Volume 3, Issue 26, October 11, 2017
|
|
|
|
Promote Your Farm to School Activities This Month!
Using social media to share your Farm to School
Month activities? If so, use #farmtoschool and #F2SMonth. We want farm to school
to trend this October!
Connecticut’s HardCORE Farm to School Month Promotion
Partners in Connecticut – including the State Department of Education, Cooperative Extension, and FoodCorps – are joining forces behind a statewide celebration of National Farm to School Month. The HardCORE CT Apple challenge encourages school districts to promote local foods and spread awareness about the importance of food education. All schools and districts in Connecticut are encouraged to participate by sourcing local apples during the month of October, placing signage so students and staff know where they came from, and asking students to:
1. Eat a #CTGrown apple down to its core; 2. Try 2 different types of #CTGrown apples; or, 3. Visit a local apple orchard.
Schools are encouraged to share how they are taking the HardCORE CT Apple challenge by tagging @CTFarmToSchool on Facebook or Instagram and using the hashtags #CTAppleChallenge & #CTGrown! CT’s Farm to School Collaborative has made it easy for users with an Apple Challenge Toolbox, complete with promotional materials, recipes, procurement tips, and ready to go communications templates. Happy crunching, Connecticut!
|
Farm to School Supports National School Lunch Week
October 9 - 13, 2017 is National School Lunch Week and Columbia Public Schools is creating a buzz in the lunchroom! They have hydroponic towers in the classroom, garden bars in the cafeteria, and school gardens outside. With all of these growing spaces, they have a lot of options for lunch. Students can choose from watermelon,
granny smith, Jonathon, red delicious, cameo, fuji, tomatoes, heirloom
tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers,
yellow zucchini, yellow squash, green peppers, colored peppers, red onion,
yellow onions, green beans, and winter, spaghetti, butternut and acorn
squashes.
Check out their twitter feed @cpsLunch to get a glimpse of their farm to school activities!
|
|
|
Resources, Webinars, and Funding
|
|
2018 Farm to School Grant Request for Applications (RFA) Webinars
Last week, the USDA Office of Community Food Systems (OCFS) released the FY 2018 Farm to School Grant RFA. These webinars will provide an
overview of the Farm to School Grant RFA for schools and districts, State agencies, and Indian tribal organizations . Learn
about the goal of this funding opportunity, eligibility requirements, the
application process, and how to set you and your team up for grant application
success!
|
-
FY 2018 Farm to School Grant RFA Webinar
Date: Monday, October 16, 2017 at 3:00pm EDT Register now!
-
FY 2018 Farm to School Grant RFA Webinar – State Agencies
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 3:00pm EDT This webinar is tailored to state agencies who are interested in crafting a Farm to School Grant proposal. Register now!
-
FY 2018 Farm to School Grant Application Process: Engaging Tribal Communities & Producers
Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 3:00pm EDT This webinar is tailored to applicants interested in crafting proposals that will serve Native communities. Register now!
National Farm to School Month: Early Care Education (ECE) Webinar
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2017 @ 12:00pm EDT
The Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior is hosting a live webinar to celebrate National Farm to School Month.
This webinar is a great opportunity to learn more about farm to ECE, a suite of activities and strategies that entails three core elements, including the use of local foods in meals and snacks, gardening opportunities, and food-based learning activities implemented in the ECE setting. Join speakers from the National Farm to School Network (NFSN) and Arizona State University to learn about opportunities to celebrate National Farm to School Month and the vast array of benefits of farm to ECE for children, families, and communities.
Webinar speakers include:
- Rebecca E. Lee is a seasoned community psychologist and a professor in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University,
- Anna Mullen, communication associate at the NFSN, has long held a passion for social justice and advocacy, with special interest in food access, community health and sustainability, and
- Lacy Stephens, MS, RDN, is committed to supporting healthy kids, thriving communities, and sustainable food systems through her work as the Farm to Early Care and Education Associate with the NFSN.
|
Farm
to School Evaluation: Tips, Tools and Templates
Are
you measuring progress and impact of your farm to school activities? Need a
plan for collecting and disseminating data and stories that align with your
program outcomes? Take a peek into NFSN's
pioneering framework for evaluating farm to school "Evaluation
for Transformation" to streamline your evaluation efforts, and hear
about useful tips, tools and templates to support your farm to school
evaluation efforts.
|
Apply for Technical Assistance to Create Healthy, Economically, Vibrant Communities
Local Foods,
Local Places helps communities reinvest in existing neighborhoods
and revitalize downtowns through the development of local food systems. To
date, nearly 80 communities have benefited from assistance with support from
EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the
Delta Regional Authority. Apply now!
|
Healthy
Places for Healthy People helps community leaders and health care
partners focus on health as an economic driver and catalyst for downtown
and neighborhood revitalization. Health care partners include
community health centers (including Federally Qualified Health Centers),
nonprofit hospitals, and other health care facilities. To date, 10
communities have benefited from assistance with support from EPA and the
Appalachian Regional Commission. Healthy Places for Healthy People
provides assistance for communities that are economically challenged,
including those in rural Appalachia. Apply now!
National Farm to School Month Spotlight
Youth & Family Services Closes the Gap
Youth & Family
Services (YFS) is a non-profit organization based in Rapid City, South Dakota that works
to help close the opportunity gap for thousands of disadvantaged children
living in western South Dakota. One way YFS is working to address this gap is
by introducing children and their families to the benefits of a nutritious,
adequate diet and value of wellness. Education about the importance of good
nutrition and wellness is provided through YFS’ eight comprehensive programs,
including two Head Start programs (Center-Based Head Start and Home-Based Head
Start) and YFS’ sponsorship of the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
|
In an effort to offer
children and families a fun, hands-on way to learn about healthy foods and the
importance of good nutrition, YFS opened the gates to its thriving outdoor
education center known as Fullerton Farm. Located in Box Elder, South Dakota, Fullerton
Farm offers its guests an opportunity to learn about growing, preparing, and
preserving fresh produce. The farm has helped increase access to fresh fruits
and vegetables for children and families; given children opportunities to
develop a taste for healthy foods while they’re young; and encourages children
and families to grow some of their own food. “We believe that if children grow
veggies and help prepare them, they are much more likely to eat them!” said
Sharon Oney, YFS Grants Administrator.
Together with South
Dakota State University Extension, YFS hosted a community Harvest Festival on
September 16. More than 340 adults and children attended this free,
family-friendly event at Fullerton Farm in spite of the chilly weather. The
Harvest Festival provided community members with a taste of YFS’s vision for
family engagement and wellness. Darcie Decker, YFS Nutrition Director
recalled, “the children had a fabulous time digging in the dirt pile, tasting
honey, fruits, and vegetables, and pedaling a bicycle with a blender attached
to make fruit smoothies.” With the momentum from the Harvest Festival, the team
is ready to move forward. “We’re already making plans for next year!”
|
|
|
Learn more at http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool or contact us at farmtoschool@fns.usda.gov.
Not yet subscribed to The Dirt? Join us by clicking here.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).
|
|
|