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Volume 9, Issue 8, March 2023
Training Producers to Bring the Farm to School
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Many farm to school stakeholders know that the recipe for getting local foods into school meals includes a strong and coordinated effort between local producers, school nutrition staff, and State and local partners. The Bringing the Farm to School training program focuses on the local producer ingredient in that recipe, by providing agricultural producers with training and tools to support their capacity to market and sell products to schools. The training was developed through USDA’s cooperative agreement with the National Center for Appropriate Technology and the National Farm to School Network. It uses a tiered, train-the-trainer model to prepare State agencies and other organizations to offer the training to producers in their States.
States and territories across the country have conducted Bringing the Farm to School trainings with local producers. The Nebraska Department of Education, a Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program grantee, hosted their first producer training in Omaha, NE in March 2022. They adapted the content to fit into a one-day training and brought in local guest speakers, including school nutrition directors, farmers with experience selling to schools, and a food hub representative. Providing stipends for local producers to participate, as well as getting the word out via local partner networks, helped them ensure they had a diverse group of producers for the training.
The Nebraska Department of Education then offered a second two-day Bringing the Farm to School training in October 2022, in partnership with the Winnebago Food Sovereignty Council, tailored to tribal producers. Some of the content was specific to animal protein production and planning, with a focus on bison, as well as crop production and planning. One lesson learned from Nebraska’s training approach was that tailoring the training to the specific producers in the audience can make it even more effective and actionable.
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Gary Fehr, founder of Green School Farms, who was a participant as well as a guest speaker at Nebraska’s trainings said, “for many farmers, selling to schools seems kind of mysterious compared to farmers markets, restaurants, and others they normally do business with. This training shows it’s really not that different. It teaches farmers that they can approach schools like they would many other wholesale buyers and lowers the barriers to developing those farm to school relationships.”
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Another State’s approach to the Bringing the Farm to School training was strategically regional. The Virginia Department of Education, a FY 2022 grantee, hosted four two-day producer trainings in regions across Virginia in February and March, 2023. In addition to the training curriculum, they included panel discussions between regional producers, school nutrition directors, and distributors. Each training concluded with a two-hour regional network meeting, with a focus on building local connections. This regional approach rather than a single State-wide training, ensured that more producers could participate. It also fostered discussions specific to the local context, resources, and infrastructure, which can help lasting farm to school connections take root.
These are just two success stories from Bringing the Farm to School trainings that are continuing across the country. Visit the Bringing the Farm to School website to access the training materials and learn about leading or attending a training in your area!
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USDA Launches Healthy Kids Initiative
USDA believes that a healthier future for our country starts with our kids. At USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) we’re working with our partners across the nation to continue, improve, and expand our support for child nutrition and break down barriers to good health. We’re calling this our “Healthy Kids Initiative,” and it’s all about the ways our nutrition assistance programs and resources build on each other to meet nutritional needs from birth throughout childhood and beyond. FNS programs like WIC, school meals, summer meals, and SNAP do more than give kids food to eat. They teach kids about the importance of nutrition, help them develop healthy habits, and connect them and their families with important resources.
A key action USDA has taken to improve child health through our school nutrition programs is the recently released proposed rule updating the school meal standards. Based on the latest nutrition science and extensive feedback from school food professionals, industry, and advocates, we strongly believe this proposal will give kids the right balance of nutrients for healthy, tasty school meals. One proposal in the rule that’s particularly important to the farm to school community would expand the geographic preference option to allow schools to include locally grown, raised, or caught as product specifications. USDA encourages all interested stakeholders to submit comments on the proposed rule by April 10, 2023.
Through the Healthy Kids Initiative, we will continue leveraging all our programs, partners, initiatives, and influence to ensure children of all backgrounds have the foods they need for good health, and we call on others to join us in that effort. In the coming months, we’ll continue sharing information on our latest efforts and connecting partners with resources and tools to support healthy kids.
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USDA Celebrates National Nutrition Month
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of National Nutrition Month — an annual campaign launched in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign invites everyone to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits. Each week in March the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and USDA shared resources focused on a different nutrition centered theme – this year’s theme is Fuel for the Future. Find resources at the campaign webpage and the USDA MyPlate webpage.
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National School Breakfast Week and CACFP Week Resources
In honor of National School Breakfast Week (March 6-10) and National Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) week (March 12-18), USDA held celebrations across the country and released a variety of resources to help National School Breakfast Program and CACFP operators serve nutritious meals.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) regional office staff visited local schools in all seven FNS regions to make School Breakfast Week a more meaningful experience for students, school officials, and community partners.
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The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (GA DECAL), a FY 2020 Farm to School grantee, celebrated national CACFP week with farm to school flair by hosting USDA officials for a tour of the garden at Lina Lane’s Learning Center and conducting a taste test of garden produce with students. They also hosted a Facebook Live video featuring yoga in the garden to help young learners connect with nature and get active.
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USDA Announces Healthy Meals Incentives – School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants – Cooperative Agreement Awardees
USDA has awarded four cooperative agreements for the administration and management of the Healthy Meals Incentives School Food System Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants. The following organizations will work closely with USDA over the next several years to transform the school food system into one that is resilient, equitable, and nutritious:
Farm to ECE Positions and Strategy Survey
The National Farm to School Network and the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists are gathering information on positions and strategies supporting state-level Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE). Information from the survey will be used to write a guide on positions that coordinate or build State Farm to ECE and to develop a Farm to ECE Strategy Map to identify strategies States are implementing.
All respondents will have the opportunity to enter a random drawing for one of ten $50 Amazon gift cards. The survey will take about 20-30 minutes to complete and is due by April 5, 2023.
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Shelburne Farms Hosts 2023 Farm to School Institute Adapter Awardees
On March 6, Shelburne Farms welcomed the 2023 cohort of the Farm to School Institute Adaptation Program, an intensive year-long training program offered through a cooperative agreement with the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program of USDA. The Vermont FEED Farm to School Institute is a proven model for growing robust farm to school programs that last by engaging whole-school teams in building shared leadership and capacity. Vermont FEED is a partnership project of the Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont. The adaptation program aims to grow the ability of State-level teams to host farm to school institutes for schools and early care and education providers in their States. This year’s cohort includes teams from Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
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New USDA Child Nutrition Programs Policy Memorandum
On March 3, 2023, the USDA released a policy memo to provide clarification on how the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, P.L. 117-328, impacts Child Nutrition Programs (CNP). The memo provides notices to CNP operators on important child nutrition topics, including the renaming of the USDA Farm to School Program to the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program.
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To read more about the Program name change, read our Special Edition of The Dirt!
USDA National Garden Month Webinar
Join USDA for the inaugural People’s Garden Initiative webinar to kick off National Garden Month! The webinar will feature a special message from Mrs. Christie Vilsack, information about our country’s rich gardening history and success stories from USDA Food and Nutrition Service Farm to School Program grantees. The webinar will be held Wednesday, April 26, from 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET.
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Selling Local Foods to Schools: A Resource for Producers Fact Sheet
An increasing number of schools are sourcing locally grown foods for their school meals and snacks. As a famer, rancher, fisher, or other food producer, this means there are market opportunities in your own backyard and an opportunity to feed children in your community. Learn more about selling local foods to schools by reading USDA’s recently updated Selling Local Foods to Schools fact sheet!
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USDA Beginning Farmer Resources
Additionally, you can sign-up for the Farmers.gov blog! The blog covers topics such as loans and grants, conservation efforts, and farm life.
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USDA Local Food Directories
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s new and improved Local Food Directories are up and running! From customers looking to buy fresh local foods for their families to wholesale food buyers, you can quickly identify nearby suppliers of local food. By listing their business information in the directories, farmers, producers, and distributors of local foods can take advantage of opportunities in both direct-to-consumer and wholesale markets. If you manage a food hub, farmers market, or Community Supported Agriculture program, this is a great resource for you!
New Farm to Early Care and Education Guide: Everything in Good Season
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Upcoming Workshop on Controlled Environment Agriculture on Land and In Space
Introducing the NASDA GAP Grower Toolkit: Removing Barriers to USDA GAP Programs
The toolkit includes new, user-friendly educational resources with an emphasis on GroupGAP, a USDA farm food safety program that provides the specialty crops industry with opportunities to supply and buy fruits, vegetables and related products certified as being produced using Good Agricultural Practices.
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USDA Team Nutrition Releases FY23 Grant Opportunity
USDA has released a Request for Applications (RFA) for the FY 2023 Team Nutrition Grant Supporting Nutrition Education for School-Aged Children. States agencies that administer the National School Lunch Program and/or Child and Adult Care Food Program At-Risk Afterschool Meals and Outside School Hours Care Centers and school food authorities (SFA) may apply for up to $1 million each in grant funding.
State agency and SFA grantees will facilitate the adoption of healthy eating patterns by school-aged children (grades Pre-K through 12) and their families through the coordination and implementation of MyPlate nutrition education connected to the nutritious meals and snacks offered through USDA Child Nutrition Programs.
Don't miss these important dates:
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March 22, 2023: RFA Release on Grants.gov
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April 5, 2023: Informational Webinar - Register here
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April 24, 2023: Letter of Intent Due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time
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May 22, 2023: Applications Due by 11:59 pm Eastern Time
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USDA Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program Plus – Deadline Extended
Through the non-competitive Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement Program, USDA provides funding for States, territories, and tribal governments to purchase foods from underserved and tribal producers and processors and distribute that food in a way that makes sense to their communities. USDA announced a second round of up to $464 million in funding for this program, called LFPA Plus, which can be used by entities that participated in the first round of LFPA funding to expand their current cooperative agreements. It also can be used by tribal governments and territories that did not participate in the first round of LFPA funding to establish new cooperative agreements.
To provide all interested States, territories and federally recognized tribal governments ample time to apply, the LFPA Plus application deadline has been extended from March 31, 2023 to May 12, 2023.
USDA Local Agriculture Market Program
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USDA Announces Cooperative Agreement for Compost and Food Waste Reduction
USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP) announced the availability of up to $9.5 million for Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects for FY 2023. The cooperative agreements support projects that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. CFWR is part of USDA’s broader efforts to advance equity, support local and regional food systems, and encourage use of conservation and climate-smart practices. Applications are due June 15, 2023.
USDA Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grants
The USDA’s Rural Development Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program helps agricultural producers conduct value-added activities to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income. For example, when a farmer takes raw agricultural products and turns them into a lightly processed product, like using peaches to make peach jam, that is a value-added product. Grant and matching funds can be used for planning activities or for working capital expenses related to producing and marketing a value-added agricultural product. Applications are due May 11, 2023.
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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).
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