certificates for up to 5.5 CEUs.

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 (11:00 AM - 5:15 PM) (EDT).

Learn more 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.

You can find a mapped version of Oregon's school gardens on the ODE website. While you're there, you can also learn more about the project!

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

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.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)

The current grant period is October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. Awardees should submit FFVP claims monthly.

The application for the 2025–2026 FFVP grant period closes at 5pm, August 22nd, 2025. 

• 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.

All NSLP, CACFP, and SFSP CNP sponsors were automatically opted in to receive a Noncompetitive Reimbursement Grant for the 2025-2027 biennium (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2027). Unofficial award announcements were sent on July 22, 2025.

The Grant’s start date is retroactive and you can submit claims for items purchased starting July 1, 2025 when your Grant Agreement has been signed and returned to ODE. Please review your unofficial grant notification email for necessary next steps and visit the ODE NCRG webpage to review the 2025-2027 grant timeline. Official award announcements will be sent via email by the ODE Procurement team in the coming months.

2023-2025 Biennium reminders: 

• September 30, 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.

Competitive Reimbursement Grant

The Competitive Reimbursement Grant is a separate sub-program that was 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 expected to open for the 2025-2027 biennium in early 2026.

Education Grant

The 2025-2027 Education Grant RFA will be available soon. Announcements will be sent via email (subscribe to the ODE Farm to CNP email list to receive timely announcements!). 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:

• 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.