Ten years ago, the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the Washington School Nutrition Association came together to sponsor the first Taste Washington Day, with support from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and various community organizations. Together, they developed seasonal menus featuring Washington-grown ingredients that brought together farms and schools in a celebration of diversity and abundance during Washington’s harvest season. Every year since then, on the first day in October, schools, teachers, school gardeners, and farmers across Washington have joined in on the Taste Washington Day festivities, teaching students more about where their food comes from and how delicious fresh, local fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, meats, beans and legumes can taste. Taste Washington Day also serves as Washington State’s kick-off for the month-long celebration of National Farm to School Month in October.
This year, due to COVID-19, Taste Washington Day is going to look a bit different. The theme this year is “What’s in the Bag or Box from Washington?” and the date is October 7. Schools across the State are encouraged to feature one Washington grown product in sack lunches and meal boxes being distributed to students. By serving and highlighting locally grown foods, students get healthy meals, but equally important, it is an exciting way to celebrate the critical, essential work of school nutrition staff and Washington farmers to keep students and families fed during COVID-19. Check out the various ways schools and farms can participate in Washington, and find inspiration for ways to celebrate in your own community:
- Feature at least one Washington grown ingredient in meals students pick up;
- Provide an extra box of locally grown food in addition to school meals;
- Do a virtual “Washington Apple Crunch” with teachers at noon on Oct. 7;
- Send home a “Taste Washington Day” recipe or other handout about food or agriculture;
- Distribute produce from a school garden, or do virtual, at home garden activities.
“I think this year’s event will be successful in many ways, even if that looks different than years past,” said Chris Iberle, the Farm to School Lead for the Washington State Department of Agriculture. “We see it as a way to promote school meals and recognize the resilience and heroic efforts of our school nutrition staff, farmers, and communities. It’s a chance for something fun and celebratory at a challenging time.”
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Coming Soon! National Farm to School Month with National Farm to School Network
Feeding our nation’s children through school meals has always been a community effort, from farmers and distributors to teachers and school nutritionists. During this pandemic, it’s clear that workers who keep our kids and families fed deserve recognition for the contributions they make in our communities. That’s why this October, National Farm to School Network is focusing its annual National Farm to School Month campaign on expressing appreciation for essential workers and working to create a more just food system. Join National Farm to School Network throughout October to celebrate those who feed us and our children. It Takes a Community to Feed a Community! Learn more and get involved at farmtoschool.org/month.
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Food Justice is Racial Justice: National Farm to School Network Movement Meeting
October 14, 1-3pm ET (Virtual)
Join National Farm to School Network for a virtual Movement Meeting on Wednesday, Oct.14 from 1-3pm ET, featuring food justice activist Karen Washington, for deep conversation and action-oriented reflection on racial justice in the farm to school movement and wider food system. You’ll connect with fellow farm to school and food justice advocates from across the country, dig into conversations about what it means to shift power, and help shape the next steps of progress towards a vision of a just food system for all. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend this free event; no prior knowledge of farm to school needed. Register here.
The National Farm to School Network is also currently hiring for two positions: Program Manager (Full-Time, Remote) and Program Association (Part-Time, Remote). Both positions are open until filled. More information and application instructions here: http://www.farmtoschool.org/employment
Local Food System Response to COVID Resource Hub
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently launched the Local Food System Response to COVID Resource Hub (Resource Hub), a searchable database on adaptations market channels from direct-to-consumer to institutions are making across the country as a result of the pandemic. The Resource Hub was created through USDA’s cooperative agreement with the University of Kentucky, Colorado State University and Pennsylvania State University. Together, they partnered with 16 organizations, including the National Farm to School Network (NFSN) and Farm to Institution New England (FINE), to gather real-time intelligence on local and regional marketplaces to understand obstacles and impediments and successful marketing and production strategies and innovations.
The Resource Hub goes beyond farm to institution, but includes a number of practical resources to support practitioners in the field continuing to make farm to school an important part of the school day. In addition to the Resource Hub, the project deliverables include snapshots of each part of the local food economy, and case studies and highlights of innovations in the sector. Check it out to find resources, like this one on the importance of farm to ECE, to support your efforts to make farm to school (and local food) happen!
CDC Considerations for Learning Gardens
The CDC has released Considerations for Outdoor Learning and Community Gardens to help address community food access during the COVID-19 pandemic. These recommendations are intended for managers of outdoor learning gardens (e.g., school gardens) and community gardens. These considerations are meant to supplement—not replace—any state, local, territorial, or tribal health and safety laws, rules, and regulations with which organizations must comply.
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Cooking with Curiosity
The Edible Schoolyard Project in Berkeley, California, has been hard at work designing hands–on educational experiences in the garden, kitchen, and cafeteria that connect children to food, nature, and to each other. They recently announced a new 16-week curriculum entitled ‘Cooking with Curiosity: Challenging Perfection with Reflection’,designed to introduce students to cooking skills while building reflection practices so that they can cook confidently on their own terms. Cooking with Curiosity - Unit 1, now available, introduces students to basic kitchen skills, such as knife safety and recipe reading. It also will familiarize students with the curriculum’s reflection practices and habits of mind.
Be sure to check out the Edible At Home lessons and activities, and the resource library, with free lesson plans.
2021 Farm to School Grant Program Announcement Coming This Fall!
FNS plans to release the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Fiscal Year 2021 Farm to School Grant Program in the fall. The annual grant opportunity will help reach more communities seeking to incorporate local products into school meals, integrate agricultural education in the classroom, and cultivate and expand farm to school efforts. Stay tuned for the latest updates on the next Farm to School Grant RFA by following the Dirt and online via the USDA website.
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