 
Missouri, Take a Local Bite
You’ll wish you lived in Missouri (if you don’t already) when you hear
their plans for Farm to School Month! Schools across the state are
participating in a Take a Local Bite in
the Lunchroom contest – they are featuring fresh, locally-grown foods in
school meals and sharing photos on social media for a chance to win a great
prize package.
If schools are at a loss for where to start, the Missouri farm to
school team created a 2017 Missouri, Take
a Local Bite Menu featuring age-appropriate recipes in a menu cycle that
meets the National School Lunch Program meal pattern. The menu comes with a
full nutritional analysis, scaled recipes, and ingredient lists for all of the
featured items. If that’s not enough, there are all sorts of resources
available on the Missouri Farm to School site.
Missouri embodies the mentality “partnerships, partnerships,
partnerships!” The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Food & Nutrition Services, in partnership with the Missouri Department of
Health and Senior Services Culinary Skills Institute and the University of
Missouri Extension spearheaded the celebration and the menu planning resources.
Go team Missouri!
This October, celebrate Farm to School Month with us by applying to the FY 2018 Farm to School Grant Program! The purpose of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program is to assist eligible entities in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. On an annual basis, USDA awards up to $5 million in competitive grants for training, supporting operations, planning, purchasing equipment, developing school gardens, developing partnerships, and implementing farm to school programs. Grant funding is available for eligible entities including schools and school districts, state and local agencies, non-profit organizations, small- and medium-sized agricultural producers, and Indian tribal organizations. For FY 2018, we are offering implementation grants, planning grants, and training grants. State agencies and Indian tribal organizations are funding priorities!
Interested in applying? Completed applications must be submitted on grants.gov by 11:59pm ET on December 8, 2017. Check out our resources for applicants and a full list of awardees since the release of our first RFA in 2013!
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ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Program
Farmers who want to sell meat directly to restaurants, grocery stores, or consumers need a reliable and skilled partner: the meat processor is an essential team member and an asset to the business. This publication, "Working With Your Meat Processor," suggests some key ways to work effectively with a meat processor and lists resources for further information. Want to learn more? Sign up for the Weekly Harvest Newsletter.
2018 Farm to Cafeteria Conference
 The 9th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference in coming to Cincinnati, Ohio, April 25-27, 2018! Hosted by the National Farm to School Network (NFSN), this biennial event will convene more than 1,000 diverse stakeholders working to source local food for institutional cafeterias and foster a culture of food and agricultural literacy across America.
Do you have expertise to share? NFSN is seeking workshop and poster proposals from individuals and organizations working to improve our food system, strengthen community health, empower youth, advance equity, and increase opportunities for farmers and food producers. The Request for Proposals (RFP) is open now through Nov. 14, 2017.
Using a survey and case study approach, the Economic Impacts of Farm to School: Case Studies and Assessment Tools report, a collaborative project of the National Farm to School Network and Colorado State University, examines the economic impact of local purchasing and provides new insight into the potential for farm to school procurement to positively impact local economies. The report finds that not only were surveyed farmers satisfied or very satisfied with most aspects of farm to school sales, but farm to school farms purchase more inputs from the local economy, which results in positive local economic impact.
 
New CACFP Training Opportunities from Team Nutrition!
Join Team Nutrition for
their new webinar series, CACFP Halftime: Thirty on Thursdays, for
hot topics related to the updated Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
meal patterns.
Date:
Webinars will be held on the third Thursday of each month:
- An English webinar will
be held from 2:00-2:30pm ET
- A Spanish webinar will
be held from 3:00-3:30pm ET
Webinar Topics:
This webinar series is for State agencies, sponsoring organizations, CACFP providers and
program operators, and others who work with
CACFP.
All webinars will be recorded and made
available at a later date on the USDA Team Nutrition website.
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Colorado Proud School Meal Day
Colorado schools got a jump on Farm to School Month
celebrations with Colorado Proud School Meal Day last month! Over 200,000
students in 656 schools participated in the 13th annual event on
September 13, 2017. Governor John Hickenlooper proclaims the day each year to
encourage schools to incorporate Colorado products in their meals, to celebrate
Colorado agriculture and to educate students about agriculture and healthy
eating.
Local peaches, melons, beans, beef, milk and more graced the
lunch trays of Colorado students, showcasing the broad range of products
available from producers across the state. “Colorado farmers and ranchers
produce food items that provide the nutrients children and adults need to
thrive,” says Shaina Knight from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, who
has coordinated the event (in conjunction with many partners) for the past five
years.
At Cherry Creek Schools, students tried samples of roasted
local peaches, and many chose the Colorado-grown green beans and fresh peaches
on the lunch line. USDA Mountain Plains Regional Office and Colorado Department
of Education staff joined in, talking with students about what Colorado Proud
means and prodding them to consider why local food is special. At Cherry Creek
Schools, and across the state, Shaina Knight summed up the event well - it was
“a day to celebrate Colorado agriculture and to educate schoolchildren about
healthy eating!”
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Pennsylvania Promotes Partnerships
For the
past 8 years, farm to school has been promoted in Pennsylvania through a
collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and Penn
State University known as Project PA. Initiatives have included farm to school
mini-grant programs, webinars, collection and publication of “Promising
Practices,” National Farm to School Month events, and development of a farm to
school website and on-line module. In addition, in early 2017 through a USDA
Farm to School Training grant, five regional farm to school training sessions
were held throughout Pennsylvania to provide information about local purchasing
and facilitate networking between buyers and producers.
In
August 2017, Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, Pedro Rivera, other
representatives from PDE and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA), and
Pennsylvania Senator Thomas McGarrigle visited Garrett Williamson’s Camp Garrett program in Newtown Square.
They toured the Videon Educational Garden on the campus and met with
participants and providers at the camp’s Summer Food Service Program site. Camp
Garrett is a 10-week day-camp that provides activities, projects, and special
events for children ages 5-15. Harvests from the educational garden,
including fruits, vegetables, and herbs, are used to supplement lunches for the
summer camp program and are frequently distributed to the families.
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Yough School District (H. W. Good Elementary School) is one of 29 projects in Pennsylvania that was awarded a Project PA farm to school mini-grant in 2017. The school is using the funds to expand their school garden program. In late September, in preparation for National Farm to School Month, 3rd graders had the opportunity to visit the Morris Organic Farm in Sewickley Township where students picked produce, learned about daily functions of a working farm, and enjoyed taste testing opportunities provided by the farm. |
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