The USDA Food and Nutrition Service will release the fourth Farm to School Census (Census) in October 2023, and your participation counts! The Census is the only national survey that examines the extent of farm to school activities — local food purchasing, school gardens, and agricultural education efforts — in schools across the country and over time.

The Census surveys all public, private, and charter school food authorities (SFAs) operating the National School Lunch Program about their farm to school relevant activities. It is vital that as many SFAs as possible complete the Census, even SFAs that are not doing farm to school. This helps ensure the Census paints a clear and holistic picture of the extent of farm to school programming and reflects the amazing work farm to school stakeholders are advancing.

USDA knows that many SFAs have partners that help them get local foods in the cafeteria and classroom. This year, Census surveys will be “sharable” for the first time, so SFAs can leverage the help of their partners in gathering accurate data on their district or schools’ farm to school activities. USDA encourages SFAs to collaborate with partners they engage with in school gardens, farm field trips, curriculum development, and more to share a comprehensive farm to school story through the Census.  

Data collected through the Census truly shapes the future of farm to school. State, local, and Federal Governments, researchers, advocates, and more use Census data to inform future legislation, investments, and programs.

Testimonials from farm to school stakeholders illustrate the value of the Census:  

“The rapid expansion of farm to school policies and programming has made understanding its scale, scope, and impact more important than ever. The Farm to School Census, when combined with other national data, plays a key role in research on farm to school policies and activities. Without these data, our ability to understand the role of farm to school as a community and economic development strategy would be severely limited.”  - Dr. Becca Jablonski, Associate Professor and Food Systems Extension Economist, Colorado State University.

"Over the years, USDA has worked to make the farm to school census a tool that can provide consistent and uniform data about farm to school activity across the country. Along with State-wide and regional data collected in New England, the Census contributes to our understanding of the state of farm to school activity in the region and nationally, and where there is opportunity for programming, policy, and investment." - Hannah Leighton, Director of Research and Evaluation at Farm to Institution New England.

You can review the 2019 Farm to School Census results to get inspired about the power of the Census and even explore the data at the State or SFA level. Check out the 2023 Farm to School Census Partner Resources page too, to get ideas for how to help get the word out and support SFAs with their responses. No matter how engaged you or your organization is in farm to school, we need your help showing that local counts!

Prepare to Celebrate Farm to School Month

October marks the beginning of National Farm to School Month – an exciting annual celebration of all things farm to school! Here are a few ways you can get involved in this year’s celebration:

• Check out the National Farm to School Network’s (NFSN) Farm to School Month Event Calendar. Attend a local event or if you are hosting an event make sure to submit it for inclusion on the calendar. Visit NFSN’s Farm to School Month Resources page for informational and promotional materials, including a fact sheet, poster, postcard, bookmark designs, coloring page, stickers and more.
• Participate in or host a “crunch off” event for kids and community members to crunch into a local apple or other seasonal, locally produced fruit or vegetable. Check out the Mountain Plains Crunch Off 2023 Toolkit to get a sense of how to organize a multiple State or regional crunch off competition.
• Attend or host a farm field trip to connect children with local producers and where and how their food is grown or raised. Check out this Guide to Farm Field Trips from the Community Alliance with Family Farmers to get started.
• USDA Farm to School Program stickers are a great way to show your support for Farm to School month! Child nutrition program operators, State agencies administering the Child Nutrition Programs, and State Departments of Agriculture can order up to 3 rolls of stickers. Place your order today!
• Small Bites Adventure Club is offering a free digital toolkit for Pre-K through 2^nd grade teachers for Farm to School Month! These resources include a Rainbow Wrap recipe and a printable activity for children to explore rainbow fruits and veggies in their school lunch. Sign up here to receive your digital toolkit.

Enhancing USDA’s Summer Nutrition Programs – Thank You!

As children return to school, USDA wants to thank all child nutrition stakeholders for their ongoing partnership to combat summer hunger. Summer 2023 was the first summer offering grab-and-go or delivered meals in rural areas under a new, permanent option. In summer 2024 we will launch another new program providing food dollars to households with eligible children, so families can shop for healthy groceries during summer break. These new tools, which are in addition to in-person summer meal sites, help ensure equitable access to nutritious food and better service to our communities. View the summer nutrition timeline to learn more and support these efforts.

USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity Keynote at Farm to School Grantee Gathering

USDA hosted its annual gathering of new Patrick Leahy Farm to School grantees from September 13-15, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. FNS’ Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity, Dr. Caree Cotwright attended the gathering, and provided inspiring keynote remarks to the grantees. She shared some of her personal and professional experiences with farm to school programming. She also invited attendees to envision themselves getting on a school bus to a place that has “no hunger, people are thriving in the areas of nutrition and physical activity, and diet-related diseases and disparities are a thing of the past.” Dr. Cotwright described how such a place is aligned with USDA’s nutrition security efforts and vision for a nutrition secure future. Participants left inspired knowing how their work in farm to school supports nutrition security across the country.

USDA Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month takes place September 15 through October 15 every year and is a time to celebrate the Hispanic community! Check out these resources and stories being shared across USDA in observance of this month-long celebration of the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans:

• The USDA Food and Nutrition Service is offering a collection of resources in Spanish, which includes resources for parents, children, educators, and child nutrition program operators. The resource page is also available in Spanish. 
• The USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement hosted a half-day Symposium on Federal Programs and Resources for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) with an emphasis on cooperative agreements. Learn more about USDA’s HSI program here.
• USDA’s Gov Newsletter highlighted these stories on three Hispanic producers who play an integral role in American agriculture and the USDA programs that assist them.  
• USDA’s Team Nutrition Program offers a variety of resources in Spanish, including Child Nutrition Program meal crediting tip sheets, a Guide to Professional Standards for School Nutrition Programs, and more.

USDA Seeks Committee Members for Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

USDA is seeking nominees to the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, which advises the Secretary of Agriculture to enhance USDA’s goals for new farming and ranching operations.

Nominations may come from interested organizations and individuals from among ranching and farming producers, related state and tribal agricultural entities, academic institutions, commercial banking entities, trade associations, and related nonprofit enterprises. Members of the public are invited to nominate themselves or others by October 10, 2023. For more information, contact R. Jeanese Cabrera at acbfr@usda.gov or visit the Advisory Committee on Beginner Farmers and Ranchers website.

Seasonal Produce Resources

As we enter into fall, we invite you to explore USDA SNAP-Ed’s Seasonal Produce Guide to identify fruits and vegetables that are fresh and in season. Also check out the National CACFP Sponsor Association’s Creating Variety and Flavor with Seasonal Produce page, created by Institute of Child Nutrition, which builds upon the SNAP-Ed guide and helps child nutrition program operators find places to purchase seasonal produce and incorporate it into the child nutrition program meals.

Meal Talk Webinar Series: Celebrate Lunch Trays Many Ways

On October 12 at 3pm ET, in celebration of National School Lunch Week, USDA’s Team Nutrition will present a webinar to highlight the many ways to offer school lunch, with inspiration from across the country. Speakers will share strategies and success stories related to incorporating student food preferences and locally grown foods in USDA standardized recipes. Participants will also learn about Team Nutrition resources and the Healthy Meals Incentive Recognition Awards.

New USDA Food Safety Fact Sheets Available!

School meals are an important source of fruits and vegetables for children. Fruits and vegetables are vital to a healthy diet and it’s important to select and prepare them safely to avoid foodborne illness. For food safety information and best practices, including information specifically for produce, check out USDA’s five new fact sheets! These resources are designed for USDA’s partners and stakeholders, including child nutrition program operators and agricultural producers. They’re filled with useful information and provide an overview of the following topics related to food safety: 

• Food Safety Information and Resources for the Farm to School Community
• Good Agricultural Practices
• The Hazard Analysis Risk-Based Preventive Control Food Safety Plan and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Plan
• The Food Safety Modernization Act and Its Impact on Farm to School Activities
• The Food Safety Modernization Act and The Produce Safety Rule

Cultivating Resilience in Youth with Deep Nature Connections

On September 27 at 7pm ET, join the Florida Horticulture for Health Network for a webinar that explores nature and the sensory experiences it can provide to enhance our resilience, sense of connection, and well-being. Nature teaches and guides us so that we can nurture a deep sense of connection to self, others and the world. Learn adaptations for a wide range of age and ability levels using specific activities that are fun and engaging as a way to cultivate resilience in youth.

The People’s Garden Back to School Webinar

On September 26 at 3:30pm ET, join USDA’s People’s Garden for the next installment of their webinar series. This month will focus on and highlight USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service’s resources that are available to support child nutrition, and the important role community and school gardens can play to make healthy food accessible for all children.

Menu Planner for School Meals

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service recently released the revised Menu Planner for School Meals. The revised version reflects the final rule Child Nutrition Programs: Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium. This resource is designed to help school nutrition professionals plan, prepare, provide, and market great tasting, nutritious, and safe meals. It covers information on the following topics: nutrition, food safety, farm to school, USDA Foods, seasonal foods, marketing, and administrative reviews. The resource consists of seven chapters intended to stand on their own in addition to the introduction, quiz answer key, glossary, and appendices sections.

The National Farm to School Network’s Advocating for Farm to School: How to Host Site Visits Resource

The National Farm to School Network has created a comprehensive resource to help showcase and share your farm to school program through a thoughtfully designed site visit. The resource includes information on who should be invited, messaging tips and best practices, sample emails and press releases, and much more! The resource documents are available in both Spanish and English.

Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s has opened the Request for Applications for the FY 2024 Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program (CFPCGP). The grant program is intended to bring together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system and to foster understanding of national food security trends and how they might improve local food systems. CFPCGP solicits applications to fund three grant types: 1) Training and Technical Assistance, 2) Planning Projects, and 3) Community Food Projects. The RFA and more information about the grant tracks are available here.

Whole Kids Foundation Bee Grants

The Whole Kids Foundation, in partnership with The Bee Cause Project, are providing grant funds to K-12 schools or non-profit organizations that serve any grades K-12 to support educational beehives and bee programming focused on the importance of pollinators and their critical role in the food system. Applications are due October 15.